Anchorage and the Matanuska Valley largely escaped the effects of freezing rain forecast overnight into Friday, but slick conditions were reported for roads in the Susitna Valley by morning.
Rain began falling late Thursday and diminished Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Air and ground temperatures remained at or below freezing Friday, causing patchy ice to form on sidewalks and roads in Anchorage and the Matanuska Valley, according to a special weather statement.
Conditions were expected to improve throughout Friday as temperatures increase, the Weather Service said.
The Susitna Valley was expected to see freezing rain through early Friday afternoon, according to a winter weather advisory issued for the area. Conditions were expected to be worst between Houston and the Talkeetna cutoff.
The Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities described conditions on the Parks Highway as difficult Friday morning, with black ice and patches of ice along the road.
Additional freezing rain was possible Friday night into Saturday, forecasters said.
Predictions are calling for a new pattern of colder weather, bringing the probability of snow for much of Southcentral Alaska by Sunday. Precipitation is expected to cross Southcentral from west to east between Sunday and Monday, with “rain likely changing to snow,” according to a short-term forecast discussion by the Weather Service.
The agency said the timing and amount of any snow remained unclear but based on a weakening weather system and the wet ground, generally light snow accumulation is expected.