First snow of the season results in accidents, highway closures

The snow may have come a little later than normal, but no doubt about it, it’s time to break out the snow shovels as snow has arrived in the Mat-Su Borough.

With the first snowfall of the season came a number of traffic accidents in the Mat-Su and into Anchorage. At least two crashes involving multiple vehicles on the Glenn Highway closed both the north and southbound lanes of the roadway Thursday afternoon for several hours.

Social media was flooded with reports of accidents from all around the area, from an accident near Eklutna that involved heavy entrapment and required assistance from the Central Mat-Su Fire Department, to an accident off of Wasilla-Fishhook, resulting in a car in a ditch.

During the evening commute, there was at least one multi-vehicle accident at Fairview Loop & Old Matanuska Road, with early reports indicating anywhere from five to seven vehicles were involved, including a school bus, and most were ambulatory. Wasilla Police and Alaska State Troopers were on scene and requested sand trucks to heavily sand the roadways.

Snow has been accumulating throughout the day as the first significant snow of the season moves through Southcentral Alaska, as snow moved across the Mat-Su and Anchorage during the afternoon and evening hours, and is expected to taper off for the weekend as temperatures will remain in the mid-20s until Monday, according to the National Weather Service.

Drivers should remember to slow down and remain cautious as roads may be slick.

This is a developing story.