Scant snow is giving way to shaggy brown grass normally not seen until spring breakup, raising concerns now that conditions are increasingly ripe for a fast-moving fire at a time of year usually deep in the grip of winter.

The National Weather Service says the city has had no snow at this point in the season only twice before. On average, that doesn’t usually happen until halfway through April. Last year, which turned out to be the second snowiest on record, more than 2 feet blanketed the ground on March 3.

Anchorage has experienced its lowest snowfall from December to mid-February since records began in 1953, with only 4.3 inches, leading to significant changes in winter events like the Iditarod and Fur Rondy due to unseasonably warm, windy weather.

Gardening columnist Jeff Lowenfels explains how trees are built to survive extreme high winds.

Snow-dependent businesses in Anchorage are struggling as an unusually dry winter with record low snowfall forces snow removal and outdoor gear companies to scale back operations.

The wind storms have been rolling in off the North Pacific, one after another. It is the windest winter and conditions I can recall in my years in Anchorage.

“It’s out of the ordinary but nothing that’s unprecedented,” according to Arctic Valley Ski Area general manager John Robinson-Wilson.

Merrill Field Airport reached 47 degrees on Monday and temperatures Tuesday remained in the high 30s and low 40s throughout Anchorage.

The temperature at one location in Anchorage rose from 16°F on December 7, to 43°F on December 8, highlighting the large temperature differences in short distances that are common during the winter months in much of Alaska due to the lack of heating from the sun and snow cover.

Unusually warm weather in early December 2024 has led to rain in Anchorage, Alaska, marking the most December rainfall since 2018, driven by a warm air surge from the eastern Pacific.

Eklutna Lake Valley experienced an unusually high temperature of 54.7 °F, surpassing Anchorage's all-time February record, likely due to strong southeast winds affecting the region.

A storm bringing strong wind, rain and snow to Southcentral Alaska on Tuesday caused power outages from Anchorage to Whittier and damaged some homes on the Anchorage Hillside. The weather service reported a peak gust of 133 mph on Sunburst mountain on the western Kenai Peninsula.

What little snow has fallen in recent weeks has disappeared, leaving inviting surfaces and smooth terrain to explore.

A wind gust of 113 mph was recorded Monday morning along the Seward Highway near Potter Marsh. Above-freezing temperatures are making side streets icy.

By better aligning the tire season with average snowfall, the city hopes to limit road deterioration.

Though snow is scant in Anchorage, organizers are confident they will be able to host the Jan. 3-8 race series.

Anchorage sidewalks were slick with ice and the roads were full of puddles because of unseasonably high temperatures.By mid morning the temperature had reached 46 degrees.

It has been three years since the Anchorage ski jumping club has been able to hold our New Year competition.

Winter transformed from time of snow to time of ice.

It was a very warm week of the 25th of January, on my way home it started raining pretty heavy, mind you, no snow, but rain. I was expecting maybe some wet snow, but it was not to be...

At lower elevations, there has been melting, hurricane force winds and rain, which have stripped away the snow and left the trails bare, wet, and icy.

The physical poetry of skiing well can make you feel like a spiritual being. It feels like meaning. That's why we teach our kids to ski. Not because we want

November is usually the second snowiest month in Anchorage, but this year, snow totals are well below average. So far, only about three inches of snow has fallen in the city. November usually sees an average of seven inches by now, with a total of a little more than 13 inches for the month. National Weather Service Meteorologist Dave Snider says total snowfall for the season is also well below normal.