An avalanche on the Seward Highway shut down road travel for much of the Kenai Peninsula for about seven hours Christmas Eve. The slide came down a little before 8 a.m. Sunday at Mile 37, at the intersection with the Sterling Highway at Tern Lake. The Alaska Department of Transportation reported that debris blocking the road measured 400 feet wide and 3 feet deep. The highway was closed from Miles 34 to 40, bringing travel to a standstill between Seward, Anchorage and the central Kenai Peninsula until crews got the debris cleared, around 3:15 p.m.
Cooper Landing Emergency Services reported a vehicle was caught in the slide. A mom and three kids were stranded but not injured when their vehicle was overtaken by snow. CLES praised the driver for having packed emergency warm snow gear for everyone and getting away from the slide area as quickly as possible. Friends came to pick them up and take them home.
The Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center warns that avalanche danger today in the Kenai Mountains, in the Turnagain Pass area, is considerable above 2,500 feet and moderate below 2,500 feet. The forecast notes that it isn’t yet known how well the weekend’s snow had bonded to the existing snowpack, so additional slides are possible.
For updates on road conditions, visit Alaska 511.
