Active weather and warmer temperatures return for Thanksgiving
Highs will climb back above freezing through the week, with rain and snow in the forecast
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Following several days of seeing sunshine and some areas of freezing fog, a change is underway across Southcentral Alaska.
An area of low pressure in the northeastern Gulf of Alaska will lead to increasing clouds throughout the day across the region. Many locations will start off this morning with some sunshine before clouds thicken up into the afternoon hours. With the return to clouds, some flurries are possible throughout the day.
However, tonight into Wednesday morning will bring the best chance for a light dusting of snow for parts of the region. The only exception will be through Prince William Sound, where temperatures should remain warm enough that all rain can be expected.
Any snow that falls between tonight into Wednesday will bring the area less than an inch of snowfall. Higher amounts are possible through the Chugach Mountains, but even then only a couple of inches can be expected. While this current storm is bringing most of the impacts to Southeast, here in Southcentral we’re really noticing the push of warmer air associated with it. Many locations across the region are nearly 10 degrees warmer than Monday morning, with even warmer weather expected the rest of the week.
The bigger picture beyond today will be the next upcoming storm just in time for Thanksgiving. While no significant snow looks to be in the forecast, the warmer air building into the region will lead to many across Southcentral seeing a return to snow and rain. It’s possible we could see a few locations pick up some accumulation, but overall expect warm and slick conditions through the rest of the week, as temperatures continue to steadily warm. Highs by Thanksgiving will top out in the mid to upper 30s, with some locations across Southcentral managing to warm near or above 40 degrees into the weekend.
This freeze/thaw pattern will mean two things for us on the roads this week, the first being that travel will continue to remain difficult, particularly in areas where ruts are forming due to the freeze/thaw pattern. The second will be that as rain and snow build into the region over the next few days, any rain that falls will occur as freezing rain. This will lead to dangerously slick conditions across Southcentral.
Active weather will stay with us by week’s end, with daily highs warm near or above freezing and overnight lows in the 20s. It’s possible that towards the beginning of next week, the main precipitation type for Southcentral shifts back to snow.
Have a safe and happy Tuesday!
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