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Snow is expected to fall in East Anchorage and the Hillside overnight Thursday and into Friday, with up to a foot of snow possible in higher elevations, the National Weather Service said.
The weather service is forecasting that the most snow is expected to fall on the Anchorage Hillside, where there’s a possibility of 6 to 12 inches of snow, said meteorologist Adam Przepiora. Snow had already started falling around 2:30 p.m. Thursday. Przepiora said the storm system was moving into the Anchorage area from east to west.
The storm is expected to intensify overnight, with the heaviest snowfall occurring between midnight and 6 a.m. Friday, Przepiora said.
The Anchorage Bowl is expected to see much less snow than the Hillside, with about 1 to 3 inches possible in East Anchorage and Eagle River, according to the National Weather Service. Little to no accumulation is expected in West Anchorage.
Another early season snowfall is on the way for most of the Anchorage area. Highest amounts will be at upper elevations, with lesser accumulations in the Bowl. Stay tuned to the most current forecast at https://t.co/Yepna3RzCk pic.twitter.com/7sdmJufx5I
— NWS Anchorage (@NWSAnchorage) September 23, 2021
Road temperatures are still warm, but Przepiora said some wet snow may still accumulate, causing road conditions to be slushy. Driving conditions along the Glenn Highway and in East Anchorage may be more dangerous during the morning commute, Przepiora said.
“It is early, so a lot of people don’t have snow tires on yet,” he said, and urged caution on the roadways.
Citing snowy conditions, the municipality of Anchorage this week announced that residents can drive with studded tires eight days early this year, starting Thursday.
The snow is expected to taper off after Friday morning, and Przeporia said high temperatures on Friday are expected to be in the high 30s or near 40 degrees. Any snow that falls in the Anchorage Bowl is expected to melt Friday, he said. Temperatures on the Hillside and at higher elevations are expected to be colder and Przeporia said the snow could stick around through the day.
The earliest date to record at least an inch of snow at the weather service office, near the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, was Sept. 24, 1981, Przeporia said.