Ice Storm in Alaska, January 11, 2002

Name: Ice Storm in Alaska, January 11, 2002
Start: 2002-01-11T17:00
End: 2002-01-11T20:00
Location: Alaska

January 11, 2002 · NWS AFC · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Weak low over south-central Alaska, produced snow in the Anchorage bowl, which then turned to freezing rain. Freezing rain was reported by Forecast Office staff in east parts of the city.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

Weak low over south-central Alaska, produced snow in the Anchorage bowl, which then turned to freezing rain. Freezing rain was reported by Forecast Office staff in east parts of the city. Another employee, on the way to work, reported several automobile accidents on the Glenn Highway.A 71 year old Wasilla man died Friday after his sport utility vehicle flipped on the Glenn Highway just north of Mirror Lake. The accident occurred about 1:10 pm when he lost control of his vehicle (apparently was not wearing his seat belt and was ejected from the car). As of 4:30 pm, police reported working 38 crashes, 15 of which involved injuries. The first crash report came in at 11:44 am near the South Birchwood Loop exit, with 10 more in the next 5 hours.

Event by event

1 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Ice Storm, Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek

When: January 11, 5:00 PM AST to 8:00 PM AST
Where: Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER

What these are

Ice Storm: Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alaska in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, January 2002

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: 5277126.