Live updates: Crews will work to restore power into the weekend (2024)

Published: Sep. 20, 2021 at 8:26 PM AKDT|Updated: Sep. 24, 2021 at 9:51 PM AKDT

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Alaska’s Weather Source’s team of meteorologists is bringing you the latest weather updates as winter weather spreads across Alaska this week. All live updates will be posted here.

Sept. 24 - 9:52 p.m.

Expect icy roads overnight Friday

The September storm that brought rain and heavy snow to the city of Anchorage and surrounding areas Friday will turn roads and highways icy overnight.

Temperatures were right at 32 degrees by 9 p.m. Friday in Eagle River, at the Campbell Creek Science Center and Glen Alps.

Roads around town are wet and the danger is for that wet surface to become an icy sheet overnight. Drivers should be extra careful, as many vehicle owners have not yet had a chance to switch to winter tires.

The low pressure system that brought in the winter slam of snow is moving slowly east.

Saturday, while starting out chilly and a chance of a wintry mix of rain and snow in the morning, should see gradual clearing and highs in the lower to mid 40s. This will lead to some mass melting over the next two to three days.

Sept. 24 - 6:30 p.m.

Power may not be restored to some until this weekend

As Anchorage and surrounding areas experience the first bout of winter weather, electric companies continue to work to restore power to a few thousand customers. According to Chugach Electric Association, that might not happen until over the weekend for some people.

Spokesperson Julie Hasquet said via email Friday that crews will continue to work through the night and into the weekend to restore power.

“But we do not anticipate all members having power restored tonight,” she wrote. “The heavy, wet snow on trees and powerlines is a challenge, especially with the trees still having leaves on them.”

It makes restoring power more time consuming, Hasquet said, because crews have to clear snow and trees off the lines first.

“Also, while there are some large outages, there are dozens of smaller ones scattered throughout the city,” she wrote.

Here’s the latest number of outages as of 6:30 p.m. Friday, according to Chugach Electric Association and Matanuska Electric Association:

Chugach: 1,966

Matanuska: 924

Sept. 24 - 3:40 p.m.

Electric companies continue working through power outages

Wet, snowy weather continues to impact Anchorage and surrounding areas throughout the day. By Friday afternoon, Chugach Electric Association was reporting 2,739 customers without power, and Matanuska Electric Association was reporting 1,273.

The heavy snow is causing problems for Chugach Electric crews who are trying to restore power to thousands of customers in East Anchorage and the Anchorage Hillside. The wet snow is causing trees to bend and touch the lines. Spokesperson Julie Hasquet explained the lines have a type of safety mechanism that will turn the electricity off when it senses something touch the line. She said crews are going slowly because a lot of the activity is happening deep within the woods.

“In this situation they are literally having to hike through the woods and look for the trigger, what’s causing the power to be out. And it’s generally because there’s so much snow on the line or a tree that’s touching the line,” Hasquet said. “They have to go find that hazard, get the snow off, and then re-energize the line.”

Hasquet said the problem is made worse by the fact that as soon as they get one line up and running, another one goes down under the weight of the snow.

Sept. 24 - 12:24 p.m.

Latest number of reported outages

Here’s a look at the latest number of outages:

Matanuska Electric Association: 2,839

Chugach Electric Association: 4,015

Sept. 24 - 12:07 p.m.

Anchorage School District plans for after-school activities

High school sports competitions are going to continue as scheduled. Practices for sports teams that do not compete, as well as after-school activities for elementary and middle schools, are canceled.

READ MORE: Here’s a list of the schools that are closed as winter weather sets in

Sept. 24 - 11:26 a.m.

Trees down all over town

Alaska’s News Source reporter Lauren Maxwell says trees are down all over town. Benjamin Pulcino with Tall Trees says they’ve spent the morning going from one house to the next removing branches and trees that have snapped from their base because of the heavy wet snow.

Municipal crews are also clearing branches from roads and sidewalks — a chore that could take days before it’s all finished.

