Colder weather spreads south across Mainland Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Colder, quieter and sunnier weather is taking hold across Mainland Alaska. While some areas of cloud cover is to be expected, the general trend towards clearer skies will mean colder mornings. Some of the coldest conditions will remain through the Interior, with highs in Southcentral set to drop an additional five to ten degrees. We’ll see the coldest weather for the state through the middle of the week.

SOUTHCENTRAL:

Many areas of Southcentral are waking up this morning to temperatures nearly five to 25 degrees colder than this time yesterday morning. This trend towards colder weather will carry us through the middle of the week, with daily highs expected to continue to drop. By Wednesday it‘s possible we’ll see most of the region hover in the low to mid-20s for highs.

While quiet weather will headline much of this week, there will be the potential for snow showers as the week draws to a close. Right now it’s looking likely only minor amounts of snow are to be expected, with Anchorage likely picking up an inch or snow of snowfall.

While the return to snow will mean a brief warming trend through the weekend, much of this month will continue to trend on the colder side.

SOUTHEAST:

Some spotty activity is occurring this morning, as an area of low pressure in the eastern Gulf of Alaska continues to weaken. While most of the showers will remain on the outer coast, some inland locations could see a hit or miss shower through the morning. Much of the panhandle will see a trend towards sunnier weather this week, with colder conditions slowly spilling south.

While the first half of the week will largely be on the drier side, the second half of the week will lead to areas of rain and snow in the forecast. Higher elevations will see all snow, with locations at sea level likely seeing areas of wintry mix. This comes as temperatures are set to drop into the mid-30s later this week, with overnight lows in the 20s.

INTERIOR:

While a generally quiet and cold weather pattern is settling into the Interior, some light snow is falling through southeastern parts of the region. This will slowly spread north through the day, with one to two inches of snow expected. The bigger headline for the Interior, is the bitter cold that is settling into the region. We‘ll see a large portion of this week lead to highs in the single digits, while overnight lows will drop well below zero. It’s not out of the question that some areas of the Interior could drop as low as minus 20 over the coming mornings.

SLOPE/WESTERN ALASKA:

Much like the rest of the state, cold air is settling into the Slope. While it’s not bitter cold air, we will see daily highs remaining in the teens, while overnight lows dip into the single digits. Some light snow showers are possible, with breezy winds remaining through the week. Any snow will likely amount to less than an inch, with winds leading to some localized areas of blowing snow.

Out west, some light areas of snow showers are possible. While these are expected to move east through the day, expect a general weakening trend for inland locations. We’ll hold onto areas of flurries and light snow through the middle of the week, with daily highs remaining in the 20s. With overnight lows dropping into the single digits and teens, expect wind chills to be even colder at times.

ALEUTIANS:

Areas of rain, snow and winds will impact the Aleutians this week, although there will be plenty of dry time. The rain won’t be impressive, as most locations only see scattered to periodic activity through the week. The better chance for any wintry mix will occur during the night and early mornings hours, where overnight lows manage to drop into the low to mid-30s. The Aleutians will be one of the few areas of the state where no significant cool down is expected, as this week will lead to highs in the 40s.

OUTLOOK AHEAD:

After spending the first third of the month with well above average temperatures, the state is set to cool off. While bitter cold doesn‘t look to impact the entire state, expect a general trend towards cooler conditions. This will mean more opportunities for highs in the 20s across Southcentral, with even colder conditions to the north. There’s also signs that much of Mainland Alaska will remain on the drier side the next few weeks, although there will be signs of snow building into southern parts of the state later this week.

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