💅 MEMAW’S ARCTIC ROLL: Friday the 13th, Fog & Alaska’s Icy Tricks
Memaw’s Arctic Roll for Friday, November 13, 2026
Good morning, my little road warriors! 💅☕ It’s Friday the 13th, and while some folks are avoiding black cats, walking around ladders and keeping their fingers crossed, Memaw has a much more practical suggestion: don’t tempt fate on an Alaska highway!
We’ve got fog on the Kenai Peninsula, temperatures hovering around freezing in parts of Southcentral, and a little sunshine trying to sneak through. But don’t let a pretty patch of pavement fool you. Black ice doesn’t believe in superstition. It just believes in bad timing!
Today’s assignment: headlights on when visibility calls for them, a little extra room between you and the vehicle ahead, and absolutely no tempting fate at highway speeds. Let’s see what Friday the 13th has cooked up for us!
🟢🟡🔴 Daily Verdict: Foggy Starts, Frozen Pavement & Friday the 13th
- Roads: Dense fog on the western Kenai Peninsula, with visibility potentially dropping to one-quarter mile. Near-freezing temperatures elsewhere mean slick spots deserve attention.
- Traffic: Alaska 511 needs to be checked for active incidents and construction before departure.
- Sky: Mostly cloudy around Anchorage and Wasilla, with some clearing expected toward Seward and the Kenai. Quiet aurora activity tonight.
- Headlights: Use low beams in fog. Turn headlights on whenever visibility is reduced. High beams make fog visibility worse.
Weather Alert: Kenai Peninsula Dense Fog Advisory: Until 10 a.m. Friday for Nikiski, Sterling, Soldotna and Kenai. Slow down, use low-beam headlights and increase following distance.
⚠️ Southcentral Watch (Anchorage Bowl & Hillside)
Near-Freezing Pavement: Morning and Evening Watch
- Status: Potential slick spots, particularly on shaded pavement, bridges and elevated roadways.
- When: Early morning and after sunset.
- Where it hits: Anchorage Hillside, O’Malley, Huffman, Rabbit Creek and connecting commuter routes.
- Why: Temperatures are near or below freezing. Pavement can remain icy even when the air temperature rises above 32°F.
💅 Reality check: Don’t mistake a wet-looking road for a safe one. Give yourself extra stopping distance.
🚗✨ Anchorage City Commute
Merrill Field reference forecast | Friday, November 13
- Current observation supplied by NWS: 28°F at 4:53 a.m.
- Official forecast high: 31°F.
- Tonight’s low: 17°F.
- Wind: North around 5 mph.
| Time of Day | High Temperature | Low Temperature | Driving Tips | Road Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | 30°F | 26°F | Watch shaded pavement and intersections. | 🟡 Moderate |
| Afternoon | 31°F | 24°F | Mostly cloudy; pavement may remain cold. | 🟡 Moderate |
| Evening | 24°F | 17°F | Partly cloudy; watch for refreezing. | 🟡 Moderate |
Sunrise: 9:00 a.m. | Sunset: 4:26 p.m.
Aurora forecast: Kp 1–2. Quiet activity. Clouds may interfere with viewing.
Anchorage driving reminders:
- Keep headlights on in reduced visibility.
- Watch intersections, ramps and shaded stretches.
- Allow extra braking distance.
- Don’t use cruise control on potentially icy pavement.
🛻✨ Parks Highway
Wasilla reference forecast | High 32°F | Low 15°F
| Time of Day | High Temperature | Low Temperature | Driving Tips | Road Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | 29°F | 25°F | Cold pavement; watch bridges and shaded stretches. | 🟡 Moderate |
| Afternoon | 32°F | 25°F | Mostly cloudy; north wind 5–10 mph. | 🟡 Moderate |
| Evening | 25°F | 15°F | Temperatures fall; watch for refreezing. | 🟡 Moderate |
Sunrise: 9:01 a.m. | Sunset: 4:21 p.m.
Driving tips: Watch the open stretches between Wasilla and Houston for changing pavement conditions. Leave room for sudden braking.
Aurora forecast: Kp 1–2. Quiet activity; a clear patch of sky would be necessary for viewing.
