A wave of freezing rain that snarled Southcentral Alaska traffic overnight Monday caused most area schools to close Tuesday, with conditions continuing into the morning commute.
The Anchorage School District and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, as well as the University of Alaska Anchorage announced closures Tuesday morning. Most Kenai Peninsula Borough schools were running under a two-hour delayed start Tuesday, with People Mover bus service in Anchorage also facing delays after suspending service at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
According to the National Weather Service, Anchorage and the Matanuska Valley remain under a winter weather advisory for rain on ice until 10 a.m. Tuesday.
“Rain falling on and flowing across frozen surfaces will continue to pose a hazard,” meteorologists wrote.
Weather Service meteorologist Carson Jones said Tuesday morning that the freezing rain is part of a low-pressure system with hurricane-force winds from the North Pacific that moved north into Cook Inlet. Its winds brought 80-mph gusts to much of Southcentral Alaska, prompting high wind warnings that ended earlier Tuesday.
Most precipitation from the system fell as rain, Jones said, with snow only reported in Talkeetna. Some hail was falling in Anchorage Tuesday morning, due to a heavy band of precipitation passing through the area.
Jones said the effects of the widespread rain were impressive.
“The amount of ice that’s been able to accumulate on the roads has definitely been very significant,” he said.
Anchorage road crews began sanding and de-icing local roads Monday afternoon, with work continuing into Tuesday.
The freezing rain arrived at midday Monday, with Palmer-based Alaska State Troopers responding to more than two dozen collisions between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday. Anchorage police closed Eklutna Lake Road on Monday afternoon due to poor conditions.
Anchorage police spokesperson Christopher Barraza said Tuesday morning that 79 accidents and 54 vehicles in distress had been reported Monday. Tuesday's total, as of 8:40 a.m., was six accidents and 10 vehicles in distress.
"At the moment, the side streets are just waiting for the sanders, so we suggest being very careful driving," Barraza said.
Jones said most rainfall across Southcentral should taper off by late Tuesday morning. Residents of the region can expect temperatures to gradually fall below freezing over the next few days, potentially refreezing still-wet roads.
“That’s the main hazard,” he said.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
