Rain

Could it be one of our latest snows ever? The answer is a simple yes. The latest measurable snow for Anchorage occurred on May 22, 1964. If we get some accumulation into  this  weekend, it would be the second latest snow on record. Upper wind flow from the Arctic Region and colder air aloft can easily make snow. A surface front will arrive from the northwest to provide more lift and another system will pass Kodiak Island and head through Cook Inlet to act as the main moisture source.

Rain. At this point in the brief Alaska summer, you may not be its greatest fan, especially if you live in Eagle, where rain has twice within a month eaten your road connection to the rest of North America. And rain may have annoyed you if you were playing softball during the record hour last week when 1.15 inches fell at Fairbanks International Airport. And you may have cursed the sky if you were installing a roof in Anchorage on the August day in 1997 when almost three inches of rain fell.

An easterly wave and weak surface low pressure over the state will provide us with another round of wet weather in Southcentral today.  Upper level winds out of the SE Panhandle will continue to stream moisture through Southcentral and the southern Interior.  Showers will increase this morning and become more widespread by afternoon.  Anchorage, the Mat Su, and the Kenai Peninsula could see a few light showers later today or tonight. Expect highs in the 50s and low 60s. SE will remain gray and cool.  Highs in the 50s to near 60 with showery conditions into the late afternoon.

With the end of the Anchorage school year Thursday, many local parents are facing the summer conundrum of how to keep kids busy and fit during the long days ahead. Channel 2 asked what you and your kids will be doing on our Facebook page, and here's some of what you've said: Kathy Day: My kids are going to multi sport camp in June with Matt Shasby. If you are looking for a story idea, my client, AK Dinner Factory, offers kids camps where kids learn about nutrition, cooking, measuring ingredients and they make a dinner each day. My son got a whole new appreciation for my cooking by attending the camp!

Alaska State Fair organizers are hoping that recent wet weather won't put a damper on turnout this Labor Day weekend. Officials say that the weather has even benefited a few exhibits and vendors.   The splash of puddles, the crinkle of ponchos: it's all part of this year's fair, as visitors braved the weather to get their fill of food and rides. “Yup, rain or shine, anything,” said fairgoer Julie Morman. “I don't think I've been up here yet when it hasn't rained,” said Ryan Morman.

Anchorage police are advising drivers to stay off the roads tonight because of icing conditions, caused by freezing rain. By 10:45pm Wednesday night, A.P.D. dispatch said they had more than one-hundreds reports of vehicles sliding into ditches. Police specifically mentioned DeArmoun Rd, Rabbit Creek Rd. and Eagle River Loop Rd. as trouble spots. Driver Debbie Hulen told Channel 2 News "once I got off of the Hiland Road exit to Eagle River Loop, when you rounded that first corner you could just see mass chaos ahead of you. There was one police car with the lights on and there were cars every which way with their noses into the ditches on either side of the road.

The Taylor Highway is open again after a brief closing at Milepost 67 Thursday. Vehicles must travel in convoys with pilot cars. The state Department of Transportation says convoys are running Friday, but will be closed for scheduled construction this weekend and next weekend. Convoys will continue through Aug. 31 on the days not scheduled for closure. Convoys travel round trip two times each day and are weather-dependent, meaning they can be canceled due to heavy rain.

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.

Heavy rains throughout the weekend have caused a few delays on roads near Seward. A mudslide rolled onto the highway at around Mile 18 between Moose Pass and Seward. The road was cleared in about four hours. Meanwhile, the road to Exit Glacier was closed down Saturday, because Exit Creek rose above its banks onto the street. The road was re-opened at 8:45 Monday morning when the water receded. Jean Lewis, Seward city clerk, says there was also minor flooding around some low lying cabins.

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.