🏎️✨ Glenn Highway
Anchorage to Palmer corridor | Anchorage and Wasilla forecast references
| Time of Day | High Temperature | Low Temperature | Driving Tips | Road Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | 28°F | 26°F | Watch icy patches, especially near bridges and shaded areas. | 🟡 Moderate |
| Afternoon | 31°F | 24°F | Mostly cloudy; north winds around 5 mph near Anchorage. | 🟡 Moderate |
| Evening | 24°F | 15°F | Falling temperatures increase refreeze potential toward Palmer. | 🟡 Moderate |
Sunrise: 9:01 a.m. | Sunset: 4:23 p.m. (Knik reference)
Driving tips: Allow additional space around the Glenn Highway curves and merging traffic. Conditions can change between Anchorage and Palmer.
Aurora forecast: Kp 1–2. Quiet activity.
🚘 ✨ Seward Highway
Anchorage–Seward corridor | Seward forecast high 37°F, low 28°F
| Time of Day | High Temperature | Low Temperature | Driving Tips | Road Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | 34°F | 28°F | Watch for slick pavement and changing visibility. | 🟡 Moderate |
| Afternoon | 37°F | 28°F | Gradual clearing; north wind 10–15 mph, gusts to 20 mph. | 🟡 Moderate |
| Evening | 32°F | 28°F | Partly cloudy; gusts could reach 25 mph. | 🟡 Moderate |
Sunrise: 8:52 a.m. | Sunset: 4:31 p.m.
Driving tips: Watch for changing wind conditions and shaded pavement. Allow extra time through the Turnagain Arm corridor.
Aurora forecast: Kp 1–2. Quiet activity; cloud cover will determine visibility.
🚚✨ Sterling Highway
Dense fog advisory
Kenai reference forecast | High 35°F | Low 19°F
| Time of Day | High Temperature | Low Temperature | Driving Tips | Road Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | 32°F | 27°F | Dense fog; visibility may fall to one-quarter mile. | 🔴 High |
| Afternoon | 35°F | 27°F | Mostly cloudy; advisory expected to expire at 10 a.m. | 🟡 Moderate |
| Evening | 27°F | 19°F | Mostly clear; watch for refreezing. | 🟡 Moderate |
Sunrise: 9:02 a.m. | Sunset: 4:35 p.m.
Driving tips: Slow down in fog, use low beams, increase following distance and avoid sudden braking. Do not use high beams in dense fog.
Aurora forecast: Kp 1–2. Quiet activity, with cloud cover a factor.
🛻✨ Knik Goose Bay Road
Knik/Wasilla reference forecasts | Wasilla high 32°F, low 15°F
| Time of Day | High Temperature | Low Temperature | Driving Tips | Road Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning | 29°F | 25°F | Watch shaded pavement and intersections. | 🟡 Moderate |
| Afternoon | 32°F | 25°F | Mostly cloudy; north wind 5–10 mph. | 🟡 Moderate |
| Evening | 25°F | 15°F | Temperatures drop; watch for icy patches. | 🟡 Moderate |
Sunrise: 9:01 a.m. | Sunset: 4:23 p.m.
Driving tips: Watch for slick patches along the rural stretches, especially where pavement is shaded. Give yourself room to stop.
Aurora forecast: Kp 1–2. Quiet activity.
🐈⬛ Friday the 13th: The Story Behind the Superstition
Before we blame every pothole, flat tire and missing coffee cup on Friday the 13th, Memaw has a little history lesson. Some of it is actually more interesting than the superstition itself!
1. The superstition is older than Jason Voorhees, but its exact birthday is unknown.
Photo credit: New Line Cinema / Freddy vs. Jason (2003)
The Library of Congress says historians cannot establish exactly when Friday and the number 13 became linked as an unlucky combination. Separate beliefs about unlucky Fridays and unlucky 13s existed long before the combined superstition.
2. The Knights Templar connection is a historical event, but the origin story is questionable.
On Friday, October 13, 1307, French authorities arrested members of the Knights Templar. The arrests really happened. However, historians have found no convincing evidence that this event created the Friday the 13th superstition. That connection became popular much later.
