Gritty Ash Adds to Disruptions in Anchorage

As much as a quarter-inch of gritty volcanic ash coated Alaska’s largest city on Wednesday, keeping some workers from their jobs, prompting runs on car air filters and surgical masks and grounding aircraft.

Ash was blown more than 10 miles into the sky when Mt. Spurr erupted Tuesday. The volcano is about 80 miles west of here.

Winds blew the huge plume over the city, where it rained down a thick coat of gray-yellow ash, obscuring lane markers on many roads. The ash also shut down Anchorage International Airport, stranding hundreds of travelers.

Many employers told workers to stay home because of the ash.

“We’re telling people at the University of Alaska that we’ll be open today, but because of the health alert they don’t have to come in unless they want to,” spokeswoman Nancy Killoran said.

City buses were running on a normal schedule Wednesday, and municipal offices were open.

Bob Swanson, manager of a Grand Auto Supply store in the city, said there was a run on air filters. “It put a pretty good hurt on me, but I’ve still got a few,” he said.