By Gina Hill | Alaska Headline Living | January 2026
Anchorage and the broader Southcentral region are bracing for a significant winter weather system that has prompted all Anchorage School District schools to close Friday, Jan. 16 due to dangerous travel conditions, including freezing rain, icy roads, and high winds. The district’s decision follows consultations with the National Weather Service, the Alaska Department of Transportation, and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, all of which indicate that driving tomorrow morning and throughout the school day will be unsafe.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory in effect through 9PM Friday evening for Anchorage, Eagle River, the Matanuska Valley, and southern Susitna Valley. Forecasters are calling for mixed precipitation, including rain and freezing rain that can quickly freeze on contact with snow-covered or below-freezing surfaces. Ice accumulations of up to one tenth of an inch, light snow of up to 3 or 4 inches, and winds gusting to around 50 miles per hour are expected. Travel conditions are forecast to be extremely difficult during the Thursday evening and Friday morning commutes.
The upcoming system is characteristic of a warm, moist air mass overrunning frozen ground, meaning rain will fall on surfaces that are still at or below freezing and then refreeze into ice. That scenario creates hazardous roads, slick bridges, and black ice, a potent combination for cars and school buses alike.
In addition to the advisory, the coastal waters around the northern Gulf of Alaska are under a storm warning, with strong winds and rough seas, a sign of how powerful this system is, even offshore.
Officials recommend avoiding travel if possible, allowing road crews time to treat surfaces, and keeping a close eye on updates via NOAA and the National Weather Service as conditions evolve. This combination of freezing rain and wind could linger into the weekend before colder, more typical winter weather settles back in.
Stay safe out there and plan ahead for slippery conditions Friday morning.
