Winter weather advisories from the National Weather Service stretch across a wide area of Alaska through Monday, with the heaviest snow, 6 to 12 inches, expected over mountain passes and valleys. Forecasters say travel could be nearly impossible in the hardest-hit spots, with the Monday morning commute affected in several zones.
Snow Totals And Timing
The NWS Anchorage winter weather advisories cover the region, with start and end times that vary by zone:
- Girdwood and Portage: 6 to 12 inches, until 3 a.m. ET Monday
- Whittier: 6 to 12 inches with gusts to 40 mph and visibility as low as half a mile, until 1 a.m. ET Monday
- Interior Kenai Peninsula, Turnagain Pass and Skilak Lake: 6 to 12 inches plus a light glaze of ice, until 5 p.m. ET Monday
- Anchorage and Eagle River: 1 to 4 inches, heaviest in South Anchorage and on the Hillside, until 2 a.m. ET Monday
- Homer and the southwest Kenai Peninsula: 4 to 10 inches, 10 a.m. ET Sunday to 2 p.m. ET Monday
- Kenai, Soldotna and the northwest Kenai Peninsula: 3 to 7 inches, until 11 a.m. ET Monday
- Seward: 3 to 5 inches with gusts to 35 mph, until 9 p.m. ET Sunday
The steadiest snow is expected over the Kenai Peninsula. Along the Sterling Highway, 4 to 8 inches is most likely, with a 40 to 50 percent chance of up to 10 inches on the Homer Bluffs. It is less clear where the heaviest band will set up near Kenai and Soldotna, and totals there could run higher if it stalls overhead.
Snow, Then Freezing Rain, Then Rain
Snow comes first in every zone, with warmer air moving in aloft late Sunday. In Girdwood and Portage, an easterly wind off Turnagain Arm is expected to push temperatures into the upper 30s by Sunday evening and turn the snow to rain. The advisories name two highways where freezing rain is a concern: the Seward Highway from Turnagain Pass to Primrose and the Sterling Highway near Ninilchik and Anchor Point. Forecasters say freezing rain is most likely in the colder spots along those routes, and Girdwood could hold on to snow and freezing rain a little longer than nearby areas. Anchorage has a 30 to 40 percent chance of a brief round of light freezing rain at the end.
In Whittier, the advisory warns that power outages and tree damage are likely from the ice. All of the advisories also warn that roads, especially bridges and overpasses, are likely to turn slick.
Whittier Tunnel Schedule In Freezing Weather
Whittier’s only road access is the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, a single lane that cars share with the Alaska Railroad and that alternates direction on a fixed schedule. In winter it runs daily from 7 a.m. to 10:45 p.m. local time, and the Alaska Department of Transportation adds that when temperatures sit at 32 degrees or below, the tunnel opens only for the last five minutes of each scheduled opening, with delays possible.
DOT&PF asks travelers to allow extra time for the trip and runs a schedule and safety line at 1-877-611-2586.
Driving Tips For Snow And Freezing Rain
DOT&PF reminds drivers that posted speed limits are for dry pavement, and recommends leaving extra time or waiting until conditions improve when that is an option.
The state’s 511 road reports classify conditions using specific terms. A “travel is challenging” rating covers up to 3 inches of snow on the road and can include ice on bridge decks, freezing rain or water on top of snow and ice. When a road is rated “travel is not advised,” it may be blocked or impassable from heavy snow, freezing rain or an ice glaze.
