Environment

Headed for Snowiest Winter Yet: Anchorage Gets Walloped With Snow Again

Alaska Headed for Snowiest Year on Record

(Photo: AP/Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Kim Weibl)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (The Blaze/AP) — Alaska’s nearing a record amount of snow that makes the “snowpacolypses” some eastern U.S. cities experienced last year seem like a flurry.

Heavy snow continued to fall in Alaska’s largest city Thursday, adding to what already has been the snowiest period for Anchorage since records have been kept.

The weather service counts a snow year from July to June. From July 1 through Tuesday, Anchorage has received 81.3 inches of snow. Meteorologist Shaun Baines said that makes it the snowiest period for Anchorage since records have been kept.

If the pace keeps up through the last snows in either April or May, Anchorage is on track to have the snowiest winter ever, surpassing the previous record of 132.8 inches in 1954-55, Baines said.

“It’s snowing pretty good right now,” forecaster Christian Cassell said at 4:30 a.m. Thursday at the Anchorage weather service office. The snow had been intermittent but the rate was increasing.

“We still expect a decent amount of snow,” Cassell said.

To the amazement of the lower half of the United States, Anchorage schools were still open Thursday, but some school bus routes were canceled because of whiteout driving conditions. It mainly affects students living south of Anchorage and buses that must use the Seward Highway.

About 150 miles to the southeast of Anchorage, the Prince William Sound community of Cordova has already been buried under 172 inches of snow since Nov. 1 and is trying to dig out from recent storms.

Another 4 to 7 inches could fall Thursday, Baines said.

City officials in Cordova, a picturesque fishing community, already have learned that a regular shovel just won‘t cut it when you’re digging out from nearly 15 feet of snow.

Here’s footage of the National Guard still helping Cordova dig out on Thursday:

There were plenty of standard shovels around town. But what they needed was a larger version with a scoop that can push a cubic foot of snow or better at a time.

“That‘s what’s missing in Alaska,” city spokesman Tim Joyce said Wednesday.

Not anymore.

“We will be shipping 72 shovels to Alaska by plane (Thursday) to help,” said Genevieve Gagne, product manager at the shovel’s maker, Quebec, Canada-based Garant.

The new shovels cost about $50 each, and the city is paying for them with its emergency funds.

Alaska Headed for Snowiest Year on Record

(Photo: AP/Spc. Balinda O’Neal, Alaska National Guard)

The Yukon ergo sleigh shovels, with a 26-inch scoop, have a huge advantage over regular shovels. “Trying to lift snow all day with those is pretty backbreaking,” Joyce said.

“We have the National Guard right now using the standard shovel, and they’re getting pretty trashed everyday — not the shovels but the Guardsmen themselves,” he said.

Temperatures warmed Wednesday, when residents awoke to standing water because of stopped-up drains. The rain also made the existing snow heavier.

The warmer temperatures — about 35 degrees midday Wednesday — brought another hazard to the Prince William Sound community of 2,200 people: avalanche danger.

There’s one road leading out, and it was closed though it could be opened for emergency vehicles.

The city also is warning people not to stand under the eaves of their houses to clear snow off the roof for fear the snow will come down on them.

“There’s a real high potential that if it does slide, they’d be buried,” he said.

So far, four commercial buildings and two homes have been damaged from snow accumulation on roofs. A 24-unit apartment complex also had to be evacuated.

Comments (14)

  • kozanne
    Posted on January 13, 2012 at 6:41pm

    Global warming schmarming.

    Lived in Anchorage for 6 years. Somedays, the snowplows would pile that stuff so high it was almost like driving thru a tunnel. On the way to work one day, watched a lady in her Caddie slide off right on the ice, go UP one of the snowpiles and come back down on the other side. Just a question of how many feet, always snows there. Used to have to get behind my old Honda and push while hubby put the pedal to the metal just to get up our driveway!

    Wonderful place Alaska. Winter is challenging, but it’s supposed to be.

    Report Post »  
  • Mitchm999
    Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:07pm

    The level of understanding by republicans about climate change is frightening. When did the party become anti science? You really do have a lot more in common with islam than I thought.

    Report Post » Mitchm999  
    • oneopin
      Posted on January 13, 2012 at 5:49pm

      It’s Alaska! News flash…it snows there!

      Report Post »  
    • kozanne
      Posted on January 13, 2012 at 6:46pm

      Good grief! Does EVERYTHING have to be politicized?

      Report Post »  
    • Quiata
      Posted on January 15, 2012 at 7:55am

      Ahhh, Mitch. Please explain the weather processes that resulted in the MILE (or more) of ice that used to repeatedly glaze much of North America, Europe, Asia; enough ice to deform the earth’s crust, drop sea levels by 120 meters, and result in the carving out of what are now the great lakes. “Climate change?” If you can pinpoint the cause of ice ages, then maybe your ‘notions’ will be taken seriously.

      Report Post »  
  • JERSEYJUDE
    Posted on January 13, 2012 at 10:32am

    How dare you George Bush!!?? (God i mss you)

    Report Post »  
  • lgccac
    Posted on January 13, 2012 at 8:52am

    Darned old global warming.

    Report Post »  
  • grannyrecipe
    Posted on January 13, 2012 at 7:10am

    God is saying “There! is that enough snow for the polar bears yet, you annoying Liberals?”

    Report Post » grannyrecipe  
  • nzkiwi
    Posted on January 13, 2012 at 2:00am

    Sorry, Al, we can’t quite hear you. Speak up, man!

    Report Post »  
  • sillyfreshness
    Posted on January 13, 2012 at 12:52am

    So in the Midwest of the US, today was really the first real snowfall we’ve had all winter. It’s balanced out by someplace like Alaska getting snow everyday since November. The fact that there are long standing records in places like Alaska tells me that freaky weather has taken place all the time. It said Anchorage’s record snow year is 1954, which was well before global warming was even a thought. Bad weather happens all the time in different places throughout the world. I wouldn’t say this year is the result of anything special. It’s just a bad winter up there just like 1954 was for them. Next year could for them like what the Midwest has been, which is very mild so far this season.

    Report Post » sillyfreshness  
  • dinadp
    Posted on January 12, 2012 at 11:28pm

    I have the same shovel. It’s pretty practical – but 15 feet of snow will be a b!tch to shovel. They should send the National Guard in with snow-blowers!

    Report Post » dinadp  
  • Armyof One
    Posted on January 12, 2012 at 8:07pm

    I‘m sure it’s because of the lack of pack ice and polar bears farts.

    Report Post » Armyof One  

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