Snow gives way to rain in much of Anchorage as temperature stays above freezing

Snow was tapering off in Anchorage through Monday morning, with some accumulations in East Anchorage and north of the city, said National Weather Service meteorologist Kaitlyn O’Brien.

The storm was originally forecast to drop 4 to 8 inches of snow in Anchorage, but the area saw higher temperatures than predicted and O’Brien said the storm had mostly ended up as a cold rain instead of snow. She said most of the snow would likely melt throughout the day if it had not already disappeared.

O’Brien said snow was expected to continue falling throughout the Matanuska and Susitna valleys Monday afternoon, where temperatures remained slightly lower than in the Anchorage Bowl. A winter weather advisory in the area called for 3 to 7 inches of snow accumulation.

The weather service received reports ranging from 0.3 to 8.6 inches of snow. The Mountain View neighborhood had roughly an inch of snow by 7 a.m., 2.8 inches was recorded in Sutton just before 10 a.m. and Eagle River saw 8.6 inches of snow recorded around 9:30 a.m.

Temperatures were expected to drop below freezing Monday night and O’Brien said cold northerly winds were expected to move into the area this week, bringing chilly temperatures but clear skies. She warned that the freezing overnight temperatures Monday could cause slippery roads during an early Tuesday commute.

Anchorage will likely not see any snow on Halloween, she said.

Snowfall in East Anchorage, Eagle River and Chugiak early Monday caused dangerous driving conditions on the Glenn Highway, according to the Anchorage Police Department.

Police urged drivers Monday morning to use caution, drive slowly and plan for the poor weather conditions by bringing emergency gear and leaving additional time to reach their destination.