Road close due to snow conditions
Here is excert from Daily news miner.
A winter storm with extreme snowfall — 15 inches fell in 90 minutes in Valdez — is making travel hazardous south of the Alaska Range today. The avalanche occurred at Mile 39 about 3:30 a.m., according to DOT. It is about 200 feet long and 20 feet deep.
DOT crews are trying to keep up with the snowfall on the Richardson, Edgerton and Glenn highways, although the area of the Richardson that is closed will remain so until avalanche danger has been mitigated.
The storm, which has dumped 40 inches of snow so far, is forecast to bring nearly 4 feet of snow to Thompson Pass, where the Richardson Highway crosses the Chugach mountain range. The storm is accompanied by unseasonably warm temperatures, with rain mixing with wet snow, creating icy surfaces.
According to DOT, a drive that normally takes 15 minutes in Tazlina, south of Glennallen, took nearly an hour this morning. Power outages have been reported in the Copper River area and local schools are closed.
Another weather front is expected Thursday, which could bring additional heavy snow to Thompson Pass and snow and rain to Valdez.
and here is another:
45 inches of snow forecast for Thompson Pass
FAIRBANKS — Today is forecast to be a snowy day in Valdez and Thompson Pass, even by the standards of one of the snowiest parts of the country.
A winter storm warning issued Tuesday afternoon predicts Valdez will get between 2 and 3 feet of snow between 9 p.m. Tuesday and 9 p.m. today. The National Weather Service predicts nearly 4 feet could fall at the top of Thompson Pass, where the Richardson Highway crosses the Chugach Range.
The combination of heavy snow and wind along the summits will make travel through the pass extremely difficult.
Thompson Pass frequently gets massive snow dumps; it takes 2 feet of snow in the forecast for the Weather Service to issue a warning there. By comparison, in the dry climate around Fairbanks, the Weather Service issues a warning when 8 inches of snow are forecast, said Jim Brader, a meteorologist with the service.
The Interior also is forecast to get some snow today. One to 3 inches of snow are forecast in Fairbanks. The precipitation is expected to be heavier to the south and east, with 4-7 inches possible in Delta Junction and 8-16 inches at Isabel Pass, south of Delta Junction, where the Richardson Highway passes through the Alaska Range.
Contact Outdoors Editor Sam Friedman at 459-7545. Follow him on Twitter: @FDNMoutdoors
Kevin you might just recognize the milepost mention in here as you said you were involved with an study in that area.
so far we been lucky only 1.5 inches here.
John