Please Drive Safe

[Oni]

With our Recent Heat Wave All the schools in town are closed, and roads are flat ice. APD wants drivers to stay at home and if you have to drive not be over 30 miles per hour.

Freezing rain wreaks havoc in city

Icy roads have caused dozens of traffic accidents; closed Anchorage public schools, the city's two universities, state courts and Alyeska ski resort; and suspended public bus service.

Four jury trials are in progress downtown, but only because the jurors arrived before officials decided to close state court in Anchorage and Palmer, officials said. The Nesbett State Courthouse will remain open solely for the filing of domestic-violence petitions.

So far, federal court and Anchorage jail hearings are not affected by the weather; they are continuing as scheduled this morning and afternoon, officials said.

Numerous traffic accidents have been reported due to extremely hazardous driving conditions, Anchorage police said.

Police saw 46 accidents -- including eight with injuries -- between midnight and 8 a.m. today.

It took Anchorage Police Department spokesman Dave Parker half an hour just to get out his driveway, he said.

"Lake Otis (Parkway) was polished smooth. Ice skates would have been better on the wheels than snow tires."

Police reported another 100 vehicles in distress -- which can mean cars that ended up in a ditch.

Police urge people to stay off the road this morning if they can. Intersections and hills are particularly dangerous, and Parker said a good rule of thumb is to drive half the speed limit.

City transportation officials said they will monitor the road conditions hourly to determine when to restore People Mover bus service, said Jody Karcz, public transportation director.

AnchorRIDES service has been reduced to essential trips only. Essential trips include trips for dialysis and cancer treatment and trips to get essential oxygen or medical supplies, Karcz said.

The Anchorage School District announced that all classes are suspended. The administrative facilities are open.

While roads are also slick and icy on the Kenai Peninsula, schools there were not closed for the day. Yet buses were running two hours behind schedule.

Alyeska ski resort closed for the day because of icy roads and electrical issues, the resort said.

The National Weather Service has issued a freezing rain advisory through 11 a.m., and streets are reported to be very icy throughout the city.

Driving conditions are extremely hazardous on the Seward Highway northbound from Mile 90 at Girdwood to Mile 115 at the Potter Creek viewpoint due to storm-force winds and surface-water hazards, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The Weather Service says that along higher elevations and through Turnagain Arm, southeast winds of 65 to 85 mph, with gusts of 105 mph, are forecast for this afternoon. Glen Alps recorded a wind gust of 75 mph at 8:30 a.m. today.

Winds over the Anchorage Bowl are expected to increase to 20 to 35 mph this afternoon, with gusts to 45, the Weather Service said.


All Anchorage after-school activities canceled

by Channel 2 News Staff
Wednesday, January 14, 2009

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Due to continuing adverse road conditions, all after-school activities have been canceled for elementary, middle, and high school.

Freezing rain caused multiple school closures, including all Anchorage-area schools from Girdwood to Houston, the University of Alaska Anchorage and its campus in the Valley, and Alaska Pacific University.

Glacier View is the only school open today in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley.

People Mover bus service was also suspended due to the icy road conditions. Channel 2 News staff will monitor the conditions hourly to determine when or if buses resume service.

AnchorRIDES service has been reduced to essential trips only. Essential trips include trips to dialysis, cancer treatment, and trips to get essential oxygen or medical supplies.

This is a developing story. Please return to KTUU.com for updates.

[Crimson]

in the end 90-95% of all court activity was canceled and most everyone sent home. my office got email after email canceling things from 830-10 or so...

[Oni]

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0-0ygVvv4c" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0-0ygVvv4c</a>
Yep this is what I thought of this morning.

[Eternimus]

You think of a flock of gay men EVERY morning.

[Oni]

3 Times today. that's  how many times I shoveled cause of the continually falling snow.