Southcentral Alaska schools closed due to major snowfall

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Classes are canceled around Southcentral Alaska Wednesday morning after upwards of a foot of snow fell in areas around the region overnight.

The Anchorage School District canceled all classes for the day, and a spokesperson for the district said all after-school activities have also been canceled. The district also said rental facilities are closed for use Wednesday.

“Only emergency staff should report for duty, including all facilities and maintenance staff,” the district wrote in an email to parents.

The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District closed buildings but did not cancel classes, and will instead opt for remote learning.

Other schools that canceled classes for Wednesday include Lumen Christi High School and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton School in Anchorage.

The University of Alaska Anchorage also canceled in-person classes and events on the Anchorage and Mat-Su campuses due to “accessibility concerns” related to the heavy snowfall.

The Anchorage Public Transportation Department announced Wednesday morning that People Mover buses will be running, but asked the public to expect delays and detours in service.

Electrical companies have largely kept the lights on throughout the night, as the biggest power outages seen early Wednesday morning numbered in the few hundred range throughout Anchorage and the Valley. Matanuska Electric Association reported over 1,100 customers without power around 7 a.m., with around 450 of those homes in the Meadow Lakes and Houston area.

In Anchorage, the hillside and Huffman areas saw several hundred residences without power, according to the Chugach Electric Association outage map.

This story has been updated with additional information.

Copyright 2022 KTUU. All rights reserved.