Heavies head to Fairbanks, after heavy snow diverts flights from Anchorage

By
Suzanne Downing
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4

Heavy snow in Anchorage has sent some large cargo flights further north, to Latitude 64, giving Fairbanks residents a rare sight. The Fairbanks International Airport welcomed a few heavies to stop in their way to and from Asia and the Lower 48 and even made a seasonal song out of the occasion:

Oh the weather down south is frightful,

Anchorage runway is not delightful.

And when they have nowhere to go,

We’ll take more, we’ll take more, we’ll take more!

A snowstorm in Southcentral has brought up to 22 inches of snow to Anchorage, included over 12.2 inches at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, and more than 22 inches on the Hillside. A report from Eagle River showed 14 inches of snow. Up to two more inches is expected today, with up to four inches in East Anchorage. A flood watch is in effect as some areas will see snow turning into rain.

As nightfall comes to Southcentral, rain on top of snow may turn in to a glaze of ice as temperatures drop again, and travelers can expect more difficulties in Southcentral for the next few days, as it will take time to clear roads and runways.

4 COMMENTS

    • Good times; gooooooood times! LOL

      Reminds me of a Pan Am flight from NY’s Kennedy to FAI in 1970; we had to divert to ANC due to extreme cold in the interior (better than 50F below). It’s truly a blessing that Alaska has two full service international airports to address non-benign weather conditions; and truly awesome that they have each other’s backs.

  2. I don’t know what it was like for the airplanes landing at the international airport, but I just today (Friday) had the absolutely worst, most hellish drive on the Glenn Highway that I have EVER had in the 24 years of living outside of Anchorage. At times, I had to lower my speed to under 20 mph in order to maintain control over the abominably washboarded ice in the right-hand lane (I was towing a trailer, no less). I was almost sure that I was never going to get home safely.

    • Roads are still horrible 30 hrs later. I agree the worst I have ever seen. I still have not seen a Dot plow truck so wonder what games they are playing with the public’s safety. The idea of privatizing our road maintenance is sounding better by the minute. The borough does it successfully. We actually have some accountability this way.

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