ANCHORAGE, Alaska (NEWSnet/AP) — Even by Alaska standards, there’s been a lot of snow this winter.

So much snow has fallen — so far, more than 8.5 feet — that roofs on commercial buildings are collapsing around Anchorage and officials are urging residents to break out their shovels to avoid a similar fate at home. Over the weekend, there was nearly 16 more inches of snowfall, pushing Alaska’s largest city past the 100-inch mark at an earlier calendar date than at any other time in recorded history.

With the latest snowfall, this is now the eighth snowiest season on record with a likelihood of breaking the its all-time season record of 134.5 inches before winter is done.

It’s also the second time the city recorded back-to-back years of 100-plus inches of snow since the winters of 1954-55 and 1955-56.

 

The impact?

Even winter-savvy Anchorage residents are getting fed up with the snow-filled streets and sidewalks, constant shoveling and days of remote learning.

“It’s miserable,” said Tamera Flores, an elementary school teacher shoveling her driveway on Monday, as the snow pile towered over her head.

Already this year, the roofs of three commercial structures collapsed under loads of heavy snow. Last year, 16 buildings had roofs collapse with one person killed at a gym.

The city last week declared a Public Health and Safety Emergency, announcing shelters and issuing guidance urging people to remove snow from their home roofs.

Signs have popped up all over town from companies advertising services to remove the snow from roofs.

Officials said there were snow loads of more than 30 pounds per square foot.

Signs of structural distress include a sagging roof; creaking, popping, cracking or other strange noises coming from the roof, which can indicate its under stress from the snow; or sticking or jammed doors and windows, a sign the snow might be deforming the structure of the house.

But some fun has resulted.

The deluge of snowfall this year prompted one Anchorage homeowner to erect a three-tiered snowman standing over 20-feet-tall. Snowzilla, as it’s named, has drawn people to snap photos.

Follow NEWSnet on Facebook and X platform to get our headlines in your social feeds.

Copyright 2024 NEWSnet and The Associated Press. All rights reserved.