Temperatures across Southcentral Alaska are up from their lowest ebbs during this week's clear and cold spell -- but with them will come a flurry of snow and wind along Turnagain Arm and the Susitna Valley on Thursday.
As of 6:30 a.m., the National Weather Service's Anchorage office listed temperatures above zero for much of the region, including 5 degrees at Ted Stevens International Airport and Palmer, 3 degrees in Wasilla and 9 degrees in Talkeetna.
On the Kenai Peninsula, temperatures ranged from 9 degrees in Kenai to 19 degrees in Seward and 20 degrees in Homer -- a far cry from plummeting mercury across the region a few days earlier, as an Arctic air mass moving east brought low temperatures to Southcentral and deep snow to Southeast Alaska.
The Weather Service said early Thursday that the Susitna Valley is under a winter storm warning from 9 a.m. Thursday until 6 a.m. Friday, for a snow dump of between 12 and 20 inches.
"Snowfall will begin this morning, become heavy at times this afternoon and evening, and begin to taper off after midnight tonight," forecasters wrote.
Turnagain Arm and Portage Valley will be under a winter weather advisory -- including snow blown by east winds from 20 to 35 mph, and gusts to 50 mph -- from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Thursday.
"Snow will increase in intensity throughout the day today, coincident with increasing easterly winds," forecasters wrote. "This will create blowing snow conditions from late this morning through this evening. Snow will begin to mix with rain during the evening hours, leading to the end of the blowing snow conditions."
The Arm, as well as higher elevations in Anchorage, will also be under a wind warning from noon until 9 p.m. Thursday, including winds from the southeast peaking in the afternoon at 50 to 65 mph, with gusts to 80 mph, before they diminish Thursday evening.
In a special weather statement Wednesday announcing its forecast for warmer conditions later this week, the Weather Service said they began with a relatively light storm front that brought a dusting of snow to the Anchorage area overnight Wednesday.
"The second and more potent front approaches Southcentral Thursday and will bring heavy snowfall potential to the Susitna Valley beginning late Thursday morning and continuing into the late evening hours," forecasters wrote. "Snowfall will also be heavy at times across the eastern Kenai Peninsula Thursday morning through Thursday afternoon, with heavy snowfall potential over the Valdez area Thursday night."
The weather systems responsible for that activity are also expected to bring changes to Anchorage and the Cook Inlet area.
"(W)arm air moving up from the south ahead of this storm will result in the possibility of snow mixing with or changing to rain Thursday afternoon/evening and continuing overnight," forecasters wrote. "With the recent cold snap, even if temperatures do warm up above freezing and it rains, less-traveled roadways and surfaces could become very slippery."
Portage Valley may see "periods of blowing snow" Thursday afternoon, forecasters said, with visibility falling to less than half a mile. Residents can expect snow mixed with rain by evening.