A moose caused a stir in an Anchorage Costco parking lot, interacting with shoppers and snacking on the landscaping, reflecting increased human-moose encounters in the area.

A storm that started Sunday and largely tailed off by Monday afternoon had dropped nearly 17 inches on the city by evening to establish the new seasonal snowfall total, according to the National Weather Service. The storm closed schools in Anchorage and Mat-Su on Monday, and contributed to a fatal collision on the Parks Highway.

Many mushers have seen high numbers of moose while training, spurring them to pack guns during this year’s 1,000-mile race to Nome.