Anchorage kids heading out for Halloween treats Thursday night may find walking through local neighborhoods a trick, as a holiday mix of snow and freezing rain arrives in Southcentral Alaska.
A winter weather advisory for the city, in effect from 7 a.m. Thursday through 7 a.m. Friday, calls for 4 to 7 inches of snow and up to a tenth of an inch of ice. By Thursday afternoon, Anchorage was expected to mainly see snow during the evening hours.
“However, there is still a chance for some light freezing rain mainly from late afternoon through mid-evening,” forecasters said.
National Weather Service meteorologist Michael Kutz said the effects of Thursday morning’s blend are being amplified by the recent snowfall from Anchorage’s first major snowstorm of the winter Monday and Tuesday.
“We have that snow and ice that's on the ground now – a little bit of water on top turns it into liquid banana peel,” Kutz said.
The conditions are affecting local traffic, with police reporting 36 accidents – nine of them with injuries – and an additional 3 vehicles in distress by 4 p.m. Thursday.
“Slow down, take care and watch out for pedestrians,” police asked drivers in a Facebook post.
The Anchorage Hillside and eastern areas of town have a generally higher chance of seeing precipitation, Kutz said, but freezing rain was possible in all parts of the city.
On Thursday morning, the municipality’s map of plowed sidewalks – newly unveiled this week as part of its snow-plowing response – showed sidewalks along most major roads plowed, but many in residential areas awaiting work.
Kutz urged trick-or-treaters to wear cleats for traction and reflective gear for visibility. He also suggested that people “dress for the wet,” given the variable conditions.
“There's going to be places like, say, where it's going to mix with freezing rain, or actually all the way over to liquid rain, depending on where you're at in town,” he said.
