Up to 25 inches of snow forecast for Portage Valley and Turnagain Pass as new storm moves into Southcentral Alaska

Up to 25 inches of snow could fall starting Thursday in portions of the eastern Kenai Peninsula, the National Weather Service said.

The heaviest snow is expected in Portage Valley and Turnagain Pass, the weather service said. A winter storm watch will be in effect from 9 a.m. Thursday until 6 a.m. Friday.

Driving could be challenging due to slippery roadways and reduced visibility from blowing snow.

Easterly winds are expected to increase throughout Thursday, with gusts up to 35 mph, the weather service said.

Ten inches of snow is possible in Seward and up to 16 inches in Whittier, according to the storm watch.

Snow is forecast for the western Kenai Peninsula too, with 6 to 10 inches possible in Homer and along the Sterling Highway south of Clam Gulch. A winter storm watch is in effect for the area from 9 a.m. Thursday until 9 a.m. Friday.

Anchorage will see light flurries Thursday night into Friday as the storm system moves farther north, said meteorologist Michael Kutz. Snow is expected to fall throughout Anchorage for much of Friday, he said.

The snow will stop over the weekend, and temperatures across Anchorage will drop below zero, Kutz said.

Avalanche danger in Turnagain Pass was considerable above 1,000 feet elevation on Wednesday, according to the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center. Large, human-triggered avalanches were likely around Snug Harbor and Lost Lake, which are near Cooper Landing, the center said.

This storm comes on the heels of another system that dumped snow across Southcentral Alaska from Sunday until Tuesday.

The hardest-hit area was the Susitna Valley. Kutz said 14 to 16 inches of snow was recorded near Talkeetna. There was 10.7 inches in Eagle River, 5 to 6 inches throughout Anchorage, about 10 inches near Turnagain Pass and 12 inches near Moose Pass, Kutz said.