Friday's blast of snow in the Mat-Su proved to be a pre-Thanksgiving blessing for Alaska snowmachiners who've had few chances to ride during recent snow-starved winters.
The Mat-Su office of Alaska State Parks announced that both the Nancy Lake Recreation Area and Denali State Park are open to snowmachine use after as much as a foot and a half of snow fell overnight in portions of the borough.
The Susitna Valley was expected to get 1 to 3 inches of additional snow Friday night with snow showers Saturday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Jason Ahsenmacher.
Other areas, including the popular Turnagain Pass south of Anchorage, remain closed.