High Wind, Wrn P.W. Snd & Kenai Mtns
- When
- December 20, 12:00 AM AST to December 21, 5:00 AM AST
- Where
- Wrn P.W. Snd & Kenai Mtns forecast zone
- Measured
- 96 kt (110 mph)
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Winter Storm and High Wind in Alaska, December 20 to 21, 2001
Heavy snows were reported in many areas of western Prince William Sound, along the warning level winds and local blizzards. 12-18 inches of snow fell around Silvertip through 1300 AST Thursday, with occasional whiteout conditions and 50 mph winds.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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 strong front approaching the area was preceded by locally strong easterly winds and heavy precipitation along east and southeast exposures.Heavy snows were reported in many areas of western Prince William Sound, along the warning level winds and local blizzards. Poor visibilities in snow (and presumably blowing snow) were reported in Thompson Pass also.Event maxima...Easterly 79 mph at Portage ASOS 5:22 am AST Thursday.Max's Mountain and Alyeska recorded 111 mph winds on Thursday.12-18 inches of snow fell around Silvertip through 1300 AST Thursday, with occasional whiteout conditions and 50 mph winds. Calls Friday to DOT revealed that they "were too busy cleaning up the mess to give a report".Heavy snow and whiteout conditions were reported in Moose Pass Thursday late morning through afternoon.2 - 6 inches of snow were reported around Seward.13 - 19 inches of snow were reported at Alyeska.At Cooper Landing, heavy snow and whiteout conditions with high winds were reported from Thursday morning through Thursday evening.13 inches of new snow and #poor visibilities' were observed by the DOT in Thompson Pass.
Event by event
1 high wind, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Nern P.W. Snd
- When
- December 20, 12:00 PM AST to 10:00 PM AST
- Where
- Nern P.W. Snd forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
What these are
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornado and Hail in California, December 20, 2001
- Heavy Snow in California, December 20, 2001
- Heavy Snow in Maine, December 20 to 21, 2001
- Winter Weather in California, December 20 to 21, 2001
- Strong Wind in West Virginia, December 20, 2001
- Heavy Snow and High Wind in Alaska, December 20, 2001
- Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, December 20 to 21, 2001
- Winter Storm in Maine, December 20 to 21, 2001
- Heavy Snow in Pennsylvania, December 20 to 21, 2001
- High Wind in Alaska, December 20, 2001
- High Wind in Virginia, December 20, 2001
- Strong Wind in Virginia, December 20, 2001
More
Every storm in Alaska in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, December 2001
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: 5272070, 5272069.