Dunleavy names Oct. 4-10 Winter Weather Preparedness Week

Gov. Mike Dunleavy on Sunday proclaimed Oct. 4-10 Winter Weather Preparedness Week.

The proclamation highlights road safety among several hazards: "Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death indirectly attributed to winter weather." It urges extra time for de-icing and driving, emergency supplies in vehicles and alertness behind the wheel.

A 2017 state transportation study of 340 crashes into four Southcentral freeway medians from 2007 to 2012 found ice present in 52.6 percent of them and ice, snow or slush present in 66.1 percent. Alaska traffic deaths rose from 61 in 2023 to 70 in 2024, the state's highway safety annual report shows. Preliminary data suggest 65 deaths in 2025. The state aims to halve road deaths and serious injuries by 2035.

Many Alaskans fall through ice, the proclamation notes. It urges people to check conditions, share travel plans and be ready to self-rescue.

It also cites avalanches, blizzards, black ice, freezing spray and strong winds. It urges watching forecasts, keeping an emergency communications plan and assembling a supply kit with a battery-operated weather radio.