Scattered rain showers paired with cold ground temperatures on an unseasonably warm Thanksgiving Day have made for slick roadways and sidewalks in parts of Anchorage, warned police and weather forecasters.
Meanwhile up north, forecasts for a stretch of the Interior called for snow and freezing rain. Fairbanks and McGrath remained under winter weather advisories until 6 p.m. Thursday, with surrounding areas including Denali and the Tanana Flats under winter storm warnings, said the National Weather Service.
The Alaska Department of Transportation reported a number of trouble spots on its Alaska 511 site, and warned that driving remained difficult close to Fairbanks, with additional snow and freezing rain expected, reported the weather service.
The Parks Highway between Wasilla and Fairbanks was opened, but the transportation department warned of challenging driving conditions, including heavy snowfall and poor visibility. Hatcher Pass Road was not expected to be cleared this week after an avalanche pummeled the area Tuesday.
In Anchorage, the weather service reported black ice and patchy fog in South Anchorage, West Anchorage and Eagle River. Temperatures hovered around 32 degrees by Thursday afternoon and were expected to climb to as high as 40 degrees later in the day, said meteorologist Joe Wegman.
Wegman said the normal temperature for Anchorage this time of year is 26 degrees. (The warmest Nov. 26 recorded by the weather service came in 2002 when temperatures hit 55 degrees. In 1948, temperatures reached as low as negative 18 degrees).
The Anchorage Police Department warned drivers Thursday morning of black ice and slick road conditions in Northeast Anchorage.
"Please take extra time during your Turkey Day travels!" police said in a community message.
As temperatures rise this afternoon, some ice may melt in Anchorage, Wegman said. But as temperatures drop again this evening, travel could become treacherous.
"Certainly, you could get some reemergence of black ice later tonight," he said. "So definitely take it easy while traveling."
In the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, snow was forecast north and west of Talkeetna Thursday with rain in the forecast to the south. The forecast for much of the Kenai Peninsula also called for a rainy Thanksgiving Day.
In the backcountry, the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center warned of dangerous avalanche conditions both north and south of Anchorage.
An avalanche warning remained in effect for the Hatcher Pass area Thursday, where a skier was reported missing.
The information center also warned of high avalanche danger in the Turnagain Pass and Girdwood area. There, new snow and strong wind has created an unstable snowpack, the information center said.