Josh Lingle shovels outside Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe after overnight freezing rain brought icy conditions to Kenai on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022. (Camille Botello/Peninsula Clarion)

Icy conditions prompt closures across central, southern peninsula

The conditions follow several days of adverse conditions

Icy weather conditions prompted closures across the central Kenai Peninsula on Wednesday as motorists were encouraged to be cautious while traveling. The National Weather Service announced Tuesday that a wintry mix of weather was headed to Southcentral Alaska on Wednesday, with freezing rain expected in Kenai and Soldotna.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District canceled school for most schools in central and southern peninsula communities due to inclement weather and announced a two-hour delayed start for Hope and Cooper Landing schools. Other closures were announced by Veronica’s Cafe, the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Kenai Peninsula, the Kenaitze Indian Tribe Early Childhood Center preschool and Early Head Start programs, and Soldotna’s Kenai Peninsula College campus.

A community budget forum hosted by the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District that was scheduled for Wednesday night was postponed. That forum will now be held on Wednesday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. in the Kenai Central High School library and will also offer Zoom participation.

Wednesday’s conditions came days after several inches were dumped across the region, prompting increased risks of avalanches and road closures along some parts of the Seward Highway. The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities said in an update Wednesday that Hatcher Pass will remain closed above Milepost 11 through at least the end of the weekend due to predicted snowfall.

Josh Lingle was shoveling outside his place of work, the Ye Olde Curiosity Shoppe in Kenai, on Wednesday afternoon. He said he’s seen freezing rain cause some real damage in the past.

“I’ve seen branches coming down, power lines come down,” Lingle said. “I mean, that freezing rain’s a really bad deal.”

By the time he was shoveling around 2:30 p.m., however, the warmer temperatures had melted off a lot of the ice left by Tuesday night’s rainfall.

“This warm up, it melts off and it’s not too bad,” Lingle said. “And the people, they really get it around here. I mean, they know what they’re doing.”

Temperatures had increased to 39 degrees by Wednesday afternoon, the National Weather Service reported.

The agency is predicting patchy, freezing fog and chances of snow and rain Thursday morning in Soldotna, with total snow accumulations expected to hit 4 inches. High temperatures are predicted to range from the low 30s to low 40s, while low temperatures are predicted to range from the mid-20s to low 30s.

Real-time traffic updates, including alerts about avalanche hazard reduction and closures, can be found on the DOT&PF 511 system at 511.alaska.gov.

Reach reporters Camille Botello and Ashlyn O’Hara at camille.botello@peninsulaclarion.com and ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.

More in News

The Kenai Peninsula College main entrance on Aug. 18, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Chiappone and Dunstan to speak at the KPC Showcase

Kenai Peninsula College continues its showcase with two new speakers this week and next

U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, talks about issues of concern regarding the proposed merger of supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons during a floor speech in the House chamber on Wednesday. (Screenshot from official U.S. House of Representatives video feed)
Begich leads in early results, but Alaska’s U.S. House race won’t be immediately decided

About 245,000 ballots had been counted by 11:32 p.m., and Peltola trailed by about 5 percentage points

The Alaska governor’s mansion on Wednesday. Gov. Mike Dunleavy is considered a contender for a post in Donald Trump’s second presidential administration. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Election summary: Trump wins, GOP takes over U.S. Senate, Alaska may get new governor

Begich and repeal of ranked choice voting narrowly lead; GOP may lose control of state House.

Nesbett Courthouse in downtown Anchorage on Oct. 7, 2024. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Voters line up at the polling site at Anchorage City Hall on Nov. 4, 2024. City Hall was one of the designated early voting sites in Alaska’s largest city. It is not a designated site for Election Day voting. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Alaska Republicans lose two seats in state House, increasing odds of leadership switch

Rural Alaska precincts had reported few results by 11:30 p.m. Tuesday night.

Donald Trump won or was leading as of Wednesday morning in all seven swing states in the 2024 presidential election. (Doug Mills / The New York Times)
Donald Trump returns to power, ushering in new era of uncertainty

He played on fears of immigrants and economic worries to defeat Vice President Kamala Harris.

A voter is handed as ballot at Woodworth School in Dearborn, Mich., on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. One of the most consequential presidential elections in the nation’s modern history is well underway, as voters flocked to churches, schools and community centers to shape the future of American democracy. (Nick Hagen/The New York Times)
Trump verges on victory, picking up Pennsylvania

Donald Trump has captured Pennsylvania, the biggest prize of the seven battleground… Continue reading

Signs and supporters line the Kenai Spur Highway in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Update: Unofficial results for the 2024 general election

Preliminary, unofficial election results as of 9:55 p.m.

Poll worker Carol Louthan helps voters submit ballots at the Soldotna Regional Sports Complex in Soldotna, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Update: Bjorkman, Ruffridge, Elam and Vance lead in election night results

Several residents said that they came out to vote because they knew this election was “a big one.”

Most Read