Rain Showers

Dry, arctic air continues to spill southward over the state ahead of and beneath a slow-moving upper ridge.  Another day of bitter cold is in store for the North Slope and West.  Air temperatures and wind chills will be close to where they were yesterday. By Friday, the ridge will be centered over eastern Alaska, allowing troughing to begin to nudge into the West.  Moist, southerly flow returns, bringing warmer temps and snow showers to all of the west coast of the state and, by Friday evening, into Southcentral.

We had that brief burst of sunshine a couple of weeks ago but now temperatures are a bit closer to average and it still feels like winter in parts of the state. Snow again in Southwest and Southcentral on Friday. Cool temperatures will continue across the west coast of the state.  These temps are fairly close to averages for this time of year and are keeping snow showers in the areas. The Interior is starting to see some indications of summer.  Highs on May 11 in Fairbanks should hit 60 degrees and there were a half dozen lightning strikes in the area on Thursday.  As that area of low pressure moves on shore, the front is moving through Southeast.

The upper trough that brought cold and wet weather to much of the state over the last week is weakening as it moves east into Canada and the SE Panhandle.  Rain showers and cool temps associated with the trough will remain for today in SE. The big story around the state is the warm and dry air mass that is building in.  An upper ridge of high pressure is strengthening over western Alaska.  It will nudge eastward and anchor itself over the...

I'll keep this short.  Scattered rain showers continue in the southern Panhandle with rain and snow showers across the northern Panhandle.  A couple inches are possible around Yakutat. No change for the West and Slope--still cold and dry.  Look for patchy ice fog along the Slope.  Highs will range from the single digits West to 35 below in Deadhorse. Scattered light snow is possible in Homer, Kodiak and over Southwest AK.  Accumulations will generally remain below two inches.  The Aleutians and AK Peninsula will have scattered snow showers pass through from time to time with little accumulation through tonight.

We tend to think of Memorial Day weekend as the first unofficial weekend of summer but we're not seeing a summery blast across much of the state.  An area of low pressure is south of the Alaska Peninsula. The jet stream is south of the state and guiding that system into the Gulf of Alaska.  With the flow of the jet going almost due east, the push from this system won't send much rain too far inland.  Coastal areas can expect to see the brunt of this rain. Mostly cloudy and scattered rain showers through the weekend for Anchorage, the Mat-Su Valleys and the Kenai Peninsula.

2011-12 became the snowiest winter in Anchorage in recorded history on Saturday.  By Sunday, the sun was back out.  And that's just where it will stay all week. Weak high pressure will suppress clouds over the Interior, Southcentral, and northern Panhandle today.  Highs will range from the 40s to 50s.  Juneau could be as warm as 60 degrees.  A few areas of patchy low clouds and fog, especially near the coast, and wispy high clouds through the afternoon are the only threats to unbridled sunshine.

The main weather feature to impact your day today is a 960 mb low just south of Kodiak Island that is weakening as it moves toward PWS.  The occluded front has swung onshore in Southcentral and it pushing its way into Southeast.  Snow and rain increased overnight and have been heavy at times in PWS and the eastern Kenai Peninsula.  Moderate the heavy rain (initially starting out as snow for some of the inner channels) is filling in in SE as an upper jet directs moisture into that region.

Partly to mostly cloudy skies in Southcentral could lead to few snow flakes or rain drops.  A few echoes indicating light, isolated showers are showing up on radar imagery.  The upper disturbance and cold front responsible for the clouds and spotty showers is, in general, moisture-starved.  As a result, whatever precipitation falls in Alaska today will be light. An upper level trough and embedded low will dig over the Bering Sea and western Alaska through the week.  Therefore, unsettled and chilly will persist through this coming weekend.

Today will be the last day in what has ended up being a beautiful, long stretch of unseasonably warm and dry weather.  Much of the state has seen sunshine this week and temps in the 40s, 50s and even 60s.  We'll chase those warmer readings away and see clouds thicken up later tonight. Expect highs in the upper 40s in SE with rain showers likely.  Southcentral will be warm, but not as warm as the last couple days.  PWS will stay in the upper 40s and the Inlet region will top out in the 50s.  Mild and sunny conditions are in store for Southwest with 40s and low 50s.  Most of the Interior will remain mostly sunny and dry with highs in the 40s and 50.  Clouds and isolated showers will remain along the southern Alcan.

Rain showers will fall in PWS and the eastern Interior this morning then taper to widely scattered showers by the afternoon in the Interior and by evening in PWS.  These showers will swing westward over the mountains into the Cook Inlet region late this morning or afternoon.   In Anchorage and the Mat Su, a few light showers are expected this afternoon.  Showers will linger into tonight, then briefly end.  Rain chances go right back up toward morning and throughout the day tomorrow.