Narrative:

After deicing the aircraft at the gate, I called ground control for taxi clearance. The clearance received, 'taxi to runway 32 via taxiway left, taxiway east, taxiway K.' after the readback, the ground controller changed the taxi clearance to 'taxi to runway 32 via taxiway east and taxiway K.' anc metar reported was: 210 degrees at 4 KTS, 3/4 SM - sn br VV007 M03/M04 A29.16, ramp and txwys covered with ice patches and fresh snow. We proceed down taxiway east sbound. Taxi signs were all covered with fresh snow, many not readable. While taxiing south on taxiway east, we passed taxiway left. Captain slowed our taxi speed down to a very slow speed so that we could see taxiway K. Our concern was that if we could not see taxiway K and passed it that we could wind up very close to runway 6L. There were stop bar lights at the end of taxiway east and also taxiway G, which transitioned at an angle from taxiway east to runway 6L. While still taxiing at a crawling speed, I started to make out white edge lights coming into view, captain started seeing the white edge lights too. He applied maximum brakes and we slid to a stop. The nose of the aircraft was protruding over the line and out onto runway 6L. Ground control then asked us if we were protruding into runway 6L. We answered, 'yes we were.' I heard the controller issue a go around to a small aircraft on approach to runway 6L. We were told to hold our position. After which, we were later told to taxi down runway 6L and into position for takeoff on the extension to runway 32. We were cleared for takeoff runway 32 extension. The remainder of the flight to fai was without incident. The problem is that with restr visibility due to snow and other contaminants on the ground, the runway stop bars and lights become covered and in most cases unable to be seen. Perhaps to prevent the problem of runway 6L incursion, the tower should close runway 6L during times of restr visibility and when runway 32 is being used for takeoffs in snow operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR ACFT TAXIES PAST RWY HOLD SHORT LINE OBSCURED IN SNOW AT ANC.

Narrative: AFTER DEICING THE ACFT AT THE GATE, I CALLED GND CTL FOR TAXI CLRNC. THE CLRNC RECEIVED, 'TAXI TO RWY 32 VIA TXWY L, TXWY E, TXWY K.' AFTER THE READBACK, THE GND CTLR CHANGED THE TAXI CLRNC TO 'TAXI TO RWY 32 VIA TXWY E AND TXWY K.' ANC METAR RPTED WAS: 210 DEGS AT 4 KTS, 3/4 SM - SN BR VV007 M03/M04 A29.16, RAMP AND TXWYS COVERED WITH ICE PATCHES AND FRESH SNOW. WE PROCEED DOWN TXWY E SBOUND. TAXI SIGNS WERE ALL COVERED WITH FRESH SNOW, MANY NOT READABLE. WHILE TAXIING S ON TXWY E, WE PASSED TXWY L. CAPT SLOWED OUR TAXI SPD DOWN TO A VERY SLOW SPD SO THAT WE COULD SEE TXWY K. OUR CONCERN WAS THAT IF WE COULD NOT SEE TXWY K AND PASSED IT THAT WE COULD WIND UP VERY CLOSE TO RWY 6L. THERE WERE STOP BAR LIGHTS AT THE END OF TXWY E AND ALSO TXWY G, WHICH TRANSITIONED AT AN ANGLE FROM TXWY E TO RWY 6L. WHILE STILL TAXIING AT A CRAWLING SPD, I STARTED TO MAKE OUT WHITE EDGE LIGHTS COMING INTO VIEW, CAPT STARTED SEEING THE WHITE EDGE LIGHTS TOO. HE APPLIED MAX BRAKES AND WE SLID TO A STOP. THE NOSE OF THE ACFT WAS PROTRUDING OVER THE LINE AND OUT ONTO RWY 6L. GND CTL THEN ASKED US IF WE WERE PROTRUDING INTO RWY 6L. WE ANSWERED, 'YES WE WERE.' I HEARD THE CTLR ISSUE A GAR TO A SMALL ACFT ON APCH TO RWY 6L. WE WERE TOLD TO HOLD OUR POS. AFTER WHICH, WE WERE LATER TOLD TO TAXI DOWN RWY 6L AND INTO POS FOR TKOF ON THE EXTENSION TO RWY 32. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF RWY 32 EXTENSION. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT TO FAI WAS WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PROB IS THAT WITH RESTR VISIBILITY DUE TO SNOW AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS ON THE GND, THE RWY STOP BARS AND LIGHTS BECOME COVERED AND IN MOST CASES UNABLE TO BE SEEN. PERHAPS TO PREVENT THE PROB OF RWY 6L INCURSION, THE TWR SHOULD CLOSE RWY 6L DURING TIMES OF RESTR VISIBILITY AND WHEN RWY 32 IS BEING USED FOR TKOFS IN SNOW OPS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.