Off-and-on periods of a light wintry mix with steadier mountain snow continues into Monday

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Happy 2023, Alaska!

After a period of very light snow Sunday morning in Anchorage, the Mat-Su and the Western Kenai Peninsula were treated with dry conditions and temperatures hovering around 30 degrees for the afternoon. The sun was even able to break through the clouds from time to time, hopefully helping to brighten both the sky and spirits on this first day of 2023.

The primary low developing farther west and south than computer model guidance suggested on both Friday morning and again Saturday morning, caused a couple of inches of snow to fall late morning, rather than before 5 a.m. This has put the Valley, Anchorage, and the Western Kenai in a favorable “downsloping” environment this afternoon — hence some sunny breaks — while the south- and east-facing sides of the mountain around Prince William Sound, Portage, and the Eastern Kenai continue to see the most consistent, steadiest precipitation.

This will largely remain the case right through Monday afternoon and evening. There will be some surges in this stream of moisture that make it over the mountains and into the Valley, Anchorage, and the Western Kenai Peninsula — falling as light snow, light sleet, light freezing rain, or a combination of the three but leaning more in the direction of sleet and snow throughout Monday. Scattered snow showers, especially in the afternoon, appear likely heading into the middle of next week.