A big avalanche has closed the highway on the Kenai Peninsula south of Anchorage

SEWARD, Alaska (AP) — A large avalanche and blizzard conditions have cut off road access to much of the Kenai Peninsula south of Anchorage. The avalanche hit the Seward Highway near the intersection of the Sterling Highway around 8 a.m. Sunday. Highway officials expect the road to remain closed until at least 8 p.m. Sunday. The closure 40 miles south of Anchorage cuts off communities served by the two roads including Seward, a town of about 2,600 people on the Gulf of Alaska. Avalanche warnings are in effect for the southeastern Kenai Peninsula amid a combination of snow and winds gusting to 30 mph.