Temperatures in Fairbanks were hovering at the freezing point on a rainy Monday morning, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a winter storm warning for freezing rain.
Rain was mixing with snow in some locations, according to National Weather Service Fairbanks office meteorologist Jim Brader. Freezing rain had been reported in some hilly and valley areas, he said.
The warning, in effect until 4 p.m., was upgraded from an advisory just before 8 a.m. Monday as rain accumulation picked up. Some locations in the Interior could see two-tenths of an inch of rain, Brader said.
"The real problem is the temperature is at 32 degrees … (at) Fairbanks, Eielson, Fort Wainwright," Brader said.
Rain has the potential to freeze in areas of the Interior that are colder, such as north-facing hillsides and permafrost ground, according to Brader.
The winter storm warning extends from Alaska's eastern border and into the central Interior, and includes the communities of Eagle, Tok, Fairbanks, Nenana and Tanana.
For travelers on the Parks Highway, the warning was in effect from Mile 270 north to Fairbanks, Brader said.
Later Monday morning, the Alaska Department of Transportation noted difficult driving conditions due to freezing rain from Mile 163 to roughly Mile 345 on the Parks Highway.
On the Richardson Highway, black ice conditions were noted by DOT from from Mile 287 to 341.
The Fairbanks area, including the entirety of Chena Hot Springs Road and roughly the first 30 miles of both the Steese and Elliott highways, were seeing hazardous driving conditions, DOT wrote.
The National Weather Service warns that travel may be difficult due to icy roads, and power outages were possible if there was an icy accumulation on power lines and tree branches.
A dense fog advisory also remained in effect until 10 a.m., with the Fairbanks Police Department and Alaska State Troopers issuing warnings to drivers Sunday evening that visibility was limited and roads were slick. Fairbanks Police Department spokesperson Doug Welborn said Monday morning that visibility had improved somewhat overnight.