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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

The Spring Crust Snow Conundrum
In past years observers reported on changes in the timing of when spring crust snow develops in Glen Alps. This year the crust is developing at lower elevation(s) but not at Glen Alps. Is it spring in Anchorage and still winter in the Chugach?
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Lars Flora, Mike Brubaker, Richard L Thoman Jr

Houston man injured in moose trampling outside his home
A Houston man was injured by a moose near his home, an unusual event linked to increased moose aggression due to harsh winter conditions.
Houston, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Skier killed, 2 others hurt after falling about 300 metres in Alaska avalanche
An avalanche on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula killed one backcountry skier and injured two others, prompting warnings for people to stay away from steep slopes as warm weather and high winds raise the risk of more snowslides around the state.
Summit Lake
CBC

A moose on the loose: Combat shopping in an Anchorage Costco parking lot
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.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Southcentral Alaska cold snap and surging natural gas demand put supply in question
A cold snap in Southcentral Alaska has led to increased natural gas demand, causing Enstar to struggle with supply due to equipment failure and technical issues.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Casey Grove, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

2 found dead after residential fires in Mat-Su
Two individuals died in separate fires in Mat-Su, with one victim found outside his home after escaping the blaze, potentially succumbing to extreme cold.
Palmer, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Chris Klint, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

2 Anchorage commercial roof collapses reported in 2 days
Both buildings were occupied during the collapses but everyone got out safely and no injuries were reported, according to Anchorage Fire Department spokeswoman Lexi Trainer.
Chris Klint, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Anchorage hits 100-inch winter snow total at earliest date on record
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.
Anchorage Daily News

Rural Chugach Electric customers deal with 'excessive' winter outages
Chugach Electric acknowledges the high frequency of winter power outages in Cooper Landing and Moose Pass, attributing them to heavy snowfall and considering solutions like local maintenance crews.
Moose Pass, Alaska, United States

Roof of vacant, condemned Anchorage warehouse partially collapses under snow load
The warehouse at 4640 Gambell St. damaged Wednesday is owned by Marten Martensen, the primary owner of the Continental Auto Group in Anchorage. He was part of a group that purchased the property in October 2022 and briefly used it to store around 10,000 tires until last December’s successive snowstorms caused the structure to begin collapsing.

Anchorage Spenard Builders Supply facility suffers major snow-related roof collapse
The Spenard Builders Supply facility in Anchorage suffered a significant roof collapse due to heavy snow, causing no injuries but damaging the structure and nearby utilities.
Chris Klint, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Abundance of seeds on snow
Big snow falls, warm temperatures, and strong winds covers snow surface with a variety of seeds from trees.
Katie Spellman, Mike Brubaker, Lars Flora

Mat-Su schools closed Tuesday after blizzard hits power lines, highways
Mat-Su schools will be closed Tuesday due to a blizzard causing power outages and hazardous driving conditions.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska, United States

With Anchorage schools remote again, another storm hitting Southcentral Alaska
With Anchorage schools remote again due to a 17-inch snowfall and strong winds, another storm is hitting Southcentral Alaska, potentially causing power outages as trees fall on electric lines.

Monday storm again closes Anchorage, Mat-Su schools and state offices
A winter storm in Anchorage and Mat-Su, Alaska has caused closures of state offices, schools, and bus services, with reports of stranded vehicles and accidents, and up to a foot of snow expected in some areas.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska, United States

Southcentral Alaska schools closed amid snowstorm, power outages
Schools in Southcentral Alaska are closed due to a snowstorm and power outages, with the Seward Highway being deemed "impassable" and numerous vehicles stranded.

Alaskans drawn to alpine lakes for ‘once-in-a-decade’ ice skating conditions
Alaskans are taking advantage of rare ice skating conditions on alpine lakes in Chugach State Park, with hundreds of people hiking into the backcountry to skate on smooth ice in the shadow of iconic peaks.
Rabbit Lake, Alaska
Anchorage Daily News

Bears raid a Krispy Kreme doughnut van in Anchorage
The van was stopped outside a convenience store on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson when the bears helped themselves to doughnut holes and other pastries.