Even if the snow melts, the damage it leaves behind will take some time to clean up.

Sept. 24 - 11:15 a.m.

Latest number of reported outages

Here’s a look at the latest number of outages:

Matanuska Electric Association: 3,985

Chugach Electric Association: 3,648

Sept. 24 - 11 a.m.

Snow in Bear Valley

Over a foot of snow has fallen in Bear Valley! Watch this viewer-submitted video, sent to us by Jennifer Bravo-Grulkey.

Chugach Electric says 3,700 still without power

As of 10 a.m., Chugach Electric Association says 11 crews are working to restore the thousands of power outages across Anchorage. Most of the outages are because of heavy, wet snow and trees on power lines.

Sept. 24 - 10:27 a.m.

Send us your photos and videos!

We’re looking for your photos and videos as a mix of snow and rain fall across Southcentral. Submit your photos and videos in the “Weather Photos” bubble at this link.

Sept. 24 - 9:49 a.m.

Live with Meteorologist Aaron Morrison

Alaska’s News Source Meteorologist Aaron Morrison is bringing you the latest updates on Friday morning’s winter weather.

Sept. 24 - 9:13 a.m.

Number of reported outages increasing

The number of reported outages are increasing this morning as snow and rain fall across Southcentral. Here is the latest number of outages:

Matanuska Electric Association: 7,614

Chugach Electric Association: 3,604

Sept. 24 - 9 a.m.

Significant snow fall across parts of Southcentral

More than an inch of snow has already been reported across parts of the Anchorage Bowl, with a storm spotter reporting up to 13 inches of snow along Upper De Armoun Road. Higher elevations of the Anchorage Hillside and Glenn Alps likely are seeing more, as the heavy snow continues to fall.

Meanwhile, at the sea level, there are reports of up to 4 to 5 inches of snow near Muldoon where power outages continue to occur. This comes as the heavy, wet snow is bending trees and power lines.

A winter weather advisory continues for the Anchorage Hillside and higher elevations of Eagle River until 1 p.m. Friday. Anchorage is ground zero for the dividing line between snow and rain, as areas east of Seward Highway are seeing wintry mix to all snow, while areas west of the highway continue to report cold rain.

This will lead to a significant difference in snow accumulation totals through the day.

While the snow line is inching ever so closely to the west, expect areas west of Spenard to generally stay rain for most of the day, with minor accumulation expected. An additional half an inch to an inch of snow is possible for Midtown, with areas in East Anchorage and in higher elevations adding on to the totals from what has already fallen.

This activity will continue through the day, with a back and forth transition to snow and rain which will only lead to continued hazardous travel conditions.

Sept. 24 - 8:11 a.m.

Close to 8,000 power outages

Thousands remain without power this morning as utility crews are working to restore service across Southcentral.

The latest update to Chugach Electric Association’s power outage map shows 3,025 outages, while the latest map from Matanuska Electric Association shows 4,950 outages.

Sept. 24 - 7:15 a.m.

Power outages across Southcentral

Chugach Electric Association has reported power outages across Anchorage, mainly on the Hillside and East Anchorage. The utility’s outage map was temporarily offline Friday morning, but is now back up and running.

Multiple crews have been dispatched to look into the Hillside and Muldoon outages. Another crew is also working in Girdwood, according to their latest update. The total number of Chugach Electric outages this morning is over 2,600.

Matanuska Electric Association is also reporting a number of outages across Eagle River, Chugiak and Peters Creek. Over 2,400 people are currently without power.

Crews are being sent to respond to the outages. According to a Facebook post, heavy wet snow caused trees to snap and fall onto lines in the Eagle River area.

Sept. 24 - 6:48 a.m.

Snowy, sloppy commute

Alaska’s News Source Chief Meteorologist says it’s a snowy and sloppy commute across Anchorage this morning, with the most snow on the south and east sides of town.

Sept. 24 - 5:44 a.m.

