Winter Storm Watch Issued for Anchorage and Kenai Peninsula
The National Weather Service in Anchorage has issued a Winter Storm Watch from Saturday afternoon through late Sunday night. Moderate to heavy snowfall is expected, which could make travel very difficult across the region.
The National Weather Service issued the watch on November 13 at 12:09 PM AKST. The affected regions include Anchorage, Eagle River, East Turnagain Arm, Portage, Southern Kachemak Bay, Turnagain Pass, Skilak Lake, and the interior, southwestern, northwestern, and southern Kenai Peninsula.
According to forecasters, longwave troughing in the Bering Sea will move east while inverted troughing in the Gulf of Alaska tracks west. A snow band is projected to form and stall over the region from Saturday afternoon through Sunday, producing rounds of moderate to heavy snowfall. Warmer air filtering in from east to west on Sunday afternoon will eventually transition snow to rain. There remains moderate uncertainty regarding the exact placement of the snow band, leading to lower confidence in final accumulation totals.
Forecasted snowfall amounts range significantly across the area. Anchorage, Eagle River, and the western Kenai Peninsula are expected to see between 2 to 4 inches on the low end and 6 to 10 inches on the high end, with up to a foot possible at higher elevations. Turnagain Pass to Moose Pass could accumulate 7 to 11 inches, while Portage may see 9 to 11 inches with snowfall rates up to 1 inch per hour. Seward is projected to receive between 1 to 3 inches on the low end and 3 to 6 inches on the high end.