ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Even by Alaska standards, there’s a lot of snow this winter.
So much snow has fallen — so far, more than 8.5 feet (2.6 meters) — 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 (41 centimeters) of snowfall, pushing Alaska’s largest city past the 100-inch (254-centimeters) mark earlier than at any other time in its history.
The city is well on track to break its all-time record of 134.5 inches (342 centimeters).
Now, even winter-savvy Anchorage residents are getting fed up with the snow-filled streets and sidewalks, constant shoveling and six days of pandemic-era remote learning. It’s already in the record books with this year’s snowfall, at eighth snowiest with a lot of time left this season.
“It’s miserable,” said Tamera Flores, an elementary school teacher shoveling her driveway on Monday, as the snow pile towered over her head. “It’s a pandemic of snow.”