Heading into the city this morning?

Areas west of the Seward Highway are seeing all rain, while a gradual transition to all snow is occurring east of the highway. Snow accumulation totals are expected to vary.

Last night, Chief Meteorologist Melissa Frey said the Friday morning commute would be challenging from Anchorage, with the snow and rain, to Turnagain Pass on the Seward Highway with snow accumulating in the higher elevations.

Sept. 24 - 5:32 a.m.

Stay updated on school closures

Alaska’s News Source is keeping track as schools announce closures Friday morning due to icy road conditions and the winter weather. Stay updated on the list of closures at the link below.

READ MORE: Here’s a list of the schools that are closed as winter weather sets in

Sept. 23 - 9:31 p.m.

Stormy September weather churning through Southcentral and Southeast

Residents in Southcentral and Southeast Alaska are in for some stormy September weather Thursday night. A Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect for high amounts of snow in a relatively short time frame.

From the Anchorage hillside to South Fork Eagle River, snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches are expected. Roads in the Anchorage Bowl are still wet from rain, while the snow started Thursday afternoon along the higher elevations.

By 9 p.m. Thursday night, temperatures are at 32 degrees in Eagle River Valley, 34 at the Glenn Highway at Eagle River Bridge, and 41 degrees at the Alaska’s News Source studios in Midtown Anchorage.

For the Glen Alps along the Anchorage Hillside, the temperature was 30 degrees with north winds 11 to 20 mph. That colder air is still in the higher elevations.

Overnight, it will start to snow In the lower elevations and through the city. The precipitation will be a wet snow, 2 to 6 inches in East Anchorage, Eagle River and along the Glenn Highway. Amounts of 1 to 3 inches are possible across West Anchorage.

Road conditions

The Friday morning commute will be challenging from Anchorage, with the snow and rain, to Turnagain Pass on the Seward Highway with snow accumulating in the higher elevations. Road conditions were already reported slippery Thursday night with falling snow, winds blowing and visibility reduced around Summit Lake.

Sept. 23 - 6:53 p.m.

Live with Chief Meteorologist Melissa Frey

Alaska’s News Source Chief Meteorologist Melissa Frey is giving an update on tonight’s incoming winter weather.

Sept. 23 - 5:20 p.m.

Winter Weather Advisory issued for Anchorage Hillside and higher elevations of Eagle River

A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service for the Anchorage Hillside and higher elevations of Eagle River starting at 6 p.m. Thursday and continuing through Friday at 1 p.m.

These areas should be prepared for at least 6 inches of snow. The lower elevations of Anchorage and Eagle River will see rain initially tonight, but as temperatures drop, a transition to snow is likely overnight.

The east side of Anchorage will see the highest accumulations of snow, with less expected in west Anchorage because it is likely the east side of Anchorage will see the temperatures drop faster and stay colder for longer. All of Anchorage and Eagle River will see the potential for accumulating wet snow by early Friday. During the day Friday, it is likely the area will see a fluctuation between snow and rain as temperatures warm close to 40 degrees in the afternoon.

Be prepared for winter driving conditions tonight through early Saturday across Southcentral Alaska.

Sept. 23 - 7:50 a.m.

Snow accumulation looks possible into Friday

Overcast skies held temperatures several degrees warmer this morning across Southcentral, as temperatures bottomed out in the upper 30s. This comes ahead of an area of low pressure that continues to drift into the Gulf of Alaska and is setting the stage for our next winter weather event. While rain is already moving into Prince William Sound, it will take some time for the moisture to overcome the mountains and move into inland regions of Southcentral. As a result, expect the first part of the day to be dry for Anchorage and surrounding areas, as a gradual increase of rain strolls in by the afternoon hours.

