A wave of freezing rain fell across Anchorage overnight, leading to slick road and sidewalks throughout the city on Monday.
Anchorage-based National Weather Service meteorologist Pamela Pietrycha said local temperatures were in the 30-degree range by 7:45 a.m. Monday
“For Anchorage, we're mostly seeing a mix of some rain and snow, up at the higher elevations with some periods of all snow,” Pietrycha said. “And then down in the Bowl, we're seeing also that rain-snow mix and turning to periods of rain.”
By 2 p.m. Monday, Anchorage police spokeswoman Shelly Wozniak said officers had received word of 23 vehicles in distress and 18 accidents. The Anchorage School District canceled after-school activities, citing deteriorating icy conditions on roads.
While the rain dissipated by late Monday morning, Pietrycha said falling temperatures during the day had already frozen some rain to local roads. She said temperatures were forecast to fall into the 20-degree range overnight Monday, leading to continued icy roads as far north as Eagle River into the evening.
Meanwhile, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough remains under a winter weather advisoryuntil 3 p.m. The forecast is calling for 2 to 5 inches of snow, and the weather service is warning drivers about slippery road conditions.
