Residents across Southcentral Alaska can expect the first widespread frost and freeze overnight Saturday into Sunday morning, the National Weather Service said in a special weather statement.
The statement covers communities from the western Kenai Peninsula to the Matanuska and Susitna valleys, including Anchorage, Eagle River, Indian, Eklutna, Palmer, Wasilla, Sutton, Chickaloon, Kenai, Soldotna, Homer, Cooper Landing, Talkeetna, Willow and Cantwell.
The average first freeze at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is Sept. 23, said Joe Wegman, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Anchorage.
The Susitna Valley, East Anchorage and the western Kenai can expect temperatures in the upper 20s, the weather service said.
“If you’re away from the coast, it could get down to the upper 20s tonight, whereas West Anchorage and closer to the coast will be closer to the freezing mark,” Wegman said. “It will still be cold enough to be a hard freeze for most.”
Wegman encouraged gardeners to cover plants that could be damaged from the colder weather.