State coastal areas open for travel

The Alaska Department of Natural Resources opened the western coastal area of state land on the North Slope for off-road tundra travel Jan. 5; the eastern coastal area was opened Jan. 6. Conditions in the area have met the required criteria of six inches of snow and soil temperatures of minus 5 degrees C or less at a 30-centimeter depth, DNR said. State lands in Arctic Alaska have seen especially deep snows so far this winter, but the snow cover has insulated the underlying tundra, thus slowing the cooling of the ground and delaying the opening of the land for travel by vehicles not certified for summer tundra use.

The upper and lower foothills areas remain closed. And, DNR has reminded operators that they must have off-road travel permits to drive across land, even in areas that have been opened. And, although overall snow cover is good, operators must avoid any areas where the snow cover is thin.

—Alan Bailey