Initially, we’ll see cold rain outside of higher elevations of the Chugach Mountains. Once the rain begins, we should see it hold with us for most of the day with a gradual transition into wintry weather by nightfall. When and where the transition occurs will greatly depend on the current temperature and how heavy the precipitation falls, as the latter will help cool off the atmosphere through evaporative cooling. As this process occurs, we’ll see a gradual transition to a wintry mix and then eventual snow showers. It’s looking likely that we’ll see this best occur into the night, with snow building in overnight into Friday.

As this system settles into Southcentral, we’ll see the potential for snow accumulation and windy conditions. Winds will be the greatest along coastal regions, where gusts up to 40 mph can’t be ruled out. With temperatures holding above freezing, this will be wet, heavy snow. Meaning slushy roads and reduced visibility will be an issue for the Friday morning commute. Accumulation looks to be upward of an inch across the Anchorage Bowl, with higher amounts in the higher elevations. The Anchorage Hillside could easily see up to 4-plus inches of snow with this system as the heavier precipitation moves in.

Once the snow settles into the region, expect it to linger until it tapers off by Saturday.

Sept. 22 - 10:05 p.m.

Cold returns to Southcentral Alaska on Wednesday night

Ready for another chilly night? Alaskans will also see a new round of wintry and windy weather for the Southcentral region.

Much of Anchorage and the region dropped to the 20s, and while it will be chilly Wednesday night, it won’t be quite as cold as Tuesday night.

The latest low pressure system and developing offshoots are spinning through the Gulf of Alaska tonight. Clouds are drifting north and this “cover” will keep lows in the 30s. The flow is from the south, too. Scattered mixed showers are pushing through the Susitna and Matanuska valleys, with snow in the mountains.

This next round of rain and snow brings a chance of rain and snow to Anchorage Thursday morning and again in the afternoon. Count on the wintry mix more on Friday.

Prince William Sound will get wet, as well as windy.

Sept. 22 - 7:30 p.m.

Southcentral Alaska is likely to see more snow and rain on Thursday

If Tuesday morning was a “taste” of winter, Alaskans are about to get a full meal of winter across Southcentral Thursday.

The temperature dropped to 28 degrees Wednesday morning officially in Anchorage. The last time it was this cold this early in the season was 18 years ago in 2003.

A storm is moving in Thursday on top of all of that cold air. This storm is just starting to form in the Gulf of Alaska and the specific details of when the precipitation will start at each location and how cold it will be during that time will become clearer in the next 12 hours. What is known is Alaskans will likely see a fluctuation between rain and snow in Anchorage starting Thursday afternoon/evening which will continue through Saturday morning.

Regardless of how much snow occurs at each elevation, most areas of Southcentral, including Anchorage, need to be prepared for slick roads during this time. This storm will also likely bring significant snow to the higher elevations of Southcentral, including the Anchorage and Eagle River hillsides.

Sept. 22 - 8 a.m.

Subfreezing temperatures occurred across most of Southcentral

Did you feel the chill in the air this morning? Anchorage officially saw subfreezing temperatures for the first time this season, marking the earliest freeze since 2015.

Many areas across Southcentral saw lows dip into the 20s. Some portions of the valley likely woke up to temperatures hovering in the teens. This unseasonably cool weather pattern looks to stay with us for the first full week of fall as more wintry weather is expected in the future.

Temperatures in Anchorage fell into the 20s earlier Wednesday morning, which was within 5 degrees of the Sept. 22 record low of 24 degrees set back in 1992. This was also the first time in 11 years that Anchorage fell into the 20s this early in the season. While sunny skies and quiet weather today will allow for us to warm back into the upper 40s, expect the chilly mornings to stay.

The state will see a return to some clouds into the evening, which will hold temperatures several degrees warmer than this morning, but still expect lows to hover near freezing for Thursday. This cloud coverage comes ahead of the next storm system that looks to bring the potential for more wintry weather from Thursday night into Friday. While the event looks to initially bring a slight chance for a wintry mix late Thursday night, Friday could bring a decent shot for some wet snow to accumulate across portions of the Anchorage Bowl.

Sept. 21 - 10:04 p.m.