3. The superstition was already appearing in French literature in 1834.
The Library of Congress identifies two French references from 1834 that connect Friday and the number 13 with misfortune. That’s considerably earlier than many people realize. Folklife Today
4. This year is a three-Friday-the-13th kind of year!
November 13 is the third Friday the 13th in 2026. That’s the maximum possible in a calendar year. The previous year with three was 2015. The Guardian
5. There’s a name for being afraid of Friday the 13th.
It’s called paraskevidekatriaphobia. Fear of the number 13 alone is called triskaidekaphobia. Try saying either one three times before your morning coffee!
6. Not everybody considers 13 unlucky.
In Italy, Friday the 17th carries the bad-luck reputation. In Spain and Greece, Tuesday the 13th gets the suspicious looks. And some people consider 13 their lucky number.
Memaw’s favorite Friday the 13th fact: The 1980 horror movie Friday the 13th helped turn the date into a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. Jason and his hockey mask certainly did their part!
One more date for your calendar: According to TimeandDate.com, the next Friday the 13th falls on August 13, 2027, and it will be the only Friday the 13th of that entire year. So, enjoy today’s spooky little holiday!
🌌 Northern Lights Forecast
Kp 1–2
Quiet activity
Friday, November 13 | UAF Geophysical Institute forecast supplied
- Aurora Outlook: Friday Night into Saturday, November 14
- 6 p.m. Friday: Kp 2
- 9 p.m. Friday: Kp 1
- Midnight: Kp 1
- 3 a.m. Saturday: Kp 1
- 6 a.m. Saturday: Kp 1
The NOAA three-day geomagnetic forecast also indicates quiet conditions, with a maximum predicted three-hour Kp of 1.67 for November 13.
💅 Memaw’s take: Don’t plan an all-night aurora expedition around this forecast. Quiet displays may be possible, but Southcentral viewers will need clear skies and some luck.
Moon phase: Waxing crescent 🌙
☀️ Daylight Is Getting Precious!
Here is today’s daylight breakdown using the supplied TimeandDate.com figures.
| Community | Sunrise | Sunset | Total Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wasilla | 9:01 a.m. | 4:21 p.m. | 7 hr 20 min |
| Knik | 9:01 a.m. | 4:23 p.m. | 7 hr 22 min |
| Anchorage | 9:00 a.m. | 4:26 p.m. | 7 hr 25 min |
| Kenai | 9:02 a.m. | 4:35 p.m. | 7 hr 33 min |
| Homer | 8:57 a.m. | 4:42 p.m. | 7 hr 44 min |
| Seward | 8:52 a.m. | 4:31 p.m. | 7 hr 39 min |
That’s precious little daylight, folks. Make sure your headlights, taillights and windshield are ready for the long stretches of darkness.
🚨 Alaska 511: Before You Roll
511 alert list checked November 13
The live Alaska 511 alerts page returned no active alerts at the time of checking. That does not establish that every road is incident-free.
Live camera weather observations also showed:
- Glenn Highway at Thunderbird Falls: 29°F.
- Seward Highway at MP 12: 32°F.
- Parks Highway at Little Coal Creek: 25°F air temperature and 25°F surface temperature in its latest returned observation. 511.alaska.gov+2
Check the live map before departure: Alaska 511 Road Conditions, Cameras & Incidents.
💅 Memaw’s Parting Words
Well, road warriors, we’ve survived another Friday the 13th forecast without sacrificing a black cat, breaking a mirror or throwing salt over our shoulders.
Here’s Memaw’s philosophy: Luck is lovely, but preparation is better. Keep your eyes on the road, your headlights shining, your coffee within reach and your distance from the car ahead generous.
And if something goes sideways today, don’t blame the number 13. Blame the driver who thought four-wheel drive meant four-wheel stopping!
Drive alive from dawn to night, be kind, and remember: There’s no superstition that can replace good common sense.
Memaw’s rolling out. May your coffee be strong, your roads be smooth and your Friday be lucky! 💅☕🚗💨
Forecasts from NOAA, the National Weather Service, and Alaska 511. Reality checks from Memaw. Both are subject to change without notice.
Sources & verification notes
- Library of Congress – Possible Origins of Friday the 13th
- HISTORY – Friday the 13th: Origins and Superstition
- The Guardian – Friday the 13th, November 13, 2026
- UAF Geophysical Institute – Aurora Forecast
- NOAA geomagnetic forecast data
- Alaska 511 – Alerts
- National Weather Service Anchorage
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
💅✨
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