A strong front moving across Southcentral on Thursday will produce periods of heavy rain in Seward and surrounding mountains, as well as across the western Susitna Valley and bordering areas of the Alaska Range.
For Seward, the heaviest rain will continue through midday Thursday, with a total of two to two-and-a-half inches of rain expected through this afternoon. Additional rainfall of around half an inch is likely on Thursday in the evening. This will lead to elevated water levels in the Resurrection River and other area rivers and streams.
For Portage Valley, strong wind gusts to 55 mph have been reported in Portage on Thursday morning. Gusts to 65 mph are possible as the day continues, gradually diminishing to 35 to 50 mph later in the day.
In the Western Susitna Valley, the heaviest rain will fall through Thursday afternoon, with around one inch of rain expected in the valley and two inches in the headwaters of the Yentna and Skwentna Rivers. This will lead to elevated river levels beginning Thursday night into Friday, as these rivers are slower to respond to the rainfall.
