Alaska VARs Brace For New Mt. Redoubt Ash Fall

The eruption, which took place at 9:24 a.m. local time, sent volcanic ash 30,000 feet into the air and disrupted aviation in the region. The Anchorage bureau of the National Weather Service issued a bulletin at noon local time that said low-level ash clouds (under 30,000 feet) were tracking Southeastward toward the Kenai Peninsula, about 100 miles south of Anchorage.

Although ash clouds above 30,000 feet were headed for Anchorage, ash at these levels typically doesn't fall to the ground, and no ash fall was expected in Alaska's largest city, according to the National Weather Service.

Despite some nervous moments this morning, VARs in the Anchorage region say it looks like they've managed to avoid a potentially destructive ash fall.

"There was a rumor floating around earlier today that ash was headed this way, but my office window faces south, and I can see about 40 miles, and there doesn't appear to be anything headed this way," said Scott Thorson, CEO at Network Business Systems, an Anchorage-based solution provider.

Volcanic ash contains silica sand, a conductive material that's capable of destroying circuit boards, and as a result, ash is known for its ability to wreak havoc on desktops, servers, and basically any type of IT infrastructure that has moving parts.