This latest wicked winter blast will persist for two more days before calmer conditions return. Under the gun today for heavy rain and snow are portions of Southcentral and Southeast.
This elongated storm complex stretches from the Alaska Peninsula to the Brooks Range. The most organized part of the storm is a low center just south of Kodiak Island. The low will move northeast into PWS tonight then stall out. Wrapping counter-clockwise around it will be modest mid and low level moisture. Cold air filtering in on the back side of the low from the west will enhance the threat for heavy snow west of the Chugach mountains tonight and tomorrow. In addition, a localized area of stronger wind flow, called a barrier jet, will develop over Cook Inlet and lead to upsloped snowfall, further aiding the snow process.
As a result, a Winter Weather Advisory for heavy snow has been issued for the Susitna Valley, Anchorage Bowl, and the western Kenai Peninsula. The warning is in effect today and much of tomorrow along the Susitna. In Anchorage and the Valley, snow should intensify overnight and continue into Thursday evening, before tapering off overnight. The warning in Anchorage, therefore doesn't go into effect until 9 pm tonight.
8 to 16 inches will locally higher amounts along the Upper Hillside are possible in Anchorage. In the Wasilla, Palmer and the Kenai and Soldotna areas, 5 to 12 inches are likely. Communities along the Susitna can expect 1 to 2 feet.
Winter Weather advisories and a Winter Storm Warning cover a good deal of Southwest and Interior Alaska until noon today. Areas of snow from the Bristol bay region through the middle Yukon Valley will persist throughout the morning with additional accumulations likely.
In Cordova, snow turned to rain last night. Rain is likely today. Saturated and weighed down snow will add to the weather woes for those residents. Meanwhile, up the road in Valdez, an additional 1 to 2 feet is possible through Thursday night.
Rain with snow mixing at times in the Panhandle will remain a threat for the next couple days.
Across the west coast, the cold is the story. A strong high pressure ridge is pressing in. Very cold temperatures and low wind chills will evade the region this afternoon. Wind chills will approach 55 below along the Arctic coast, and most of the Bering Sea coast tonight and tomorrow.
