Anchorage hit by big snowstorm

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – More than a foot of snow had fallen by early afternoon Wednesday in Anchorage and other parts of Southcentral Alaska but emergency officials reported minimal disruption of services.

A low-pressure system moving from the Gulf of Alaska into Prince William Sound brought snow over a 200-mile swath, stretching from Homer to Talkeetna.

The snowstorm followed 36.9 inches of snow that fell in Anchorage last month, the fourth snowiest December on record.

Meteorologist Tom Dang at the National Weather Service said 16 inches of snow had fallen in parts of Anchorage by 5 p.m. and was continuing. Snow was falling elsewhere in the region but Anchorage was “bearing the brunt of things,” Dang said.

Anchorage Police Department Lt. Paul Honeman said police took reports of 53 collisions between midnight Tuesday and 5 p.m. Wednesday. More than 100 vehicles were in distress or in ditches. The department was averaging a disabled call every six minutes and a collision every 10 minutes, Honeman said.

Julie Hasquet, spokeswoman for the municipality of Anchorage, said libraries and recreation facilities would close early because of the heavy snowfall. Schools already were closed for the holidays.

Rick Feller, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation Central Region, said the snowfall meant plenty of work for snow removal crews.

“We’re keeping up,” he said. “We’re certainly having to maximize our available work force.”

Plowing crews have shifted to working six 12-hour days.

“That way we can provide 24-hour coverage,” Feller said. “With this much snowfall, it just takes awhile to clean up between snowfalls.”

Crews got a head start on highway problems by performing pre-emptive avalanche control last week along the Seward Highway, Feller said.

“We expect to do more this week,” he said.

He said people should slow down in the deep snow – or consider not making a trip.

“We urge everyone to stay home if they don’t need to get out,” Feller said.