NWS Fairbanks put a Winter Weather Advisory on the high roads north and east of town this morning. It covers the Steese, Elliott, and Dalton Highway summits, plus the White Mountains and other high terrain south of the Yukon River, from 10 a.m. Thursday through 10 a.m. Saturday.
The forecast calls for 2 to 5 inches of snow, with more above the passes, and winds gusting 30 to 40 mph. That combo can drop visibility under a half mile when the snow starts blowing. The strongest winds look like Thursday into Thursday night, then the wind eases Friday while snow chances hang around.
Full advisory from the National Weather Service Fairbanks office. For live road reports, use 511.alaska.gov or dial 511.
Our take: town can look fine while Eagle Summit or Twelvemile is a different planet. If you're headed toward Circle, Livengood, or up the haul road this weekend, leave early, pack extra layers, and don't trust the forecast from your kitchen window. Slow down on the summits and give yourself room to turn around if the blowing snow gets thick.
When you roll back into Fairbanks or North Pole with a crust of highway snow and gravel on the driveway, Good Hand Co. can line up snow removal in Fairbanks or North Pole. And once that Steese grit walks into the house on everyone's boots, The Alaska Cleaning Company can get the entry and floors back in shape.
Photo: the Steese Highway at Trainor Gate Road in Fairbanks in November 2011. By halah1.geo, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.