The Anchorage School District has closed schools Monday due to icy roads and hazardous weather.
“Side streets and upper elevations areas are not safe,” district officials said in an online message around 5:30 a.m.
After-school activities and community rentals are also canceled.
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District announced a two-hour delay for some schools due to icy roads.
Anchorage and the Mat-Su had been under a winter weather advisory from noon Sunday until 6 a.m. Monday.
Weather Service meteorologist Brandon Lawson said a mix of warmer temperatures and overnight rainfall caused icy roads across much of the city. On Monday morning, he said temperatures were just above freezing.
“I think things should improve somewhat, because we'll see our precipitation come to an end,” he said. “We should get a little bit of a break — it's going to be temporary. We get another frontal system moving in tomorrow morning.”
City road crews are sanding local roads, and residents can contact street maintenance dispatch with areas of concern at 907-343-8277.
Between 7 p.m. Sunday and 10:30 a.m. Monday, Anchorage police reported six crashes, including one with injuries, and six vehicles in distress.
Lawson said a warm air mass will push through the area Tuesday, which could bring strong southeasterly winds, but will limit precipitation. Patchy freezing fog is likely on Tuesday, he said.
"Hopefully, it's not as big of a freezing rain concern tomorrow morning, but we'll continue to monitor that as well,” he said.
The Anchorage forecast calls for temperatures in the low to mid-30s through Thursday afternoon, before dipping to the low 20s on Friday.
