Rain

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.

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.

Anchorage missed a record high yesterday by only 2 degrees.  Sunshine and low 50s return today before clouds increase overnight and a shower or two tries to develop this weekend. Southeast will remain damp all day, especially from Juneau southward.  Highs will top out in the upper 40s and low 50s.  Rain showers will push into the northern Panhandle, but this rain activity is expected to be spottier and lighter.  The strong winds that have whipped around the southern Panhandle will ease to less than 20 mph late this morning.  The west coast will stay chilly.  A weak northerly flow at the surface is being supported by stronger flow aloft advecting cold air through the Bering Sea and right along the coast.  Highs in Bethel and Nome will remain below freezing.  Teens are in the forecast for the Slope.

Yet another in a long line of beautiful days is in store for us today.  Partly to mostly cloudy skies over the western half of Alaska will keep temps in the 40s inland with 20s and 30s along the Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea coasts. Southcentral will get another dose of sunshine through the afternoon.  Highs will range from the mid 40s to the mid 50s.  There is a slight chance of rain over the Kenai Peninsula and PWS regions. Scattered rain and snow showers are possible in Cold Bay and Unalaska.  Most of the AK Peninsula will keep with mostly cloudy skies.  Showers may extend into Kodiak, as well.

A low over the Lower Kuskokwim will move north today.  Moisture to the east of the low and wrapping around it to the north is riding an upper jet, bringing rain and snow to a large chunk of the state. Rain and snow will taper to showers this afternoon in the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island.  Snow is already decreasing along the West Coast.  An additional inch or two is possible today. The heaviest snow will be over the western Interior, from Galena south to Aniak.  A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect most of the day for the Kotzebue area, the Middle and Lower Yukon, and the Upper Kuskokwim, generally west of McGrath.  Snow totals may push toward 6 inches through tonight.

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.

A long, washed-out front has pushed over the North Slope.  Meanwhile, yet another, far weaker disturbance is pulling into the western Gulf of Alaska, bringing a return to rain and snow showers and breezy to windy conditions for the southern half of the state today. Look for more teens, 20s and 30s around the Interior and West.  Most of PWS will top out in the 30s with 40s into SE.  Expect wrap-around moisture into SW once again today.  Rain may mix with snow over Bristol Bay and Kodiak should see more rain than snow.

One weakening storm system is moving into PWS this morning.  Rain or a rain-snow mix will continue much of the day throughout the Sound.  Clearing skies and 30s will make for a lovely day in the Panhandle before clouds roll back in, along with rain, tonight and tomorrow. Another low is marching out of the north Pacific toward the Aleutians.  This low will broaden out and weaken a bit as it crosses into the southern Bering over the weekend, but it will keep warmer temps and showers in the forecast for all of the SE, Southcentral and SW regions of the state.

Light to moderate freezing rain fell in and along the Chugach mountains yesterday evening and overnight.  While most of the urban corridor was untouched by the rain, some areas right along the mountains have very slick, water-on-ice roadways this morning.  This includes---Palmer, the Butte, Chugiak, Eagle River, the Anchorage Hillside. Turnagain Arm, and Girdwood. Conditions are improving as crews get surfaces sanded and traffic creates some texture on the roads.  Reports indicate that side streets are still very slick but that the Glenn Highway and other main roads are improving.

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.