A wintry mix of snow, rain and wind is in store for much of Southcentral Alaska on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The agency issued several winter weather advisories for the region Wednesday, some of which go into effect overnight.
For Anchorage, an advisory calls for snow accumulation of around 2 inches in town and 6-10 inches on the Anchorage Hillside, and is in effect from 3 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday. Wind gusts of 25 mph are expected in the Anchorage Bowl, while the Hillside could see gusts of up to 40 mph.
The southeast winds will likely turn the snow to rain during daytime hours Thursday, the advisory said, and winds should diminish by late afternoon. People should prepare for slippery road conditions potentially impacting the Thursday morning commute.
❗ Winter Wx Advisories in effect for much of Southcentral Thu.
— NWS Anchorage (@NWSAnchorage) February 22, 2023
❄💧🧊 Rain may mix with snow. Freezing rain possible for W Kenai Peninsula.
👉 Snow/ice amounts may change. We continue to assess precip type & timing using the latest data.
⚠ Prepare for slippery roads. #AKwx pic.twitter.com/cc1MchK8al
In the Matanuska Valley, residents can expect mixed precipitation, according to the advisory for that region. The weather service called for 4 to 8 inches of snow for the Sutton area toward Hatcher Pass, and between 1 and 3 inches in Palmer and Wasilla. That advisory is in effect from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday.
Mixed precipitation is expected on the western Kenai Peninsula as well. An advisory issued for Kenai, Soldotna, Homer and Cooper Landing calls for up to 3 inches of snow as well as “a light glaze” of ice.
According to the weather service, the most likely area for freezing rain on the peninsula will be the Sterling Highway corridor. Precipitation in Homer and other Kachemak Bay communities should be all rain, the advisory said.
The advisory for the Kenai Peninsula is in effect from midnight Wednesday through 5 p.m. Thursday.