Winter snowfall record set in Anchorage

(Reuters) - A storm dumped more than 4 inches of snow on Anchorage over the weekend, bringing the total snowfall for Alaska's largest city to a record 11.2 feet for the year, the National Weather Service said on Sunday.

The official snow tally was 134.5 inches, 1.9 inches above the previous record set in the winter of 1954-1955, the weather service said.

The average for winter snowfall in Anchorage over the past 30 years is 74.5 inches, the agency said.

The abundant snow has strained the city's street-clearing budget. From October through March, the city spent $11.9 million on snow removal, compared to $8.1 million over the same period last winter, according to a municipal report.

With many snow storage sites full, the Anchorage Assembly created temporary storage areas in late February. Some of the snow piles are expected to last through the summer.

Several roofs in Anchorage have caved in under the weight of accumulated snow, including the roof of a church auditorium. Read More