Hillside and Eagle River advisory calls for up to 8 inches of snow and 60 mph gusts

The National Weather Service in Anchorage reissued a Winter Weather Advisory for the Anchorage Hillside and Eagle River early Monday. It calls for 2 to 8 inches of snow, a light glaze of ice and gusts as high as 60 mph from noon Monday until 3 pm Tuesday.

Forecasters expect the strongest wind mainly across the southern Hillside and said it could damage trees and power lines. Travel could be very difficult during the Monday evening and Tuesday morning commutes, they said.

On the Hillside and in Eagle River, snow is expected to start mainly heavy Monday afternoon, then turn to a mix of snow and freezing rain overnight into early Tuesday as east winds pick up. Plain rain is possible by Tuesday morning as temperatures climb above freezing.

Forecasters said timing remains uncertain. A later change to rain and freezing rain could push snow totals higher, while warmer air arriving sooner would mean less snow and ice.

A separate advisory for Anchorage and the Lower Matanuska Valley lowered its totals Monday morning, to up to 2 inches of snow and a light glaze of ice to a few hundredths of an inch.

Gusts in parts of the Matanuska Valley could still reach 50 mph and bring down a few tree branches. The weather service said roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely turn slick.

The Anchorage Office of Emergency Management told residents in a Sunday post to be prepared Monday night and Tuesday morning and to check that their car emergency kits are ready for winter weather. National Weather Service winter guidance lists blankets, high-calorie food, a water container, a shovel, a windshield scraper and booster cables to carry.

The wind risk comes less than two weeks after the Oct. 30 windstorm, which drove trees into power lines and cut power to at least 11,800 Chugach Electric members in Anchorage. That storm also cut power to more than 13,500 Matanuska Electric Association members from Eagle River to Willow, with gusts up to 70 mph south of Eagle River.

The weather service asks drivers to slow down and check road conditions by calling 511 or visiting 511.alaska.gov.