2 feet of snow bring much of central peninsula to a halt

A major snowstorm dropped up to 2 feet of snow on much of the Kenai Peninsula as it ventured north toward Anchorage this weekend, closing schools and businesses Monday.

On Friday night, the National Weather Service announced a winter storm watch for the Kenai Peninsula, the Anchorage Bowl and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley. On Saturday, that watch was upgraded to a winter storm warning. Snow began to fall late Saturday in the central Kenai Peninsula, turning into a storm by Sunday morning that lasted all day and through the night.

On Sunday night, white-out blizzard conditions were in effect, as both government and private snow-removal services worked. On Kalifornsky Beach Road, police could be seen with a plow truck around 8 p.m. working to dig out a car from the ditch around the Poppy Lane intersection.

Around 8:30 p.m., a 31-year-old Kenai resident was struck and killed by a pickup truck with an equipped plow, on the other side of Kalifornsky Beach Road near Pirate Lane, according to a dispatch from Alaska State Troopers.

As the snow fell and roads worsened, businesses and schools began announcing closures Sunday night. Kenai Peninsula College announced closures of both the Kenai River Campus and the Kachemak Bay Campus around 6:30 p.m. The Kenai Peninsula Borough School District announced closures or delayed starts for all but four of its 42 schools around 8:30 p.m.

Closures continued to be announced through Monday morning; the cities of Kenai and Soldotna closed all government buildings and the Kenaitze Indian Tribes closed all of their facilities, including the Dena’ina Wellness Center and the Kahtnuht’ana Duhdeldiht Campus. Enstar, Homer Electric Association, the Kenai and Soldotna libraries and Veterans Affairs offices and others were closed. Kenai Cinema, the Orca Theater and Jumpin’ Junction announced closures Monday morning. Others, including Soldotna restaurant Sushi Exchange, had delayed openings or modified services. The Kenai Courthouse was closed to all business except for “domestic violence matters, arraignments, and search warrants,” according to a Twitter post from the Alaska Court System.

By 10 a.m. on Monday, the National Weather Service had received reports of 24 inches of fresh snow in both Nikiski and Soldotna.

Forecast information available from the weather service indicates that two more weather fronts are expected to hit the Kenai Peninsula later this week.

Tuesday, a front will move from the southwest, bringing “a few inches” of additional snowfall. The forecast notes that this will be “nothing close” to the storm from this weekend.

Wednesday night into Thursday, another “very wet” system will move over the region. The weather service says that details are not clear just yet, but it may be warmer — bringing both rain and snow. The forecast says “it looks likely that it will be another significant region-wide weather event.”

A special weather statement was issued shortly before 6 p.m. Monday warning of the forecasted Wednesday snow and rain mix, stating that “The potential for freezing rain cannot be ruled out for this event, especially for the Kenai Peninsula.” The precipitation is expected to begin as snow, then warm into rain, then be followed by cold air that will “add to the potential for slippery surfaces.” More information will be available as the system draws nearer this week.

KPBSD announced Monday night that school will start at the scheduled time today, but that any parents who decide based on conditions in their area to keep kids at home can call their school for an excused absence.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.