Winter arrives just in time for spring

WASILLA — The National Weather Service issued a Winter Weather Advisory for the Matanuska and Susitna Valleys on Saturday, with heavy snow falling across the area.

Numerous traffic accidents were reported in the core Palmer-Wasilla area on Saturday as several inches of light, fluffy snow blanketed areas that have been nearly snowless all winter. The storm arrived in the Valley on the eve of the official first day of spring.

Snowy conditions on the Glenn Highway contributed to a multi-car accident that left the northbound lanes of the highway briefly closed south of the Glenn-Parks interchange Saturday afternoon. Vehicles were being diverted onto the Old Glenn Highway to avoid the wreck.

The weather service said as much as five inches of snow were expected in the area Saturday, with the heaviest snow along the mountains.

The advisory is in effect until 10 p.m. Saturday for the Matanuska Valley and until 4 a.m. Sunday for the Susitna Valley.

For more information, visit arh.noaa.gov.