Colder air is moving into Alaska this week, and the first official winter freeze of the season is expected as temperatures keep falling. Higher elevations could see snow or a wintry mix, while lower elevations stay on a cold rain track.
Afternoon highs will steadily drop back into the 40s through the week after sunshine returned and temperatures warmed into the 50s today. Early Tuesday morning through the early afternoon, light rain is expected, with the better chance in the Mat-Su Valley and Anchorage.
Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley
Over the weekend, active weather brought heavy rain to coastal areas in Southcentral, including 4 to 9 inches near Whittier and Portage. Inland areas of Southcentral saw only light sprinkle activity, a split that will matter again as the next round arrives through the middle of the week.
From Tuesday into Wednesday, higher elevations in the Interior could see up to 3 inches of accumulation. The lower elevations will stay with just a cold rain, so the same weather system will produce very different conditions depending on height above sea level.
The Interior and Isabel Pass
Isabel Pass could see up to 6 inches of snow through midweek, while highs in the Interior are expected to drop into the 30s and 40s. Overnight lows in the Interior will largely remain in the 20s, though a few spots will drop into the 10s.
Daily highs along the Slope are expected to remain in the 20s, with overnight lows falling into the upper 10s and lower 20s. For people moving between lower valleys and higher passes, the week starts with rain and ends with conditions that can turn wintry fast.
