Snow for the beginning of the week, then colder temps

Most of Southcentral Alaska and Anchorage is dealing with the second-snowiest start to a winter season on record, following a record-setting snowfall in November.

The snow has made for some rather treacherous morning and evening commutes with slick roads, spinouts, and falling snow, as many social media posts have claimed, in exasperation and frustration.

Storms continue to move into the Gulf of Alaska, allowing most areas to get a little break to shovel and plow the snow before the next storm system moves in.

Landslides are also a risk in areas with steeper terrain. It’s important to make sure you monitor waterways and low-lying areas that are prone to flooding. While the flood watch does expire Wednesday for Southeast, additional rain through the week will only exacerbate areas that are already inundated with water. High winds will remain through the day, where parts of Southeast could see winds gusting upwards of 60 mph. Warming temperatures for parts of the panhandle will also mean snowmelt, which will add to any flooding threats.

This stormy weather will remain through the week, with most of the snow today remaining across the eastern half of Southcentral, Anchorage and surrounding areas Tuesday night. At best, just a couple of inches of snow is possible, with localized higher amounts over four inches. The higher totals will likely occur through parts of the Mat-Su.

Meanwhile, a winter storm warning remains in effect through the Tuesday afternoon hours for the Copper River Basin, where heavy snowfall will continue through the day, with some of the highest snowfall totals expected to be near Edgerton Cutoff, where storm totals could exceed two feet of snow.

Snow is expected to taper off into Wednesday, and in its place, colder temperatures move in, with highs in the mid-teens and overnight lows in the single digits. Its likely more snow returns into the weekend and next week.