Snow Falling in Eastern and Southwest Alaska

May 02, 2012|By: Mitch Sego | Channel 2 Weather

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Get used to hearing a lot about an upper level trough. In the big picture, it is our primary weather feature all the way into next week.

What does an amplified upper trough mean for us? It means unsettled, chilly, and wet weather for many parts of the state.

If you look outside this morning in Anchorage or anywhere in the Cook Inlet region, you're thinking, "What's the big deal? It looks gorgeous." In fact, most of Southcentral is shaping up to be partly to mostly sunny today. But it will also be cool. Highs will to out in the 40s, a good 5 to 10 degrees below average for the beginning of May.

Anchorage and the Valley are seeing very low dewpoints, thanks to cold dry air advecting into the region since yesterday evening. That is why it is clear and also why it is cold---lows hit the teens over east Anchorage and parts of the Mat Su.

Snow showers will linger along the Alcan through the afternoon with snow ending elsewhere over the eastern mainland later this morning. Highs will reach the 30s.

40s and rain showers are back for the SE Panhandle due to a weak surface disturbance moving out of the Gulf into the northern Panhandle this morning. Moisture is being drawn over SE ahead of the low circulation.

A dying low pressure area over the Bering brought and increase of snow overnight in Southwest. Bethel has reported snow since midnight. Several inches will accumulate in the lower Kuskokwim before ending late this morning. Isolated to scattered showers of snow will press eastward over the Bristol Bay region and AK Peninsula before dissipating as they encounter dry air.

Snow and rain showers are likely over the Aleutians with only slight accumulations possible.

Clouds will increase over Southcentral tomorrow and rain and snow becomes likely into the weekend.

|

|

|