Homeowners along the Kenai River fight rising flood waters
The Kenai River has been running high ever since two glacier dammed lakes emptied into the river over the last few days. In the Kenai Keys subdivision near Sterling, the river is lapping at the doorsteps of the hundred or so homes that line the river. Longtime resident Frank Turpin said although he’s seen worse flooding, this one is significant. The road leading into the gated subdivision is flooded in numerous places although some vehicles can still make it through. Neighbors who live on higher ground have offered their yards for people wishing to store cars or other items until the waters recede.
Sterling, Alaska, United States

Unprecedented double glacial dam release brings flooding to the Kenai
Usually, the Snow Glacier and Skilak lakes release every two or three years. Both at the same time is unprecedented.
Skilak Lake

Weather service warns that strong winds in Anchorage could lead to power outages and downed trees
Intermittent power outages continued across Anchorage Friday as high winds that started the day before toppled trees across the city.

Atmospheric river triggers flood watch for Anchorage and broad swath of Southcentral Alaska
Forecasters say they are measuring near-record moisture in a storm system expected to bring heavy rain and wind to the region, ramping up Friday night and into Saturday.

Red or Black Currants?
Red and Black Currants are present on the property and the moose seem to be picky about what berry they like to consume.

Moose with lesions on hind leg
The hind of the moose was also covered with flies.
Willow, Alaska, United States
Sarah Yoder, Kimberlee Beckmen, Mike Brubaker

Black bear in tree for 24 hours

Anchorage police kill black bear that was charging people in neighborhoods near Baxter and Northern Lights
Anchorage police killed a black bear that was charging people in neighborhoods near Northern Lights Boulevard and Baxter Road on Sunday night.

Haze from Canada wildfires coming to Southcentral Alaska this week
The smoke is from numerous wildfires burning in Canada’s Yukon Territory.

Humpback whale nearly knocks paddler off board near Whittier
Stand up paddle boarder near miss with humpback whale in Prince William Sound.
Whittier, Alaska, United States

Signs of a wet summer are numerous around Cheney Lake
The rain in July has been persistent and in some cases intense. At Cheney Lake there is plenty of evidence about the wet summer.

Fireweed blooms hindered by foam?
Foam or saliva-looking substance on seen on flowering plants like fireweed and yarrow.
Derek Sikes, Julia Salt, Brandie Radigan, Chyna Williams

Cold, wet weather delays lucrative peony harvest in Southcentral Alaska
Alaska is one of the only places in the world where peony flowers grow in the summer months. But the unusually cold, wet weather this year is delaying the blooms by weeks.
Willow, Alaska, United States
Tim Rockey, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Fuel vault at Anchorage medical campus believed to be source of University Lake oil spill
Oil from a nearby fuel container leaked through the water system in the lake most likely due to heavy rains of the past month. Cleanup efforts were ongoing this week. It’s not clear when the park will reopen.

Hatcher Pass Road opens for summer, but with winter lingering
The Hatcher Pass Road in Alaska has opened for the summer season, but deep snow remains at higher elevations, with crews spending the last week digging out the road over the pass before opening it.
Palmer, Alaska, United States

Anchorage has seen the windiest June so far in more than 50 years. Is more wind in our future?
The first half of June was Anchorage’s windiest in more than 50 years, the result of an unusually stormy spring in Alaska.

‘Unseasonably strong’ storm bringing heavy winds, rain to parts of Southcentral Alaska
An unusually strong storm for this time of year was bringing rain and heavy winds to parts of Southcentral Alaska on Sunday.

Concerned about algae in Cheney Lake
Over the last several weeks the algae bloom has ranged from significant covering the surface of the lake in many places to today seeing patches of the bloom here and there on the surface. It can also be observed below the surface near the shoreline.

Spring melt reveals vole tracks
I have never seen so many little tunnels on my lawn before.

