This was posted this morning on the NWS Anchorage website and it heralds something that’s just unbelievable.  To imagine that even south central Alaska will be seeing temps above freezing in middle January is absurd but to see those temps reach 40 F and involve rain is just unbelievable!!  This winter has already been extremely mild and now we could well be seeing some of the most mild weather yet.  I truly am beginning to wonder just what’s going on with the state’s weather; I moved up here for cold and snow and thus far this winter most of that’s been in the lower 48 from whence I came..!  Not much I can do as Mother Nature will do as she pleases but I’m really beginning to wonder if I’ll see much snow at all this winter let alone cold…

Special Weather Statement

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
900 AM AKST MON JAN 13 2014

AKZ101-111-121-125-131-135-141-145-152-155-161-171-140700-

...UNUSUALLY WARM AND WET CONDITIONS TO IMPACT SOUTHERN ALASKA LATE
WEDNESDAY NIGHT TO SATURDAY...

A SERIES OF FAST-MOVING STORM SYSTEMS WILL MOVE NORTH ACROSS SOUTHERN
ALASKA THIS WEEK WITH ORIGINS IN THE SUBTROPICAL PACIFIC OCEAN. WITH
EACH PASSING STORM...WARMER AIR ALOFT WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH FURTHER
NORTH AND WEST INTO THE STATE. LATE WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...A
STRONG AND EXTREMELY MOIST SERIES OF STORM SYSTEMS IS POISED TO SWEEP
ACROSS THE STATE AND BRING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL TO COASTAL
LOCATIONS...WITH PERIODS OF LIGHT RAIN FOR INLAND LOCATIONS OUTSIDE
OF THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS. TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY TO RISE WELL INTO
30S AND 40S FAHRENHEIT AS FAR NORTH AS THE ALASKA RANGE. STRONG WINDS
ALONG TERRAIN GAPS SUCH AS TURNAGAIN ARM AS WELL AS HIGHER ELEVATIONS
OF SOUTHERN ALASKA ARE ALSO POSSIBLE.

THE GREATEST IMPACTS MID TO LATE WEEK APPEAR TO BE RELATED TO
RAPID SNOWMELT POTENTIAL...RAPID RUN-OFF AND PONDING OF WATER ON TOP
OF ICE FROM RAINFALL. THESE IMPACTS COULD CREATE CONSIDERABLE
DISRUPTIONS TO OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES AND TRAVEL ACROSS MUCH OF THE
REGION. BY SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY...TEMPERATURES LOOK TO DROP
BELOW FREEZING FOR MOST LOCATIONS WITH A RETURN OF MORE SEASONABLE
WEATHER.

INTERESTS ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHERN ALASKA SHOULD REMAIN APPRISED OF THE
LATEST FORECASTS AND BE PREPARED FOR THIS SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN THE
WEATHER PATTERN.

ALONG WITH YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA SOURCE...WEATHER INFORMATION CAN BE
OBTAINED BY VISITING WEATHER.GOV/ANCHORAGE.

$$

CASSELL/MALOY