Up to 11 inches of snow expected in parts of Anchorage and Kenai Peninsula
Dec. 7—Downtown Anchorage snow
The National Weather Service on Tuesday issued an urgent weather update warning of up to 11 inches of snow in Anchorage as well as parts of the Kenai Peninsula by Wednesday afternoon.
Snow began Monday and was expected to amplify Tuesday afternoon, with the heaviest precipitation expected Tuesday evening through Wednesday morning, said meteorologist Michael Kutz. The timing of the snow could make for difficult driving during evening and morning commutes due to slick roads and heavy snowfall reducing visibility.
A winter weather advisory is in effect for the western Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage until Wednesday afternoon.
The storm was expected to bring higher amounts of snow to areas east of Cooper Landing through parts of Anchorage and toward Eagle River, Kutz said. Storm totals of 6 to 11 inches were anticipated in East Anchorage through Eagle River, with higher amounts in some places.
Less snow was expected in West Anchorage, where forecasts called for 4 to 8 inches, Kutz said. A storm total of 6 to 11 inches was expected in areas east of Cooper Landing, and Kutz said driving may be difficult along the Seward Highway, especially through Turnagain Pass.
The snowfall is expected to taper off midday Wednesday, Kutz said, and then temperatures will drop significantly. High temperatures are expected to be in the single digits in West Anchorage and below zero in East Anchorage through the weekend.
Heavy snow weighing down power lines caused scattered power outages early Tuesday, including one that left about 2,500 households from Eklutna to Birchwood in the dark, according to a Matanuska Electric Association spokeswoman. The outage led to reports of a tricky Glenn Highway commute as drivers encountered no highway or bridge lights from Palmer to Chugiak.
