After a few relatively warm days in the upper Lynn Canal, winter weather made its return with snow and rain early this week. The rest of the week looks like more of the same. KHNS’ Mike Swasey talked with meteorologist Grant Smith from the National Weather Service in Juneau for an in-depth look at the forecast.

Swasey – Grant, what’s going on with weather in the upper Lynn canal this week? 

Smith – Well, it’s been an active pattern, and it looks like that pattern will continue, at least through the rest of the week. The weekend though, it looks like we might have a break in the rain and snow. But up until then we’re gonna continue to hold on to an active weather pattern across the Panhandle including the upper Lynn Canal area.

Swasey – What do you mean by an active pattern? 

Smith – What I mean by that is we’ve got an overall center of low pressure over the Gulf, in the upper levels of the atmosphere. And then at the surface, little lows and fronts just keep spinning up, just over and over, round after round. And each of these fronts come from the south bringing in the rain, and the warmer weather. 

You know, we did start off with some some snow but as we’re going forward for the rest of the week, rain and rain showers during the day. Maybe at night, temperatures might be able to cool down enough where we could see some snow mixing, but it would switch right back to rain during the day. 

But you know, going into Tuesday night, into Wednesday, still holding on to that rain and rain snow mix at nighttime. And then Wednesday night, it looks like we’ll see a little bit of a break. Still holding on to rain showers, but you know, they’re gonna be more spotty, on and off, not quite as heavy at times. And then going into Thursday, Thursday night, the next look, the next front comes right up from the south bringing in the next round of rain, snow at higher elevations still holding on to, you know, mostly rain, though. And then showers going into Thursday night into Friday, and then the break on the weekend. So that’s what I mean by active pattern. It’s just round after a round of chances for rain in the upper Lynn Canal area.

Swasey – Are you trying to say it’s going to be, like, muddy or something?

Smith –  Well, you know, if your conditions there anything like what we’re seeing here in Juneau, probably. I mean, it’s, I walk outside and the ground is squishy. And I don’t know if the ground is supposed to be like that, but I step down and I hear this (squish sound) and I’m like, what is that? 

Sweasey – That’s a meteorological term there, squishy, little squishy ground? 

Smith – Yeah. Well, we’ll make it one. 

Swasey – Might as well. What about the elevation? Where does it turn from rain to snow? Do you have a specific number in mind?

Smith – Yeah, yeah, sure. You know, just looking ahead at the forecast we’re kind of holding on to during the daytime, that snow level would be around 1,000 feet. And then at nighttime, the snow level drops to maybe three or four hundred feet.

Swasey – So those alpine areas are getting a lot of fresh snow right now. So maybe some backcountry skiing is a good idea depending on the type of snow?

Smith – Yeah, yeah. If you’re into that, you know, that would be a good idea. So, we’re still holding on to, you know, those the snow showers in the higher elevations like you said.

Swasey –  And then what if anybody from upper Lynn Canal wants to get up into Canada? What sort of weather is extending north from Haines and Skagway? 

Smith – We’re kind of holding on to some snow chances but nothing like what we have been seeing the past couple of days. Because these systems have been coming in from the south they bring that warmer air so it’s just harder for lots of snow to pile up. Still holding on to snow on the highways but they should be at least drivable.

Swasey–  Grant Smith, thank you so much for sharing the weather outlook with us. I really appreciate it.

Smith –  Hey, thanks for having me.

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