Rain, hail hits Palmer less than two hours ahead of the high school's outdoor graduation ceremony

Palmer High is the only school to host a graduation ceremony outdoors in the Mat-Su Borough School District this week.

Less than two hours before the ceremony was slated to start, dark clouds filled the sky above the school and the surrounding neighborhoods. Rain poured and hail followed.

Fortunately the rain and hail didn’t last long. About a half-hour ahead of the scheduled 7 p.m. start, staff members were using towels to dry the chairs and stage set up on the middle of Machetanz Field earlier that day.

It did not rain during the ceremony.

The district’s high school graduation week continues through Friday. The remainder of the ceremonies are held at the Menard Center in Wasilla. Even though these graduations are in the arena, there should be clear weather for photo opportunities outside.

According to accuweather.com, rain is not expected in Wasilla until Saturday.

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