:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/adn/NGDIC6BK3ZFTHAHMTO6EXHKFQI.jpg)
Anchorage could see a light snowfall this week and a significant drop in temperatures, meteorologists said.
An Arctic low is moving past the Brooks Range and Talkeetna Mountains, which will bring below-freezing temperatures and potential trace snowfall in Anchorage by Wednesday or Thursday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Pam Szatanek.
Anchorage is not expected to see any significant snow accumulation, she said.
“Low elevations, like Anchorage, might get a trace, but places like Flattop and the local mountains could get a hefty amount,” Szatanek said.
The first snow of the season is possible mid-to late next week along with a cold snap. Until then, expect mild conditions through mid-week with scattered rain showers. See www.weather.gov/afc for more info.
Posted by US National Weather Service Anchorage Alaska on Saturday, October 10, 2020
Even with only trace amounts of snow, Szatanek warned that the first snowfall of the season generally catches drivers off guard and can be a dangerous day to be on the roads.
“People haven’t seen snow in a while on the road, so when we do get it, it can become quite treacherous,” she said. “They have to have some sort of gear change in their heads to go from warm season driving to winter driving conditions again.”
The most noticeable part of the storm will likely be the cold air, Szatanek said. Temperatures will begin dropping below freezing Wednesday, but Anchorage will be chilliest on Thursday and Friday, with temperatures dropping into the low 20s.
The cold is not expected to stick around, however. Szatanek described the system as a cold snap and said warmer air will likely return.
Szatanek said Talkeetna has the best chance for snowfall as the storm system snakes its way south. The Matanuska and Susitna valleys could see more snowfall than Anchorage, but Szatanek said it would likely be less than an inch of snow.
Girdwood could see similar snowfall conditions to Anchorage, but areas of higher elevation and mountaintops could see somewhat significant amounts of accumulation. Szatanek said small amounts of snow are possible throughout the Kenai Peninsula, also, but would be more likely in higher elevation areas.
The first official snowfall is normally expected around Oct. 16, but Szatanek said during the last four years, “each winter has been very, very different.”
Anchorage saw a dusting of snow last year in early October, but the month overall had unusually low precipitation and no accumulation by Halloween.