Anchorage

Anchorage, Alaska set a new record for the snowiest January on record, surpassing the previous monthly snowfall record.

A winter storm pushed Anchorage to a record 36.4 inches of snow for January, prompting early school dismissals and difficult driving conditions. Police reported dozens of vehicles stuck and multiple crashes without injuries as plows worked to clear major roads.

A major winter storm brought snow changing to rain and freezing rain across Southcentral Alaska, creating dangerous glare ice, power outages, school closures, and road shutdowns for avalanche mitigation. High winds and localized flooding were also reported, including near Valdez and in Seward.

Flooding creek water, possibly caused by a creek freezing over, closed the right northbound lane of Elmore Road in Anchorage between Dowling Road and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, police said.

A sustained cold snap is settling over Southcentral Alaska and could last for weeks, with below-normal temperatures and little snow expected. Despite a warmer-than-normal November, forecasters say a dry Arctic air flow will dominate; climate warming may also mean more freezing rain and Chinook-related icing events.

A magnitude-6 earthquake struck at 8:11 a.m. AKST on Nov. 27, 2025, centered 37 miles northwest of Anchorage at a depth of 43 miles. Shaking was felt across Anchorage, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, the Kenai Peninsula, and as far as Fairbanks.

After spotting six wolves on a trail near her home, one Anchorage resident says she's seen the pack multiple times since late August.

From about 3 p.m. Thursday afternoon to 3 a.m. Friday morning, weather forecasters say about 8 inches of snow blanketed the city.

Anchorage residents have reported more wolf sightings since late summer, including a six-wolf pack seen near Far North Bicentennial Park, but biologists say negative encounters are rare and urge calm. Fish and Game is collaring wolves to better understand their movements after an October incident where wolves injured a pet dog.

Anchorage extended a local disaster declaration to support evacuees from Typhoon Halong’s flooding in Western Alaska, opening two city shelters and preparing for up to 1,600 arrivals. Schools and nonprofits are mobilizing, with significant donated funds set to be distributed soon.

The American Red Cross of Alaska is preparing to support up to 2,000 flood evacuees through the winter in Anchorage, operating shelters as residents from hard-hit Western Alaska villages continue arriving. Evacuees describe gratitude for aid and concerns about adapting to big-city life.

Autumn is marked by delayed leaf fall and reduced rainfall, with temperatures higher than historical averages, suggesting potential climate shifts.

A cluster of pale white mushrooms thriving under a leafless tree in Anchorage highlights the unusual impact of warmer, wetter conditions on fungal growth in northern climates, contrasting the tree's winter dormancy with the fungi's late-season fruiting.

This summer, Alaska experienced an unprecedented heat advisory in Juneau and Fairbanks, marking a significant and unusual shift in its typically cold climate.

A video captured an unusually large group of bears at Fort Richardson National Cemetery on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage on Friday evening. The filmer said he regularly sees bears there in summer and fall but never so many at once.

Alaska has issued a statewide quarantine banning the import, transport and sale of European bird cherry (Prunus padus) and chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), invasive trees that displace native vegetation and can harm wildlife. The order, effective Sept. 1, 2025, expands Anchorage’s 2017 ban and aims to curb further spread and disease risks.

Officials have indefinitely closed about 2.5 miles of popular biking, running and hiking trails in Far North Bicentennial Park and the Campbell Tract in East Anchorage due to heightened brown bear activity around salmon streams.

A hiker near the South Fork of Eagle River was mauled by a bear feeding on salmon and sustained non-life-threatening injuries; it's the second attack in the Anchorage area in under a week.

Observers report an increase in the abundance and height of cow parsnip, also know as pushki or wild celery. These conditions may be a signal of warming and wetter climate trends.

European Starlings, an invasive species, have been observed in Anchorage, Alaska, where they compete with native birds for resources. Their presence is concerning due to their aggressive behavior and potential to form large flocks, prompting local monitoring and reporting efforts.