Heavy Snow and High Wind in Alaska, February 1, 2001

Name: Heavy Snow and High Wind in Alaska, February 1, 2001
Start: 2001-02-01T00:00
End: 2001-02-01T13:00
Location: Alaska

February 1, 2001 · NWS AFC · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

A weakening low moved into western Prince William Sound late Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Gusty east winds preceded the low.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $49,000
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 weakening low moved into western Prince William Sound late Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Gusty east winds preceded the low. Strong pressure rises accompanied the weakening low. Significant precipitation was reported on the west and southwest side of the low.Winds peaked at the Prince William Sound Science Center reached 53 and 50 mph Wednesday and Thursday. Reports from people associated with this system suggest that these observations are probably close to 15% lower than actual peak winds in the area due to age of the Reed switch and site location. This would support 60+ mph around the city & harbor area of Cordova.Around Anchorage at Site Summit, winds reached at least 74 mph at 8 am Thursday, as the low moved northwest by the area. Gusts at Glen Alps reached at least 39 mph later in the day (peak winds missing from 5 am through noon at the site).Snowfall in the Anchorage area Thursday ranged from as little as 3.2 inches at the Forecast Office to 9 inches at the Eagle River Nature Center and 8 - 10 inches along the Upper Hillside at the Rabbit Creek Fire Station and Glen Alps. One report of close to a foot of snow was passed on by a resident on East Tudor Road.In the Matanuska Valley, Palmer recorded 5 - 6 inches of snow, Hatcher Pass Lodge 7 inches and 3 inches of new snow fell at the Talkeetna airport. At a site 20 miles south of Cantwell, one foot of new snow was reported.Along the Kenai Peninsula, accumulations of 4 inches was reported around Soldotna, 6 - 7 inches around Girdwood (lower elevations), 6 inches at Cooper Landing and Moose Pass and 1.5 feet of new snow at Grandview.Thompson Pass reported 11 inches from the system. Valdez reported 13.4 inches of snow over a 24 hour period. Between midnight and 4 pm Thursday, the Anchorage Police Department (APD) reported 98 vehicle crashes. In addition to the vehicle crashes, the APD reported 68 vehicles went off the road.

Event by event

2 heavy snow, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek

When: February 1, 12:00 AM AST to 12:00 PM AST
Where: Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek forecast zone
Measured: 64 kt (74 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek

When: February 1, 2:00 AM AST to 10:00 AM AST
Where: Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek forecast zone
Property damage: $49,000
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow, Susitna Valley

When: February 1, 4:00 AM AST to 1:00 PM AST
Where: Susitna Valley forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
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 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, February 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: 5228506, 5228421, 5228422.