🎄 Three Highways, One Snow-Day Symphony: Alaska’s Wednesday Commute Unwrapped

Seward Highway @ Portage Glacier Road MP 78.9 November 12, 2025 4:30am – Alaska 511

Your straight-talk Alaska traffic and weather guide for the three major routes from the frosty start of your day to the twinkly ride back home.

By Gina Hill | Alaska Headline Living | November 2025

---

❄️ Morning Commute Weather Snapshot

General Outlook

The skies are mostly clear early, with temps hovering near 10 °F (-12 °C) this morning in Southcentral. AccuWeather+1 Expect a slow, chilly climb into the mid-teens by late morning. Cloud cover will increase through the day.

Route-Specific Highlights

• Glenn Highway Corridor (Mat-Su → Anchorage): Bitter-cold start. Expect temperatures around 7–10 °F early, rising gradually into the teens. Clear skies make for good visibility—dangerous because clear doesn’t mean safe.
• Seward Highway Corridor (Girdwood → Anchorage): Start a little less icy (temps in the low teens), but curves, mountain passes, and shaded slopes make it tricky.
• Parks Highway Corridor (Anchorage ↔ Mat-Su): Similar to Glenn early. Very cold, major traffic volume, and bigger risk of slick spots where the road curves or climbs.

---

🚦 Morning Commute Breakdown

• Before 7 am: All corridors cold and slick. On the Glenn and Parks especially, assume ice—bridges, entrance ramps, shaded turns.
• 7–9 am: Temperatures inch up. On the Seward you’ll feel it a bit more, but traction is still variable. On the Glenn and Parks keep your spacing, slow your roll.
• 9–11 am: Best window of the morning for smoother travel … glimpses of sunlight + slightly warmer surfaces. Doesn’t mean “safe to speed”. Just “less risky.”
  Traffic notes:
• Glenn: Heavy inbound flow, plus potential slowdowns on ramp merges.
• Seward: Mountain route hazards, watch for slowed vehicles on grades.
• Parks: High volume both directions; wildlife crossings + icy patches = extra care.

---

🌇 Drive-Home Forecast & Evening Road Conditions

Road Conditions

• As evening falls, temps will stay in the teens (-8 °C or so) or drop lower. Cloud cover will tighten in.
• On all routes, roads that thawed will begin to refreeze. Bridges and northern slopes go from “okay” to “slippery” fast.

What to Watch

• Glenn Highway: Expect refreeze risk high after 4 pm. What looked good midday might betray you after dusk.
• Seward Highway: Slightly better odds, but the terrain makes it unpredictable, especially curves and shaded areas.
• Parks Highway: Evening commute equals heavy traffic + cold pavement. A combo that demands slow, steady, smart driving.

---

🔧 Memaw’s Commute Survival Checklist

• Warm up your ride, but don’t rush out. Let it idle a minute.
• Maintain extra stopping distance. If a two-door Toyota cuts in, just smile and back off.
• Use your low-beam lights during early dawn and dusk; visibility might look good but road surfaces won’t.
• Stick to the main lanes. Side roads may be untreated and more treacherous.
• Before you depart both morning and evening: Check real-time cameras & incident feeds (look the routes up via the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities/511 Alaska system).
• Evening note: Any stretch that looked “wet” at sunset? Assume it’s ice now.

---

🌟 Final Thoughts

Well now, dear, today’s commute isn’t just a trip. It’s a winter performance, and you’re the lead act. The Glenn, Seward, and Parks highways are your stage and the road’s flat-out ready to throw in some icy improvs. The trick? Drive like you’ve got somewhere important to be … not just your job, but your own peace of mind.

🧤🧣So bundle up, keep the lights on, and remember: in Alaska winter driving, the smartest move is the steady one with your eyes wide open. That’s how you arrive safe, warm, and ready for the hot cocoa waiting at home.

---