Thunderstorm risk in Southcentral subsides Thursday afternoon

Original story: The Anchorage Office of Emergency Management is warning that widespread thunderstorms may form in Southcentral Alaska by Thursday afternoon.

The day will start out mostly sunny across Southcentral, with high temperatures in the 70s forecast for the Anchorage area, according to the National Weather Service.

The thunderstorms will begin to form earliest on the southern end of the Talkeetna Mountains in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough and then over the Chugach Mountains closer to Anchorage, said the Thursday morning OEM advisory.

While storms and lightning are expected to be concentrated in the mountains, some may also drift over Anchorage and the Matanuska and Susitna valleys, said Emily Niebuhr, meteorologist at the National Weather Service.

Niebuhr said Thursday morning that "some uncertainty" remained around the timing of the storms, and she advised those planning to go into the mountains to check the forecast through the day and "keep an eye toward the sky."

"I think my biggest concern is people going out and recreating in areas like Hatcher Pass or in the Chugach," she said. "We just want people to be aware of the potential for thunderstorms and have a backup plan for safety."

Niebuhr said the thunderstorms stem from a combination of overnight humidity and higher temperatures in the area. While thunderstorms are "somewhat rare" in Southcentral Alaska, she said, "certainly a few happen per year."

Thursday's weather advisory spanned from Anchorage to the Mat-Su, including Indian, Eagle River, Eklutna, Palmer, Wasilla, Sutton, Chickaloon, Talkeetna, Willow and Cantwell.

"People in these areas, especially those recreating in the mountains, should be on the lookout for thunderstorms and prepared to take action to protect themselves from lightning, gusty winds, and possibly small hail," the advisory said.