Heavy Snow in Alaska, September 24 to 25, 2006

Name: Heavy Snow in Alaska, September 24 to 25, 2006
Start: 2006-09-24T22:45
End: 2006-09-25T03:45
Location: Alaska

September 24 to 25, 2006 · NWS AJK · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy snow was observed falling in White Pass around 10 PM AST by means of the RWIS camera stationed in the pass. This was the first possible snow event of the season and it was deemed that driving in the pass would become hazardous.

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 AJK wrote it up.

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 Juneau, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 24, 10:30 AM AST, 12 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 24, 10:30 AM AST, 12 hours 15 minutes before

SOUTHEAST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
1130 AM ADT SUN SEP 24 2006

.SYNOPSIS...
.SHORT RANGE...LOW AND FRONTAL BAND PUSHING THROUGH SOUTHEAST
SUNDAY NEARLY AS EXPECTED. BIG TOPIC TODAY IS THAT HEAVY RAINS
RAISING STREAMS RAPIDLY SUNDAY MORNING AND WILL CONTINUE INTO THE
EVENING. WE HAVE ISSUED A SMALL STREAM AND FLOOD ADVISORY FOR
MONTANA CREEK THROUGH 8 PM.

THE LOW SHOULD MOVE IN TO BRITISH COLUMBIA TONIGHT AND RAINS
SHOULD BEGIN TAPERING OFF LATE THIS AFTERNOON ON THE COAST...AND
DURING THE EVENING HOURS FOR THE INTERIOR AREAS. ONLY SOME
SCATTERED SHOWERS MONDAY ALONG THE COAST MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHERN
PANHANDLE AREA.

SMALL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE EASTERN GULF MONDAY AND
MONDAY NIGHT SPREADING INTO THE PANHANDLE.  NEXT INCOMING SYSTEM
TO THE WEST CENTRAL GULF BY MONDAY NIGHT...FRONT LOOKS TO BE
ORIENTED MORE NORTH-SOUTH SO THE FRONT ONLY BEGINNING TO PUSH
INTO THE EASTERN GULF EARLY TUESDAY MORNING.

.LONG RANGE...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE PANHANDLE AND
NORTHWEST CANADA WILL MOVE EAST INTO WESTERN CANADA TUE THROUGH
WED AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH FILLS AS IT MOVES EAST ACROSS THE
GULF AND PANHANDLE. A STRONG SOUTHERLY JET EXTENDING UP INTO THE
WESTERN GULF WILL TRACK A LOW PRESSURE CENTER OVER THE FAR
SOUTHWEST GULF...HOWEVER THE FRONT (MENTIONED IN SHORT TERM)
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW WILL MOVE ACROSS THE GULF AND PANHANDLE
TUE INTO WED WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR A WAVE TO DEVELOP ON THIS
FRONT AND MOVE OVER THE CENTRAL GULF ON TUE.

FRONTAL RAIN WILL THEREFORE SPREAD INTO THE PANHANDLE TUE THROUGH
EARLY WED THEN CHANGE TO SHOWERS BEHIND THE FRONT WED AFTERNOON
THROUGH WED NIGHT. A TROPICAL MOISTURE FEED INTO THE THIS SYSTEM
WILL HELP PRODUCE HEAVY RAIN AT TIMES OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF
THE PANHANDLE. GALES WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE OUTSIDE WATERS TUE
INTO TUE NIGHT. STORMS STILL LOOK POSSIBLE OVER THE NORTHERN
GULF...SO WILL CONTINUE THE STORMS ALREADY IN THE CURRENT PACKAGE
FOR MARINE ZONE 52.