North winds continue to bluster through Southcentral heading into Tuesday night

Winds will remain brisk through the night, around 10 to 25 mph with occasional 35 mph gusts.

Wind speed will drop off abruptly Wednesday morning before the commute gets going and kids have to be out at the bus stop. The direction will still be out of the north, but just 5 to 10 mph. Temperatures in the early hours will be 30 to 32 degrees. Watch out for slippery patches in areas that did see snow.

Among the highest snowfall amounts reported were in the Eagle River area. The 1,400-foot level of Skyline Drive had nearly 7 inches of snow. Other valley-level locations reported about 2 inches, up to 4.8 inches in the Hiland Road area.

Chugach Electric Association reported no outages in Anchorage as of 9:15 p.m. Tuesday.

There were still ongoing outages in Dave’s Creek, Cooper Landing and Tyonek with crews either on site or being dispatched. Tyonek is across Cook Inlet.

Below freezing temperatures are forecast for a majority of the Southcentral region overnight, the first widespread sub-freezing night for the region this season. Wednesday night will be a cold one for Anchorage again, with lows likely to be between 25 to 32.

The next chance of rain and snow is Thursday into Friday for southern areas of the state.

Sept. 21 - 5:01 p.m.

Many still without power as winds remain Tuesday

Several communities are still experiencing power outages as wind whips through Southcentral Alaska.

Chugach Electric was reporting a total of 738 customers still without power as of early Tuesday evening. Of those, more than 300 customers are without power in the Cooper Landing/ Daves Creek area and 243 are without power in Hope.

The majority of outages on the Kenai Peninsula served by Homer Electric Association have been resolved. By early Tuesday evening, there were just 10 customers left without power in Kenai.

However, close to 4,000 customers are still without power in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, and between the borough and Anchorage. According to Matanuska Electric Association, close to 2,000 customers were dealing with power outages in Eagle River, as were about 1,500 in the area of Nancy Lake, Willow and Caswell Lakes.

Sept. 21 - 11:14 a.m.

Drier air filtering into Southcentral, with wind conditions expected to remain

The snow has come to an end for most if not all of Southcentral, except for the Copper River Basin and areas near Thompson Pass. A winter weather advisory continues until 10 p.m. Tuesday for those areas, where a storm total of 4 to 8 inches is likely.

With snow coming to an end, the focus now shifts to the winds and the colder air that is following. Thousands remain without power, with the vast majority of power outages occurring from Eagle River north into the Valley. Matanuska Electric Association continues to show a growing number without power, with well over 2,000 without power in Eagle River.

The electric association said in a Facebook post that there are nine crews working to restore power across the service area, with crews removing trees and heavy snowfall off of powerlines.

Outages are likely to continue across Southcentral as winds remain sustained out of the north, with the highest wind speeds anywhere from 40 to 55 mph. These winds are not only filtering in drier air, but also bringing the coldest air of the season to Southcentral.

Alaskans will continue to see the highest winds occur through the gaps and passes, with Seward, Whittier and Portage Pass likely taking the brunt of the winds. As the winds die down later today, they’ll see temperatures fall at or below freezing across the region, bringing the first freeze to much of Southcentral.

It’s possible that parts of the Valley and Copper River Basin could dip into the teens and lower 30s as the sun rises on the first day of Autumn Wednesday.

Sept. 21 - 10:45 a.m.

Power outage in Muldoon resolved, but at least 1,400 households remain without power

About 1,400 households that utilize Chugach Electric for power have reported outages in five different locations in and near Anchorage on Tuesday.

An outage in Muldoon was resolved, according to a Chugach Electric spokesperson, and five crews are working to resolve the remaining outages.

The largest outage is taking place for customers in the Jewel Lake and Sand Lake area, which had more than 1,000 outages around 7:45 a.m Tuesday. As of 10:25 a.m., about 800 outages still remain for the area. A large tree was spotted on a powerline in the area, near the Kincaid Road and West Park Drive intersection, and is suspected to be the cause of power outages for nearby customers.

