Slipping and sliding into 2023

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - The well advertised storm system is still on track to deliver an icy, slushy mess of precipitation to both Southcentral and Southeast Alaska for the first couple days of the new year.

Precipitation will start as light to occasionally moderate, or steady, snowfall from around midnight through the mid-morning hours before sunrise Sunday. By sunrise, much of the Kenai Peninsula, the Anchorage bowl, and portions of the lower Mat-Su Valleys will have seen the snow change to light freezing rain.

From then on out, it’ll be an hour by hour temperature watch to see when, or if, they rise above freezing. That of course, would mean an end to any new ice occurring. If temperatures are able to reach the middle 30s, precipitation would just be a cold rain, but would still greatly increase the rate of thawing/melting, and so too the diminishing risk for very slick and slippery road surfaces.

I’ve provided a more in-depth weather discussion of the storm and its potential impacts, please see the Alaska’s News Source Facebook page.

Regardless, some wintry mixed precipitation, and thus slick and hazardous travel conditions, is still likely for a good chunk of Monday, January 2. The good news here though is that Federal and State offices, as well as many businesses are closed on Monday in observance of the New Year.

Be sure to stay connected to Alaska’s News and Weather Source through New Year’s Day for updates on the icy weather and its impact on the region.

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