THE WET GFS SOLUTION...AS OPPOSED TO THE MUCH DRIER ECMWF
SOLUTION...WILL CONTINUE TO BE USED FOR THE THU THROUGH SUN
FORECAST PERIOD AND IS ALSO STILL FAVORED BY NCEP. AN UPPER LEVEL
LOW/TROUGH WILL EXTEND FROM THE BERING/WESTERN ALASKA DOWN INTO
THE PACIFIC WITH A RIDGE OVER WESTERN CANADA THU INTO FRI. A
STRONG SOUTHWEST JET WILL EXTEND ACROSS THE GULF AND INTO
SOUTHEAST ALASKA AND BRING A COUPLE OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS INTO
THE GULF. THEREFORE RAIN AND PERIODS OF WINDY CONDITIONS LOOKS
GOOD FOR LATE WEEK. HEAVIER RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE ONCE AGAIN AS
THESE SYSTEMS ALSO TAP INTO TROPICAL MOISTURE...SO WILL NEED TO
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR MORE HYDRO ISSUES AS WE GET CLOSER.
THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH FILLS AND MOVES EAST BY SAT BUT WILL BE
REPLACED WITH AND UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER THE GULF AND THE NEXT
SYSTEM THAT WILL BRING MORE RAIN AND WIND OVER THE WEEKEND.

.AJK...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
PUBLIC...SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY FOR MONTANA CREEK (AKZ025)
         TO 8 PM SUNDAY

MARINE...CURRENTLY GALE WARNING PKZ036-041-042
      ...CURRENTLY SMALL CRAFT PKZ011>013-031-033>035-043-051

BMB/TAR

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 24, 8:08 PM AST, 2 hours 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
908 PM ADT SUN SEP 24 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0903 PM     HEAVY RAIN       SITKA                   57.05N 135.34W
09/24/2006  M3.00 INCH                          AK   ASOS

            SITKA AIRPORT RECIEVED 3.00 INCHES OF RAIN FROM 3 PM ON
            SEPTEMBER 23 TO 3 PM ON SEPTEMBER 24.

&&

ABJ

Local storm report, Sep 24, 9:26 PM AST, 1 hour 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
1026 PM ADT SUN SEP 24 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1007 PM     HEAVY RAIN       JUNEAU                  58.30N 134.41W
09/24/2006  M2.44 INCH                          AK   ASOS

            2.44 INCHES OF RAIN FELL AT THE JUNEAU AIRPORT FROM 10PM
            SEPTEMBER 23 TO 10PM SEPTMEBER 24.

1007 PM     HEAVY RAIN       PETERSBURG              56.82N 132.94W
09/24/2006  M2.92 INCH                          AK   MESONET

            2.92 INCHES OF RAIN FELL AT PERTERSBURG AIRPORT FROM 10PM
            SEPTEMBER 23 TO 10PM SEPTEMBER 24.

1007 PM     HEAVY RAIN       HOONAH                  58.12N 135.45W
09/24/2006  M3.98 INCH                          AK   MESONET

            3.98 INCHES OF RAIN FELL AT THE HOONAH RAWS FROM 10PM
            SEPTEMBER 23 TO 10PM SEPTMEBER 24.

1007 PM     HEAVY RAIN       JUNEAU                  58.30N 134.41W
09/24/2006  M2.44 INCH                          AK   OFFICIAL NWS OBS

            2.44 INCHES OF RAIN FELL AT THE JUNEAU FORECAST OFFICE
            FROM 10PM SEPTEMBER 23 TO 10PM SEPTEMBER 24.

&&

ABJ

Local storm report, Sep 24, 9:27 PM AST, 1 hour 18 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
1027 PM ADT SUN SEP 24 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1007 PM     HEAVY RAIN       WRANGELL                56.47N 132.39W
09/24/2006  M2.60 INCH                          AK   AWOS

            2.60 INCHES OF RAIN FELL AT WRANGELL AIRPORT IN 24 HOURS.

&&

ABJ

Local storm report, Sep 24, 9:31 PM AST, 1 hour 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
1031 PM ADT SUN SEP 24 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1007 PM     FLOOD            JUNEAU                  58.30N 134.41W
09/24/2006                                      AK   MESONET

            MONTANA CREEK REORDED 15.08FT ON THE RIVER GAUGE AS OF 10
            PM.

&&

ABJ

Event by event

1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Taiya Inlet and Klondike Highway

When: September 24, 10:45 PM AST to September 25, 3:45 AM AST
Where: Taiya Inlet and Klondike Highway forecast zone
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

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

Every storm in Alaska in 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, September 2006

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: 5528080.