Dec. 21—Freezing rain is forecast to move through Anchorage this weekend and create icy roads.
Storms moving into the Gulf of Alaska are expected to push a warm front into the coast, leading to periods of light rain and freezing rain starting Saturday morning, according to an alert issued by the National Weather Service.
“Areas of light freezing rain are possible across the Anchorage Bowl and Matanuska Valley south and west of Wasilla (Saturday) morning,” the weather service said. “Any freezing rain that does fall in these areas will be very light in intensity, but could result in a light glaze of ice on untreated surfaces and cold roadways free of snow cover.”
Another round of light freezing rain was possible Saturday afternoon and evening, the weather service said.
Surface temperatures in Anchorage are expected to reach above freezing, ranging from 30 to 34 degrees, so rain is unlikely to freeze onto powerlines or trees, but could create icy surfaces on roads or areas with snow, said meteorologist Joshua Ribail.
The precipitation is the start of a weather pattern that could last until the end of the month, Ribail said. There is a chance it could shift over to snow, rather than rain, next week, he said.
Anchorage has seen below-average snowfall this season, Ribail said. There has been 28 inches of snow so far this season, but that total is generally in the 30s by this time of year, he said. Anchorage experienced record-breaking amounts of snow during the last few years.