Update, 6:30 a.m. Friday: A winter storm warning remained in effect on Friday for areas south of Anchorage, from Girdwood to Seward, with up to a foot of additional snow accumulation and gusty winds.
"Winds gusting as high as 30 mph will cause areas of blowing and drifting snow," the weather service posted Friday morning.
Storm totals as of Friday morning included nearly two feet north of Seward and more than 26 inches in Turnagain Pass.
Original story from Thursday:
The eastern Kenai Peninsula could see nearly 3 feet of snow by Friday evening, according to a special weather statement the National Weather Service issued Thursday for Whittier, Seward, Girdwood and Moose Pass.
A winter storm warning is in effect through 3 p.m. Friday for the region.
Along with heavy, blowing snow, forecasters warned of a half-mile or less of visibility and accumulations of 17 to 21 inches with localized snow to 28 inches. The "persistent snowfall" could bring anywhere from 1 to 3 feet of snow to the road system from Seward to Portage, depending on the track the storm takes. The heaviest snowfall was expected from Moose Pass south.
The low-pressure center was already bringing snow to Homer and other western Peninsula areas as of Thursday morning, according to meteorologist Bob Clay.
The agency also issued a winter storm warning for Bristol Bay through Thursday night for up to 14 inches of snow and wind.
There was a winter weather advisory in place through Friday morning for the western Susitna Valley communities of Talkeetna, Willow and Cantwell with 6 to 12 inches of snow expected.
Anchorage and other parts of Mat-Su weren't expected to get significant snowfall unless the system track changes, Clay said.
He said models showed about an inch of snow for Anchorage on Thursday and maybe less than an inch overnight, but there was still some uncertainty in the forecast path of the low-pressure system.