The spokesperson said there are also outages in the Tyonek and Beluga area, Hope, Spenard and Midtown.

The spokesperson noted that most outages are caused by trees falling or powerlines collapsing due to high winds or other weather events.

“Never approach a downed powerline and please don’t approach our crews working in the field,” the spokesperson said as a reminder to people.

Track current power outages on the Chugach Electric website.

Sept. 21 - 8:45 a.m.

A snow-rain mix is falling across Southcentral

Temperatures are still in the 40s for most of Anchorage, but we’re seeing low 30s on the south and east sides of town where snow is sticking to the grassy surfaces. Alaska is also seeing quite a bit of snow above 500 feet in Anchorage and Eagle River. There is still some lingering showers moving south out of Wasilla that will bring additional snow/rain mix across Eagle River and Anchorage over the next couple of hours before the state sees dry conditions for the rest of the day.

Let the team know what the conditions are like where you are by uploading your pictures here: https://widgets.burst.com/sg2a984e

Sept. 20 - 8:26 p.m.

1st winter storm warnings of the season issued for Alaska

Alaska is still two days away from the Fall Equinox officially kicking off the fall season, but winter weather is already showing up across Alaska.

A combination of cold Arctic air moving in from the north and Pacific storms moving in from the south are prompting winter storm watches, warnings and advisories across the state.

Southcentral got its first taste of widespread cold weather Sunday morning when temperatures dipped into the upper 20s and low 30s. It was a brief cool down as warmer air moved in Sunday night, but another round of sub-freezing air is already on the way.

A strong area of low pressure is pumping in the moisture and forcing strong winds from Prince William Sound to the Mat-Su. Showers will continue through the night as temperatures fall to the low to mid-30s.

Most of the area will continue to see just rain, but the higher elevations of the Anchorage Hillside, Eagle River, Kenai Mountains and Mat-Su will see a chance for a quick burst of snow overnight. The rest of the area will only get cold enough for a potential rain/snow mix should a shower linger into early Tuesday morning.

Even as this storm moves east and the skies clear, strong winds will continue Tuesday. Seward and Whittier should be prepared for winds out of the north gusting to 50 mph. Anchorage will see gusts to 40 mph and Palmer and Wasilla will see gusts to 30 mph Monday night and Tuesday.

While Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula and much of the Mat-Su will see dry and even mostly sunny conditions by mid-morning Tuesday, further north and east snow will be likely most of the day.

The Copper River Basin, including Glennallen, McCarthy, and Paxon, are under a Winter Weather Advisory through 10 p.m. Tuesday for 5-8 inches of snow. Winter driving conditions should be expected on the Glenn Highway and further south, along with the Richardson Highway.

The highest snowfall totals will be from near Eureka to Tolsona along the Glenn Highway, but the lower elevations of this area will see 2-4 inches of snow.

The Denali area is also under a Winter Weather Advisory. Denali National Park, Healy, Carlo Creek and Kantishna should expect 1-3 inches of snow overnight along with winds gusting to 35 mph.

The Upper Tanana Valley and Fortymile Country, including Tok, Eagle, and Chicken, will also see a combination of snow and wind. This area is under a Winter Storm Warning through 1 p.m. Wednesday for 5-8 inches of snow expected along with wind gusts to 40 mph.

Most of Southcentral will see a break from the winter weather Tuesday night and Wednesday but cold air will continue to filter in from the north. This will drop temperatures to the upper 20s and low 30s across Southcentral Tuesday night with highs only returning to the mid-40s.

The areas of Anchorage and the Mat-Su that didn’t get a frost of the weekend, likely will Tuesday night.

Another storm rolls into Southcentral Thursday on top of all this cold air. This storm will also bring a wintry mix to the area.

Get the winter gear ready and stay with the Alaska’s Weather Source Weather Team this week as we make the transition to winter conditions.

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