Sunshine and above-normal temperatures return

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - After a rainy start to the weekend, most of Alaska will be seeing sunshine and above-normal temperatures to start the workweek.

High pressure is ridging in from both the Yukon Territory and the North Pacific. This will create a block from any weather systems that will be forced to go up and over the state or below it.

The result will be mostly sunny skies for the Southcentral region, the Southeast Panhandle, the Interior, and most of the state. The exception will be the northwest corner of the state to include Kotzebue, Nome and the Aleutians.

Underneath this blocking ridge is the potential for a thermal trough to build from daytime heating. This will mainly impact the Copper River Basin and Interior where daytime heating into the 70s and low 80s could spark isolated afternoon and evening thunderstorms.

This stretch of summer-like weather is expected to last for the entire workweek.