Rain was falling on Anchorage Wednesday afternoon, but temperatures were expected to drop below freezing by the evening, bringing slick roads to the Anchorage Bowl and Matanuska Valley.
The unusual November rainfall Wednesday prompted a special weather statement from the National Weather Service's Anchorage office warning drivers that roads could be slick where the ground was still frozen. Snowfall was expected at elevations around 1,000 feet, and was reported as low as 750 feet by 1 p.m., said meteorologist Christian Cassell.
Yet as the weather system clears out Wednesday afternoon, temperatures are expected to drop, Cassell said.
"Any roads that are wet now have a good shot of refreezing this evening," Cassell said. That will make for slick roads Wednesday evening and possibly Thursday morning, Cassell said.
On Wednesday afternoon, difficult driving conditions due to freezing rain on the Parks Highway were noted from Mile 52 to the Talkeetna Spur Road, according to the state's 511 traveler information database.
A freezing rain advisory was in effect until 4 p.m. Wednesday for the Susitna Valley, including Talkeetna, Willow and Cantwell.
"Be prepared for slippery roads. Slow down and use caution while driving," the NWS wrote.
The entire Anchorage Bowl and Mat-Su area was forecast to dip below freezing Wednesday evening, Cassell said.