Weather whiplash: Bitter cold spills into Alaska following recent winter weather
Lows will drop below zero in many spots across Southcentral into the weekend
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Light snow continues to fall through parts of the state, with many areas seeing the snow tapering off through the day. Through the Interior and into Southcentral, an additional 1 to 5 inches of snowfall is likely through the day. The heaviest snowfall across the state will likely occur for eastern Prince William Sound, where Valdez and Cordova could easily see 5 inches of snow, if not slightly higher amounts. Further west across the Kenai and through Anchorage/Valley, snow will be lighter, but the potential for accumulation still remains.
As the snow tapers off, colder, drier and sunnier weather makes a return to the state. This will be the coldest stretch of weather much of Alaska has seen since about January/February. Many areas will see overnight lows drop near zero, if not even colder. The Copper River Basin, Mat-Su Valley, Kenai/Soldotna, and through the Interior will see the best chance for overnight lows the next several days to drop below zero. It’s possible some of the coldest conditions will be through the Copper River Basin, where lows could drop as low as -20 to -10 Sunday night into Monday. You’ll want to bundle up if you’ll be outside for an extended period of time this weekend, as temperatures will only climb into the teens for highs, following the frigid mornings.
While the cold snap will be short-lived, we can expect to see at least three days of highs staying below 20 degrees. That combined with the recent weather will lead to continuously slick conditions on the roads. Take it easy and use extreme caution when navigating roads that are still snow-covered, particularly the side roads that have been neglected. It’s these roads that will prove the most treacherous, especially considering the rain we saw yesterday.
Cold air will also filter into Southeast, leading the region to see the first true sign of snow this weekend into next week. It’s likely that Juneau could drop below freezing for highs for the first time this season, with some accumulation looking likely. Much like Southcentral, the panhandle will see a short-lived cold snap. Starting Thanksgiving week, a rapid warming trend will head our way. Temperatures will warm near freezing for Thanksgiving in Southcentral with snow in the forecast, while Southeast will climb back into the 40s with a wintry mix.
Have a safe and warm weekend!
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