Anchorage Approaches the Snow Record for One Season

March 13, 2012|By: Mitch Sego | Channel 2 Weather

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Anchorage is accumulating more snow at this hour. A persistent and intense band of snow developed along Turnagain Arm and moved up the Arm into Anchorage. Already, 1 to 5 inches has accumulated in the Anchorage metro area. Snow should taper off by noon. Light snow is possible through the afternoon.

Official snow measurements will be available after 3 pm this afternoon.

The Valley and the Kenai/Soldotna areas have almost entirely escaped snowfall so far today, as the snow band has remained narrow and confined to the Turnagain Arm area..

Snow has been heavy at times in the eastern Kenai and PWS, with some locations already reporting close to 30 inches this morning. An additional 5 to 10 inches of wet snow will fall today, with more coming tonight. A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the eastern Kenai until 1 pm for snow and blowing snow. Winds, while not ferocious, will gust to 45 mph throughout the region, thus reducing visibilities at times.

There has been little change over the rest of Alaska. Cold and dry conditions will continue in the North Slope, Interior and West. Highs will remain up to 30 degrees below average. Mostly cloudy to cloudy skies are likely for the Interior and the Northwest with more sunshine elsewhere.

Scattered rain and snow showers and mild temps are forecast for southern half of the SE Panhandle.

The flow is southeasterly over the Gulf of Alaska, which is conducive to heavier snow in PWS, but is a downsloping flow in the western Kenai Peninsula and the Valley. Whatever snowfall can hold it together and make it over the mountains is what we're left with today. 1 to 3 inches is possible through tonight.

Temperatures are back close to average in Southcentral with highs in the upper 20s and 30s and lows in the teens and 20s.

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