Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, March 13 to 16, 1999

Name: Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, March 13 to 16, 1999
Start: 1999-03-13T17:00
End: 1999-03-16T12:00
Location: Alaska

March 13 to 16, 1999 · NWS AFC · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

A moderate front moved steadily into the area from southwest Alaska, producing heavy snows along much of the Seward Highway from the town of Seward through Turnagain Arm. Sunday afternoon, a frontal low moved northward through Resurrection Bay with a 978mb center.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS AFC wrote it up.

A moderate front moved steadily into the area from southwest Alaska, producing heavy snows along much of the Seward Highway from the town of Seward through Turnagain Arm. Additionally, gusty southeast winds and snow caused blizzard conditions near Portage from 5pm to 11pm Saturday.Sunday afternoon, a frontal low moved northward through Resurrection Bay with a 978mb center. The low continued north northwest into the Susitna Valley where it finally began to dissipate Monday. Another low in Bristol Bay early Monday, continued eastward to just south of Resurrection Bay Monday afternoon...continuing snowfall across many areas. This center was associated with much colder air aloft, which contributed to heavy snow showers...rather than the continuous snow of the prior day. Snow continued into Tuesday.Snowfall during the 36 hour period from Sunday through Monday morning was between 2 and 3 feet around both Seward and Homer. Another 4-6 inches was reported in Seward from Monday morning to Tuesday morning. In Whittier and Cordova, snowfall from late Saturday through Monday ranged from 2 1/2 to in excess of 3 feet.Around the Anchorage hillside, snowfall from Monday morning to Tuesday morning was reported from 12 to nearly 17 inches, with another 4-6 inches falling from Tuesday morning to Wednesday morning. Another Upper Hillside site recorded a total of 2 feet from late Sunday through Wednesday morning. Totals around lower elevations of Anchorage ranged from 8-13 inches from late Sunday through Tuesday. Sunday and Monday a total of 20 inches of snow was recorded at the Alyeska Ski Resort Base, however reports around Girdwood recorded only 2 inches as rain mixed in with the snow.

Event by event

2 heavy snow, 1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Cook Inlet

When: March 13, 5:00 PM AST to 11:00 PM AST
Where: Cook Inlet forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, Central Gulf Coast

When: March 14, 12:00 PM AST to March 16, 12:00 PM AST
Where: Central Gulf Coast forecast zone
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

Heavy Snow, Cook Inlet

When: March 15, 12:00 PM AST to March 16, 6:00 AM AST
Where: Cook Inlet forecast zone
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

What these are

Blizzard: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alaska in 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, March 1999

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5680736, 5680735, 5680734.