Update, 4:55 p.m. Wednesday:
The National Weather Service has canceled its freezing rain advisory for Anchorage and the Matanuska Valley.
"We're pretty much snowing," said Dave Stricklan, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Anchorage office. Since the advisory was first issued, the warm air that was aloft over the region has cooled down, he said.
A mix of snow and rain is expected to fall tonight.
As of about 4:45 p.m., about 2.2. inches of snow had been recorded Wednesday at the weather service office on Sand Lake Road, Stricklan said.
Update, 8:15 a.m. Wednesday:
A tangle of snow and freezing rain is moving into the Anchorage Bowl from the Girdwood area Wednesday morning, forecasters said.
"It's definitely coming -- it's just a matter of time," said meteorologist Dave Stricklan with the National Weather Service.
A freezing rain advisory for the Anchorage Bowl and Matanuska Valley is in effect from 3 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday.
Forecasters predict the storm to drop up to 2 inches of snow and up to a tenth of an inch of ice in some parts of the city, said Stricklen.
Snow, with pockets of freezing rain, is expected to start around 11 a.m. and change over to mostly freezing rain by 3 p.m. in some areas, he said. In others spots, precipitation may remain mixed with periods of heavy and light precipitation.
Temperatures will likely drop into the upper 20s during the day but rise into the lower 30s Wednesday night, forecasters said.
High temperatures in the 30s, with periods of rain and snow likely, are forecast to continue through the weekend.
The Matanuska Valley should see much of the same weather, with up to 2 inches of snow accumulation and less than one tenth of an inch of ice accumulation Wednesday, according to the Weather Service.
TUESDAY STORY:
A series of fast-moving storms are expected to unleash a combination of wind, warmer weather and precipitation across Southern Alaska this week, forecasters said.
As far north as the Alaska Range, temperatures may rise into the 30s and 40s, according to a National Weather Service bulletin issued Tuesday.
The service also released a freezing rain advisory Tuesday afternoon for the Anchorage Bowl and Matanuska Valley. The advisory will be in effect from 3 p.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday. Forecasters predict ice accumulation of up to one tenth of an inch.
Thursday through Saturday, rapid snowmelt and run-off water pooling on top of ice might "create considerable disruptions" to outdoor activities and travel, the agency said.
Strong winds will likely sweep through more exposed areas such as Turnagain Arm and higher elevations in Southern Alaska, the weather service said.
A wind-whipped snow was falling in Anchorage Tuesday evening, but a warming trend will eventually sprinkle rain over the cold ground, creating road conditions akin to a "liquid banana peel," said Michael Kutz, a meteorologist with Anchorage's National Weather Service office.
Heavier rainfall and moisture is predicted for the coastal regions, Kutz said.
Reach Devin Kelly at dkelly@adn.com or 257-4314.
Freezing rain advisory for Anchorage
By TEGAN HANLON and DEVIN KELLY