The Anchorage and Mat-Su school districts closed schools on Wednesday due to slippery roads and weather. The University of Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Pacific University also closed their campuses.
The Anchorage area is under a winter weather advisory until 5 p.m. with the National Weather Service warning of snow, freezing rain and rain. Temperatures are forecast to rise above freezing by afternoon with increasing winds in some parts of town.
“Slow down and use caution while traveling,” the weather service warned.
Between midnight and 1 p.m. Wednesday, the Anchorage Police Department got called to five car crashes, one with injuries, and there were 21 reports of “vehicles in distress,” some from sliding off roadways.
The Mat-Su area is also under a winter weather advisory until 5 p.m. and the Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center is warning of “very dangerous avalanche conditions.” The avalanche danger is listed as “considerable” in Turnagain Pass.
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Tegan Hanlon is the digital managing editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at thanlon@alaskapublic.org or 907-550-8447. Read more about Tegan here.
