Drive slow; early morning crashes on Glenn Highway caused by icy roads

Following the

first motor vehicle fatality in the city this year,

road conditions haven't gotten much better. Early Thursday, authorities sent out an alert to warn commuters coming into Anchorage.

In a community alert issued just after 5:30 a.m. on the morning of Jan 4., Anchorage Police Department said there had been multiple vehicle accidents on the Glenn Highway, specifically in the inbound lanes at the Eklutna Exit.

The reason behind these crashes, police say, is the same reason they've been warning drivers for the past 24 hours to drive slowly - the roads are iced over thanks to freezing rain followed by wet snowfall and then another overnight freeze.

"Icy road conditions all over. Drive with care!" the APD alert said.

While ice and snow are not unfamiliar hazards to the majority of Alaskan drivers, this winter that has seen many days of dry, clear streets. However, the recent combination

of weather factors in town

have combined to form extremely slick roads.

Now, plows and snow removal teams

are working around the clock to clear the snowfall and sand down

the veritable ice rinks that many side streets and main roads have become.

This story will be updated with vehicle accident numbers later today.