Name: Heavy Snow in Alaska, September 25, 2004
Start: 2004-09-25T07:30
End: 2004-09-25T17:00
Location: Alaska

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 forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 25, 4:00 AM AST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 25, 4:00 AM AST, 3 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION SOUTHWEST ALASKA
500 AM ADT SAT SEP 25 2004

.DISCUSSION...

UPPER LEVEL LOW SOUTH OF DUTCH HARBOR THIS MORNING WITH RIDGES OVER
THE CANADIAN ROCKIES AND THE KAMCHATKA PENINSULA. AT THE SURFACE AN
ELONGATED LOW EXTENDS FROM SOUTH OF DUTCH HARBOR TOWARD KODIAK
ISLAND.

MODELS IN AGREEMENT THROUGH EARLY SUN WITH CURRENT LOW MOVING TOWARD
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND. THIS WILL BRING SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL TO THE
NORTH GULF COAST TODAY THROUGH EARLY SUN. STRONG WINDS WILL FOLLOW
THE LOW ACROSS THE ALEUTIANS. PLENTY OF COLD AIR ALOFT OVER THE
EASTERN BERING WILL CAUSE SHOWERY CONDITIONS OVER THE ALEUTIANS...BUT
THE HEAVIEST RAIN WILL REMAIN EAST OF THE ALEUTIAN RANGE. THE COLDEST
AIR AT 850 REMAINS WEST OF THE ALASKA RANGE...SO EXCEPT FOR MOUNTAIN
LOCATIONS RAIN WILL BE THE MOST COMMON FORM OF PRECIP EAST OF THE
RANGE THROUGH EARLY SUN.

MODELS DIVERGE SOMEWHAT FOR SUN NIGHT WITH THE GFS TAKING A KAMCHATKA
LOW TO KODIAK AND THEN ACROSS THE NORTH GULF COAST. THE ETA BRINGS
THIS LOW FURTHER NORTH. EITHER WAY...SIGNIFICANT COOLING ACCOMPANIES
THIS LOW...SETTING UP A SNOW EVENT SUN NIGHT INTO MONDAY...ESPECIALLY
FOR AREAS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ALASKA AND ALEUTIAN RANGE EARLY MON
AND THE TALKEETNAS DURING THE AFTERNOON. ON TUE THE LOW WILL MOVE
INTO CANADA...BUT THE COLDEST AIR OF THE SEASON WILL LIE ACROSS THE
LAND ZONES WITH WIDESPREAD INSTABILITY SNOW SHOWERS EXPECTED.

OUT WEST A KAMCHATKA LOW WILL REACH THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS EARLY
MONDAY...PRECEDED BY SIGNIFICANT WINDS. STRONG WARMING ACCOMPANIES
THIS SYSTEM WITH PLENTY OF RAIN FOR THE ENTIRE CHAIN MON THROUGH TUE.

IN THE EXTENDED...COLD AIR AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE
MAINLAND THROUGH WED NIGHT. THE BERING LOW WILL FINALLY BRING
MODIFYING TEMPERATURES TO AREAS SOUTH OF THE AK RANGE WED NIGHT AND
THU WITH SOME RAIN. MODERATING CONDITIONS SHOULD LAST INTO THE
WEEKEND. IN THE WEST GALES AND SHOWERS WILL LAST INTO THE END OF THE
WEEK AS HIGH PRESSURE SLOWLY BUILDS AFTER THE LOW MOVES EAST.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE
MARINE...GALES 5A 5B 6B 8 12A 12A1 12B 15
FIRE WEATHER...NONE

DS SEP 04

Event by event

1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek

When: September 25, 7:30 AM AST to 5:00 PM AST
Where: Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

An unusually early and record breaking heavy snow occurred over the Anchorage bowl on Saturday, September 25th. A low in the northern Pacific created a strong moist southerly fetch over the south central region Saturday. The existing low level cold air held in the area long enough to result in 6 inches of snow over most of the Anchorage bowl north to Eagle River before the warm air resulted in the snow changing over to rain. This was the record for most snow this early Anchorage. The wet heavy snow accumulated on the trees causing many power outages.

What these are

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

More

Every storm in Alaska in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, September 2004

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: 5425093.