Valdez

At 4:45 p.m., 65 inches was on the ground. By 7:30, 72 inches of new snow had fallen in one storm. That’s 6 feet. In less than one day! It was darn close to a new Alaska (and United States) record.

"My son found this helmet floating here in Prince William Sound."

Michael Hamilton, who worked at Valdez Heli-Ski Guides, died Monday in one of numerous avalanches that have been occurring in the Southcentral Alaska backcountry recently. Several recent large wet slab avalanches reported throughout the Chugach are believed to be connected to a buried crust that formed around late October, she said. A warm storm system last week also weakened the snowpack because it added weight and heat.

The source of the spill, a drain area about a quarter-mile uphill from the coastline, was stopped on Monday, authorities reported. And oil on the water has been contained to a site near a small boat harbor at the terminal where tankers load up with oil.

Alyeska Pipeline Service Company says that as of Tuesday morning, roughly 326 barrels — 13,692 gallons — of oily water have been recovered at the Valdez Marine Terminal.

It's possible the trio’s canoe was upset by a calving, or shedding, piece of ice. Although all three were wearing life jackets, none was wearing a wetsuit to protect against the frigid water.

Authorities in Alaska are investigating the deaths of three kayakers whose bodies were found in the water of a glacier.

This catch in a Tatitlek herring net places a school of shiner surfperch about 700 km north of their normal range.

Crews are working to clear snow off of the Richardson Highway near Valdez, after excessive snow has not relented, and an avalanche has poured over the isolated highway stretch.

According to Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, approximately 400 gallons of an oily water mix had been recovered from the Port of Valdez as of Saturday night.

First toad sighting in years.

Unknown bug

Dispersants may break up an oil slick, sparing some birds and wildlife at the surface, but may increase the oil contamination for species that live lower in the water column. The toxicity of dispersants themselves is also a concern for cleanup workers and other wildlife. A group of Alaskans filed a lawsuit in 2020 to force the EPA to rewrite the rules to take into account research on the long-term effects of dispersants in Prince William Sound and elsewhere.

Three Valdez residents behind the proposed ski area say a resort could provide year-round tourism opportunities as more cruise ships arrive and the oil industry declines.