Heavy Snow in Alaska, September 26 to 28, 2000

Modified arctic air settled over the southeast mainland of Alaska Tuesday. On Wednesday, a moderate upper low moved southeast into the area from a position near Barrow several days earlier. As the upper low moved into the northwest Susitna Valley, it began to tap into moisture along an old frontal boundary in the extreme northern Gulf of Alaska, setting the stage for a significant overrunning snow event. Snow was mostly confined to higher elevations above 1000 ft above sea level. It should be noted that most terrain in the Copper River Basin meets this criteria.Snowfall amounts reached 22" at Nelchina (between Tazlina and Eureka in the Copper River Basin) during the 2 day snow event there, although most fell from Wednesday morning through Thursday morning. 21" of snow was reported by a NWS employee visiting the Sheep Mountain Lodge along the Glenn Highway. Eureka Summit recorded 1' of new snow, while McCarthy (in the Upper Copper River Basin) received 15" of snow in 24 hours. Lower elevations, such as Glennallen, received 6" or less.