August rains show little sign of letting up

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - If August were to end today, it would be the second-wettest on record for Anchorage and much of Southcentral Alaska.

With just under 4 inches of rain, it’s the most the region has seen since 1981. It’s hard to believe that just a little over a month ago, we were dealing with a severe drought across parts of the state. Since then, rain has not only been evident in our day-to-day lives, but it seems nonstop at times. For the entire month of August we’ve only seen three entirely dry days, and the forecast ahead continues to favor even more rain.

While we’re starting off Wednesday with scattered showers, widespread rain will build in through the afternoon and evening. An area of low pressure moving north through the Gulf of Alaska will continue to pull in plenty of moisture to the region. As the low begins to move inland later today, we’ll see our winds increase, heavier rain push through and temperatures remain on the cooler side. For many of us, winds will gust anywhere from 20 to 40 mph out of the southeast. As for rain, it will vary greatly across the region, with the coast seeing upwards of 2 to 3 inches. While lower amounts will fall inland, it’s still possible for Anchorage and surrounding areas to see 0.50 to 1 inch of rain.

Even heavier rain will fall through Southeast Alaska, where 1 to 3 inches can be expected into Thursday morning. The heaviest rain will fall north of Petersburg, while the Southern Inner Channels likely stay on the drier side, with just some isolated showers. Thursday looks to remain on the drier side for Southeast, with another round of rain moving in for the weekend.

Much of the state continues to remain on the cooler and wetter side. While this has been the trend as of late, there are signs the state could see a warming trend as the month comes to a close.

Have a safe and wonderful Wednesday!

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