Snow Mold

Injured skier rescued after Girdwood avalanche sweeps him hundreds of feet down mountain
The slide occurred at a time when forecasters in the region are cautioning backcountry skiers and snowboarders about the potential for warming weather to increase avalanche risk.
Girdwood, Alaska, United States

2 people survive late-season Southcentral Alaska avalanches
The slides come near the end of an avalanche season experts say is notable both for its heightened danger and lack of deaths.
Girdwood, Alaska, United States

Anchorage sets new record for amount of snow on the ground in April
Snow dumped on Southcentral Alaska this weekend, with more than 8 inches falling in the Anchorage area and about 5 inches in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. A Climatologist says this weekend has led to a record amount of snowpack this late in the season.
Wesley Early, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Half-mile stretch of Anchorage’s 15th Avenue closed due to sinkhole
A drainage culvert beneath the street failed, causing the sinkhole.
Jeremy Hsieh, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Anchorage animal shelter pauses dog adoptions and surrenders due to highly contagious virus
Three young dogs were euthanized this week after testing positive for parvovirus, an Anchorage Animal Care and Control official said.

Anchorage officials report a second building collapse this weekend with no injuries
This is the second reported roof collapse in Anchorage in two days.

Open Water at Moose Creek
Open water in February.
Buffalo Soapstone, Alaska, United States

Unstable snowpack causes heightened avalanche risk in Turnagain Pass this winter
The reason for the uptick in human-triggered avalanches this winter: persistent weak layers in the snowpack.
Turnagain Pass, Alaska

1 person killed in South Anchorage roof collapse
The roof collapsed at a South Anchorage gym during a fitness competition. The Anchorage Office of Emergency Management cautioned residents that the city has had near-record snow conditions this winter, and residents should consider the snow load on their roofs. Officials also warned that property owners should exercise extreme caution if removing snow from their roofs themselves.

Palmer Library suffers roof collapse
The library in Palmer partially collapsed on Wednesday evening near closing time.
Palmer, Alaska, United States

Anchorage has seen almost double its usual snowfall since December
Just this month, more than 23 inches of snow have fallen in Anchorage, 17.5 inches above normal. A weekend storm clogged Anchorage streets, creating hazardous road conditions. The Anchorage School District closed school buildings and canceled after-school activities, calling a remote learning day.

Mat-Su schools closed Tuesday amid Southcentral rain, icy roads
Light rain is expected to fall across much of the region Tuesday, with a storm possibly bringing more rain to Anchorage on Wednesday.

Train derailed by avalanche debris
Alaska Railroad freight train derailed early Tuesday after plowing into avalanche debris south of Girdwood. The debris spread roughly 300 feet across the tracks.
Girdwood, Alaska, United States

Strong winds from weekend continue into Monday morning
Roads remain dangerous, and power outages persist into Sunday evening in parts of Anchorage and the Matanuska and Susitna valleys.

Snow buildup on Anchorage roads leaves drivers with fewer lanes and longer commutes
Road crews say they’re still working to fully carve out the streets and haul snow away, after the city was hit with a trio of major storms this month. Some of Anchorage’s roads are maintained by the state of Alaska, and others by the city.

Anchorage and Mat-Su schools closed after 3rd major snowstorm hits the region
Anchorage and Mat-Su Borough schools and state offices are closed Thursday as a third major winter storm this month coated the area with snow overnight Wednesday. “In the past 11 days, we’ve had 41.1 inches of snow which is a lot for Anchorage,” Baines said.

Anchorage digs out of more than a foot of wet, heavy snow
All schools in Anchorage and the Mat-Su Borough are closed Wednesday due to slick roads across the region, as snowfall continues. “This is the heaviest snowfall the Anchorage area has seen in over 20 years,” said state Department of Transportation spokesman Justin Shelby. “Our crews are keeping up as best they can.”

‘This is totally unusual’: Highly pathogenic bird flu still spreading in Alaska, state veterinarian says
More than 1,000 domestic poultry and hundreds of wild birds have died or needed to be euthanized in the state since early spring. Since the first case of a deadly strain of avian flu was detected in Alaska in May, more than 1,000 domestic poultry and hundreds of wild birds have died or needed to be euthanized.

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