April starts with sunshine in Southcentral, stormy weather for corners of Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Friday started with scattered areas of light snow.

The National Weather Service forecast office measured 0.2 inches of snow bringing the seasonal snowfall total to 96.2 inches, 22.6 inches above the 30-year normal. Only 3.8 inches is needed to reach 100 inches, which has occurred eight other times since official records began in the early 1950s. On average, Anchorage receives 4 inches of snow in April. A total of 27 inches remain on the ground; the greatest depth of 36 inches occurred the night of February 13-14.

Fortunately, no snow this weekend as high pressure builds in from western Alaska. Dry air associated with it means sunshine by late morning through the afternoon after some early morning clouds and fog. Temperatures all across Southcentral will be seasonable throughout the first weekend of the month with lows ranging from near 20 degrees and highs in the upper 30s to lower 40s. Yes, the gradual melting of snow will continue, but watch out for slick spots in the morning.

The low pressure that brought Southcentral’s snow showers to end the week brings a continuation of scattered showers to Southeast to start the weekend. On Friday, Ketchikan picked up 1.44 inches of rain. Expect rain in the population centers with temperatures in the low to mid-40s. Some wet snow will fall in the higher elevations, especially outside Skagway and Haines along the Klondike and Haines highway, respectively, on Saturday. Sunday will feature improving conditions with more sunshine for central and southern locations while a few showers hold on across northern areas.

March ended sunny and quiet along the entire west coast of the state, but that will change for the start of April as a storm system moves across the Bering Strait, spreading 1 to 3 inches of light snow. Wind gusts as high as 30 mph will cause blowing and drifting snow, further reducing visibilities from the coast to the Interior as the weekend progresses. Morning clouds and fog give way to afternoon sunshine from the North Slope to the Arctic coast with morning lows ranging from the mid-single digits below zero to the mid-single digits above.

Rain continues across the central and western Aleutians on Saturday but sunny skies for the Alaska Peninsula and Southwest. Temperatures will range from the lower 30s to the lower 40s.

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