Alaska News

Up to 14 inches of snow expected as storm brings winter back to Southcentral Alaska

Winter came roaring back to Southcentral Alaska this weekend, with a storm lingering though Sunday expected to dump as much as 14 inches on the state's largest city of Anchorage.

Remember all that snow that melted in this week's brilliant sunshine? It's back.

National Weather Service forecasters expect the storm to build Saturday morning and persist at least 24 hours. "Travel may be difficult," says a winter weather advisory from the weather service. Visibilities may be limited. Use caution while driving."

Forecasters expect 3 to 6 inches Saturday and the same on Saturday night before the storm starts tapering off on Sunday morning.

"The early arrival of snow to the Anchorage area has prompted changes in the start times of the winter weather advisories," the Weather Service noted, with both now in effect.

Southcentral Alaska residents expecting the start of spring were less than thrilled.

"I will be having a full-blown temper tantrum," Alyssia Ciparro-Jones wrote on the National Weather Service's Facebook page.

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"OK, who washed their car?" joked Susan Petry.

"No no no no," insisted Bernadette Shilliam. "I'm putting my head under a blanket and ignoring it. If you ignore it, it won't happen"

The forecast is similar for the Matanuska Valley, with an upper end of 12 inches expected, and less severe in both the Susitna Valley and the Kenai Peninsula, which are expected to see sunshine by Sunday.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

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