Environment

The ice road has been extended to Chuathbaluk. Mark Leary and workers from Chuathbaluk and Napaimute plowed the river from Kalskag to Chuathbaluk on Jan. 11. Leary reports that cars are already using the new section of the road.

The ice road has grown longer, thanks to Mark Leary and his ice road crew. The crew plowed the road all the way to Kalskag on Jan. 7. Leary said his crew experienced no issues while they plowed the 50 miles from Tuluksak to Kalskag in a wind chill of negative 45 degrees Fahrenheit. However, he recommends that drivers not use the new section of the ice road yet because of three unmarked open holes between Tuluksak and Kalskag.

Donlin Gold received a handful of state permits on Jan. 2, 2020 that move the company closer to operating its gold mine in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, according to Alaska Department of Natural Resources spokesperson Dan Saddler. 

Drivers on the frozen Kuskokwim River may experience a smoother ride this winter. Alaska Hovercraft, a company that delivers mail, is using a new vehicle that it acquired last year. It goes by many names: Pistenbully, snow cat or groomer. It’s big, it's red, and it’s making it easier to drive on the river.

Time to bundle up. Severe wind chill is predicted for this evening and into the coming days. The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory for the Kuskokwim Delta, beginning Monday at 9 p.m. and lasting through noon on Wednesday, New Year's Day. The Weather Service predicts wind chill dropping to a low of 45 degrees below zero and sustained northerly winds of 15 to 35 miles per hours with even higher gusts. The strongest winds will blow along the coast.