Posted on 01/04/2007 10:53:22 AM PST by george76
It's been snowing all day in Anchorage and it's still coming. A combination of snow, fog and ice contributed to more than 100 cars becoming stuck in ditches and snow berms across the city.
The Anchorage Police Department said accidents occurred at a pace of a collision every 10 minutes today.
A snow advisory remains in effect and the job of digging out is only beginning.
Midtown resident Linda Rinard just returned from vacation.
"I just flew in at 9:00 a.m. from Las Vegas; two weeks and sunny Las Vegas," she said.
Sherri Stein picked up Rinard from Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport and brought her to Stein's driveway. Rinard and Stein are among the army of folks with shovels and snow blowers digging out, but only making room for more snow to take its place. The constantly falling snow and fog make it difficult for drivers to see the road.
Some ended up stuck in a snow bank like Jennifer Alger.
"I was just driving down the road and everything all looked the same, just all white. And my tires caught the snow bank, just went right through it, so my car's completely stuck," she said.
The worst of the snow-related accidents happened on the Glenn Highway this morning. Five cars and two people were taken to the hospital. Traffic was forced to reroute on the Hiland Road exit.
Some of those in the ditch say they dove for it as they tried to avoid other cars.
"I just decided to get in the ditch rather than hit them in the middle of the road," said Shannon Overstreet, who was stuck in a ditch.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktuu.com ...
love to see a picture...
I can't believe this got to the 58th post before someone said something. That sentence just jumped right out at me! Too funny!
They changed the name after the Senator was nearly killed in an aircraft accident there and his wife did not survive the crash.
Best meal I've ever had was in Girdwood. "Double Musky Inn".
Fantastic place.
I lived in Alaska from 1955 to 1961. (was there when in became a State, pretty exciting time). Still miss it, although we manage to get back up there on occassion. I could be wrong, but I seem to remember getting some super snows in Anchorage from time to time........certainly more than 11 inches in one day. We get bigger snows than that here in the Black Hills.
In honor of my favorite place, I named my Husky "Alyeska".
Even with the obvious building regs, would not be surprised to see some snow loads causing a few problems especially on flat roofs.
See? That was when there was still an Alaska. It is gone, gone, gone. The place is still here, mosquitoes and all, but the mental construct we called Alaska is not.
do you think that will win a Pulitzer?
Thanks.
They are still digging out roads, etc. in eastern Colorado and surrounding states.
I hope the cars were OK...
Hmmm, I'm just seeing a black screen even after refresh, etc. Wonder if my browser is missing something.
The five cars are doing much better.
8-)
I live about 35 miles kinda north of Anchorage 11 miles north of Wasilla, I think the total snow from the last two weeks is about 2 feet on my house, I did go out and shovel off my old travel trailers cause they are flat and will sag badly, the snow is very light and crystal, in another two months if it snows it will get wetter and heavier. My roof isn't pitched very much but I do try to keep the snow to a minimum on the add-on rooms for the hot tub and my hobby room. I have not seen this much snow since around 1998 but it still pales in comparison to when I lived in the Sierra nevad at Lake Tahoe.As I came back from town yesterday there was the usual amount of ditchdivers and yes its treacerous driving up here, unlike living in Lake Tahoe where everybody uses tire chains nobody up here does on the main roads except some truckers, any smart person has two sets of mounted tires, one for good weather and another of snow/studded tire, I have both for my 4x4 dually which for the very first time I actually got stuck in a snowbank in my driveway yesterday!
Right now its -20F which is a little bit cold and I am on call from work building some models with my son and playing Xbox games waiting for winter to wane. He is playing Viva Pinato building his little garden, its a really nice game and much better than all the shooting games we usually play.
Global warming in Alaska? yes I would say our weather is warmer, last couple of winters were very short and warmer, summer was very dry too, this latest snowfall actually is normal by previous years depths. But a foot of this crystal light snow easily compresses down and is not hard to drive through also opposite the heavy wet glop I saw in Lake Tahoe that was like frozen quicksand. Worst danger here is driving after a plow truck that doesn't drop enough sand and scrapes the road down to polished white ice that is too slick to safely drive on, thats what causes a lot of accidents.
thanks
Did this work better ?
http://www.borealisbroadband.net/Vid-DTN1.htm
" Hmmm, I'm just seeing a black screen even after refresh, etc..."
My last visit to Alaska (three weeks ago) convinced me that the heart and soul of that beautiful place, if not gone, is at least on life support. I'm certain that there are still pockets of the "real" Alaska left, but they are few and far between. I was appalled to see the gang bangers, rampant drug use and alcoholism, frightened shop owners, women who feared to walk without their dogs, etc.
That said, I see the same things creeping into Dallas, Denver, Detroit and most other urban areas.
So very glad I live out of town on the side of a mountain.
Yes, thank you! This one is good, don't know why the other stayed black for me.
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