ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The coldest temperature Anchorage has officially seen this season is 31° and later this week, temperatures will fall another 5-10 degrees.

The large area of low pressure that brought hurricane-force winds and heavy rain to much of southern Alaska is slowly weakening and moving east. The rain will increase across Southeast Monday, with another 0.5-2″ of rain likely by Tuesday. Scattered showers will also continue for the coastal areas of Southcentral, including Seward and Prince William Sound.

Further north, dry and mostly sunny conditions are likely for Anchorage and the Mat-Su, starting Monday and continuing into next week. Temperatures will stay mild Monday, reaching the mid to upper 40s and dropping to the mid-30s overnight. By the end of the week, high temperatures will struggle to make it out of the 30s with low temperatures likely falling to the mid-20s.

Traveling through Thompson Pass? Be prepared for winter conditions. On the Richardson highway, 16″ of fresh snow was reported as of Sunday afternoon by the Alaska Department of Transportation.

Heavy snow is also likely along the Dalton Highway. A Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 4 a.m. for 6-16″ of snow.

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Updated: 1 hour ago Published: 1 hour ago

As the debate around Ballot Measure 1 picks up steam, Alaskans from all walks of life should take a closer look at the real consequences this measure would inflict. Despite claims of this initiative supporting working Alaskans, it is clear it will do more harm than good — especially for small businesses and workers who are already struggling just to get by in today’s difficult economic environment.

The first red flag is who is funding this effort. Once again, groups from outside Alaska seek to use our state as a social experiment by passing risky legislation that can then be expanded into other states. As is often the case, these outsiders don’t seem to understand our state’s unique economy. BM1′s supporters have proposed something that will unleash widespread negative consequences. How? It is written with vague language and overly broad definitions that leave too much open to interpretation. This will create confusion for business owners and lead to unnecessary and costly legal battles. Even worse, the measure has been crafted without considering how it will affect our small businesses — the backbone of our economy — nor the workers who rely on them for their livelihoods.

Ballot Measure 1 will force small businesses, already struggling to meet payroll, to absorb the cost of extended mandatory sick leave. This isn’t just a problem for the businesses. When employers are required to provide significantly more paid time off, those costs are passed on to consumers through higher prices on goods and services. With Alaska’s cost of living already soaring, do we really want to make everyday necessities even more expensive? The irony is that these rising costs hurt everyone, including the very workers Ballot Measure 1 claims to protect.

Small businesses, from your favorite local restaurant to the independent contractor trying to make a living, will be hit hardest by these changes. Adding increased labor costs to their balance sheets will force many of them to cut employee hours, reduce staff or even close their doors altogether. And who suffers when that happens? Again, the very workers the measure claims to protect.

Ballot Measure 1 also ignores the realities of Alaska’s labor market. Our state is different from the Lower 48 — our remote geography, harsh weather conditions, and limited population already pose challenges for employers. The additional burdens created by this measure would make those difficulties worse and discourage new businesses from setting up shop in Alaska. That means fewer job opportunities for Alaskans.

Unfortunately, we cannot pick and choose the parts of the ballot measure we like and leave the rest. This is an all-or-nothing vote, and the consequences of passing it in its entirety are too severe to ignore.

The authors of this measure may have been well-intended, but they’ve overlooked the unique needs of Alaska’s workforce. They didn’t consult with local experts or engage with the very people who will be most impacted by these changes. Organizations like ours are sounding the alarm because we understand what’s at stake for the businesses and workers we represent. Alaskans deserve better than this one-size-fits-all approach that fails to address the unique challenges we face. We need policies that support both employers and employees, not measures that drive up costs and hurt the people they mean to help.

We urge our fellow Alaskans to learn more about the issue, and ultimately choose to vote no on Ballot Measure 1. Let’s protect our small businesses, safeguard current and future jobs, and ensure that Alaska remains a place where opportunity thrives.

Sarah Oates is president and CEO of Alaska CHARR.

Kati Capozzi is president and CEO of the Alaska Chamber.

Jillian Simpson is president and CEO of the Alaska Travel Industry Association.

Rebecca Logan is CEO of the Alaska Support Industry Alliance.

Thor Stacy is state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, Alaska.

Alicia Maltby is president and CEO of Associated Builders and Contractors of Alaska.

The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Read our full guidelines for letters and commentaries here.

UNALASKA, Alaska – The U.S. Coast Guard said it responded to emergency calls by the crew aboard a 738-foot cargo vessel after it faced severe weather conditions off the coast of Aleutian Islands Saturday.

The agency said the bulk carrier, sailing under the flag of Panama, had a crew of 21 aboard when it faced winds greater than 65 mph and seas between 26 and 29 feet.

In addition to the crew members, a significant amount of fuel was reported to be aboard, but so far there have been no impacts on the environment.

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter successfully evacuated four people from the vessel named ‘Pan Viva’ and a Coast Guard cutter was on standby to assist with evacuation efforts.

A spokesperson for the agency said initial observations indicated there were no mechanical failures, but first responders were concerned about the ship’s proximity to land.

Autumn Chill, Snow Showers Are In The Fox Weather Forecast

A significant storm system is affecting southern Alaska, bringing seas of at least 30 feet and wind gusts reported by the National Weather Service to have reached 105 mph.

Ahead of the severe conditions, NWS meteorologists issued a High Wind Warning and warned against travel until conditions improved.

The Coast Guard said it is working with its state and local partners to ensure the safety of the mariners and monitor the ship’s potential environmental impacts.

The city of Unalaska is home to the largest commercial fishing port in the United States and is about 500 miles southwest of Prince William Sound.

Helene Kills 11 Members Of The Same Family After Mudslide Destroys Their Community

In 1989, an oil tanker known as the Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Prince William Sound, causing an estimated 11 million gallons of crude oil to contaminate much of the coastline.

The event was considered one of the worst environmental disasters in U.S. history and caused changes in the maritime industry.

Original article source: Rough seas, hurricane-force winds hammer massive cargo vessel off Alaska’s coast