Stormy weather subsides, with colder air spilling into Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Coastal flood advisories and warnings for Western Alaska have expired this morning, as most of the state is set to see improving conditions today. The area of low pressure responsible for the stormy weather the last 48 hours, is now in the Beaufort Sea. Zonal flow for much of the state will keep scattered to periodic snow showers around, with building rain and winds for the Bering today.

SOUTHCENTRAL:

Winds have died down for many areas across Southcentral, with some breezy winds still to be expected near Whittier and through parts of Kachemak Bay. While some early morning clouds are with us, we’ll see the return to sunshine throughout the day. This stretch of sunshine will carry us into the weekend, with colder weather set to quickly follow.

The current weather pattern that will drive most of the cold, will be an area of low pressure that will build into the the Gulf of Alaska into Thursday. As the low moves into the Gulf, we’ll see breezy northerly winds pick up across Southcentral. These winds will not only pull in colder air across Southcentral, but likely lead to several days of seeing some gusty conditions for the gaps and passes across the region and through the Matanuska Valley.

While coastal activity will increase as the low moves into the gulf, inland areas will largely stay dry. Our next best chance of seeing precipitation comes early next week, when snow showers build into Southcentral.

SOUTHEAST:

Waves of rain will remain with Southeast as the week draws to a close, with the Klondike Highway and higher elevations seeing the potential for light snow. This will remain the general trend through the next 36 hours, with even heavier rain and winds returning to Southeast by Friday.

Outside of winds, biggest impacts from the system will be heavy rainfall. Many areas of could see 1 to 2 inches with the weekend storm system, with some localized heavier amounts. Winds will also be a concern for parts of the southern panhandle, where gusts up to 60 mph will be likely. A high wind watch has been issued for Hydaburg and Craig from Friday evening through Saturday morning.

INTERIOR:

Power outages are being reported this morning, with additional snow looking likely throughout the day. Many areas could see a few more inches of snow, before the heaviest of the activity tapers off today into Thursday.

Beyond today, the bigger story becomes the return to colder air. We‘ll see highs dropping into the teens later this weekend, with overnight lows near zero. It’s possible that some parts of the Interior could see overnight lows dropping below freezing this weekend into early next week.

SLOPE/WESTERN ALASKA:

While most alerts have been allowed to expire, a winter weather advisory, high surf advisory and winter storm warning remain for parts of the slope.

The High Surf Advisory is in effect until 10pm this evening for large breaking waves of 2 to 3 feet. Localized beach erosion may occur, with the highest water being this morning. We’ll see water levels diminish today and Thursday, although they will remain elevated through Thursday night.

The Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect from 4am Thursday to 7am Friday for the Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast. Blowing snow is expected, as gust will be as high as 45 mph. Be prepared for slippery road conditions and visibility down to less than one half mile at times.

The Winter Storm Warning is in effect until 4pm this afternoon for the Central Brooks Range. Heavy snow of 3 to 6 inches is possible today, with travel being very difficult at times. Areas of blowing snow could lead to reduced visibility at times.

Flood waters are receding for those out west, with winds greatly subsiding today. While some breezy conditions are still to be expected, many locations will see winds less than 25 mph. There will be some welcoming news to much of Western Alaska, as drier and sunnier weather looks likely through early next week. This will allow for time to clean up for any of the flooding and secure any areas. Daily highs will hold near freezing, with overnight lows in the 20s. Be extra careful these next couple of days, as the recent flooding and colder temperatures will lead to icy conditions.

ALEUTIANS:

A low in the Western Bering Sea will move to the southeast and strengthen through the day. While impacts will be minimal, we will see gusty winds and rain showers spreading across the Aleutians and into the Alaska Peninsula later this evening. As the low builds into the southeastern Bering Sea, we’ll see strong cold air advection on the back side of the low. Be prepared for gusty conditions for areas near the low, with some light snow to be expected through parts of the Southwest coastline. Any snow that does fall will be very light, with only 1 to 3 inches expected near Bristol Bay.

OUTLOOK AHEAD:

The overall trend for the state remains on the colder side. We‘ll see many locations across Mainland Alaska drop well below freezing in the coming days, with some areas of the state seeing overnight lows near zero. This stretch of cold weather looks to linger into next week, with snow showers building into Southcentral. We‘re entering that time of the year where it’ll become easier and easier to establish our snow depth. We’ll have to watch next week, but we could see a few inches of snow for parts of Southcentral.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Copyright 2024 KTUU. All rights reserved.