Weather

This week’s especially good aurora forecast could bring an array of colors, including deep reds and pinks.

Auto shops are seeing more business because of damaged tires, and drivers are often inching through a messy maze of bad road conditions. Road crews are making headway but still catching up from unfavorable weather last month.

Snow is expected to begin falling along the Seward Highway on Thursday afternoon and continue throughout Friday.

The 11.8 inches of snow tallied by 9 p.m. made Saturday the 13th snowiest day on record for Anchorage, according to the National Weather Service.

Many backcountry avalanches are expected Thursday and Friday as a storm hits the Chugach and Kenai mountains. Officials say avalanche danger could remain elevated through the weekend.

The Seward Highway north of Girdwood reopened Friday afternoon after crews worked to clear 10 to 15 feet of avalanche debris from the roadway, officials said.

Fresh snow and a drizzly rain that caused mayhem on Anchorage roadways Monday and Tuesday is forecast to continue Wednesday, the Weather Service says.

Hatcher Pass was closed near the Gold Mint parking lot due to increasing avalanche danger.

After recent storms, the areas saw multiple avalanches triggered by skiers and snowmachiners. Turnagain Pass will in an avalanche risk zone into Monday.

Warm, slushy conditions will likely continue through Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

A “scary-looking avalanche” happened near a group of skiers Thursday, said an official from the avalanche center. No one was caught, but officials are concerned large avalanches could be possible.

While the storm was winding down Friday, an additional 1 to 3 inches of snow were forecast for parts of Southcentral on Saturday.

Gusts up to 80 mph are expected Thursday in Portage Valley and up to 18 inches of snow could fall in Turnagain Pass, according to the National Weather Service.

With millions of dollars in damage to a new health clinic and imperiled infrastructure, the borough is requesting help from the National Guard.

Don Hammond watched as his flightseeing plane was picked up and destroyed by powerful winds. He was one of several people who tried to secure loose planes at the airport during heavy winds.

Borough first responders are being called to homes for situations involving improper use of generators and indoor use of propane and gas stoves for heating. At least a dozen people with carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms have gone to the hospital.

Mat-Su residents cope with power outages, hazardous driving, damaged property and cold.

About 8,600 homes and businesses were still without power early Tuesday, with windchills forecast to be 20 to 35 degrees below zero.

Schools in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District will be closed Monday due to the complications of high winds. The Red Cross was operating shelters in Palmer and Wasilla for people needing refuge.

Outages were affecting over 13,000 Matanuska Electric members by 9:30 a.m. Sunday, according to an outage map. Gusts up to 75 mph are possible in the Matanuska Valley, while gusts up to 60 mph were expected in Anchorage.