Alaska, 2009

Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, January 3 to 5, 2009

January 3 to 5, 2009 · NWS AJK · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

An arctic high was in place over northwest Canada and southeast Alaska. creating an overrunning snow event and blizzard conditions over northern Lynn Canal region.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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.

An arctic high was in place over northwest Canada and southeast Alaska. A weather system moved across the Gulf of Alaska and onshore the southeast panhandle...creating an overrunning snow event and blizzard conditions over northern Lynn Canal region.

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 Jan 2, 1:33 PM AKST, 15 hours 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 2, 1:33 PM AKST, 15 hours 27 minutes before
SOUTHEAST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
133 PM AKST FRI JAN 2 2009

.SHORT TERM...SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS LOW PRESSURE IN THE
NORTHEAST GULF CONTINUING TO BRING IN BANDS OF SNOW OVER THE AK
PANHANDLE AS FRONTAL BANDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW TRACKS NORTH.
BEHIND THE FRONT SHOWERY BANDS APPROACH THE COAST AND BEGIN TO
MERGE TO MORE STRATIFORM PRECIP AS THEY ENCOUNTER PANHANDLE
TOPOGRAPHY. THE SLOW MOVING FRONT WILL KEEP WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY OVER NIGHT AND INTO TOMORROW FOR THE CENTRAL PANHANDLE
WITH MOST SNOW IN THE PAEL-PAJN CORRIDOR. WITH MOST SNOW DUE TO
THE OVERRUNNING EVENT. LATEST FORECAST QPF VALUES ARE A LITTLE
LOWER...SO BACKED OFF SNOW FOR ZONE 26 OVERNIGHT KEEPING THEM JUT
BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS. SNOW AMOUNTS NEAR 8 INCHES IN 24 HOURS FOR
ZONE 29 BUT FELT IT WAS TOO CLOSE TO PUT OUT AND ADVISORY ATTM
AND WILL LEAVE THAT TO THE NIGHT SHIFT TO RE-EVALUATE. MODERATE
OUTFLOW WINDS OVER MOST OF THE REGION WITH ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS
CONTINUING IN PAGY AND PAYA AND LOCALLY WINDY CONDITIONS OUT OF
INTERIOR PASSES ALONG THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS. WITH THE
WINDS...EXPECTING BLOWING SNOW OVER N AND GALES WINDS IN THE N
INSIDE CHANNELS. WITH HIGH PRESSURE OVER YUKON AND THE LOW
REMAINING IN THE GULF EXPECTING THESE WINDS TO CONTINUE INTO
TOMORROW. WITH COLD ARCTIC AIR REMAINING IN PLACE OVER THE REGION
WITH COLDEST TEMPS ALONG THE N ZONES WITH COLD WIND CHILLS ABOVE
2000 FT IN PAGY. WITH WEAK WARM AIR ADVECTION EXPECTING LITTLE
DIURNAL CHANGE WITH SOME TEMPERATURES RISING THROUGH THE NIGHT.

 UPPER LEVELS TROF CONTINUES TO ELONGATE AND FLATTEN OUT CREATING
SOME UNCERTAINTY IN START AND STOP TIMES OF THE SNOW EVENTS. ALSO
UNCERTAINTY WITH SNOW AMOUNTS AS OVER RUNNING INDEX KEEPS AMOUNTS
HIGHER BUT WITH RELATIVELY LOW QPF GENERATED SOME LOWER SNOW
TOTALS.

 USED A BLEND OF THE GFS40, UKMET, AND INHERITED GRIDS THROUGH
MOST OF THE SHORT TERM. LITTLE CHANGE OCCURRED TO MOST GRIDS WITH
SOME MINOR CHANGES. FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS AVERAGE WITH REMAINING
UNCERTAINTY IN SNOW TOTALS AND EVENT START AND STOP TIMES.

.LONG TERM...
ZONAL FLOW SETS UP ACROSS THE N PAC THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A LOW
WILL MOVE SOUTH OF THE ALEUTIANS AND ACROSS THE N PAC FRI NIGHT
AND SAT...MAKING LANDFALL ALONG THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE SUN. THE
LOW MOVES INLAND AND INTO B.C. SUN NIGHT/MON MORNING AS A RESIDUAL
LOW REMAINS OVER THE NORTHERN GULF.

MODELS SEEM TO HAVE FAIR AGREEMENT TO THE OVERALL PATTERN AND
TREND. HOWEVER...THEY ARE STILL HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME RESOLVING
TIME AND STRENGTH DIFFERENCES. UPDATED GRIDS WITH THE ECMWF AS IT
INITIALIZED THE CONDITIONS UPSTREAM BEST AS WELL AS BEING THE
PREFERRED MODEL THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS. FOR PRESSURE...USED A 50/50
BLEND OF 12Z ECMWF AND INHERITED GRIDS THROUGH TUE THEN BLENDED
WITH HPC GUIDANCE BEYOND THAT. MADE ONLY MINOR CHANGES TO THE
OTHER GRIDS.

AS THE LOW TRACKS ACROSS THE N PAC SAT AND SUN...EXPECT STRONGEST
WINDS TO REMAIN SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. WAVES EXPECTED TO REMAIN
AT SMALL CRAFT LEVELS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN OUTER WATERS AND
GRADUALLY SPREAD NORTHWARD AS WESTERLY SWELL MOVES IN BEHIND THE
LOW. PRECIP TYPE WILL BE A MIX OF SNOW AND RAIN ACROSS THE
SOUTHERN ZONES WITH ALL SNOW NORTH OF FREDERICK SOUND. A WEAK
RIDGE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE N GULF THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK
WITH A LONG WAVE TROUGH LOOKING TO SET UP ACROSS THE ALEUTIANS BY
THE END OF NEXT WEEK. KEPT CHANCE OF PRECIP ACROSS SE AK THROUGH
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK THEN GRADUALLY INCREASED IT AS SW FLOW
INCREASES TOWARDS THE END OF NEXT WEEK.

&&

.AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM AKST SATURDAY FOR
AKZ021-024.
 WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 12 PM AKST SATURDAY FOR
AKZ025.
  WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM AKST THIS EVENING FOR
        AKZ020-022.
 WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM AKST SATURDAY FOR AKZ017-018.
  WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM AKST SATURDAY FOR AKZ018.
MARINE...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ011>013.
  GALE WARNING FOR PKZ011-012-022-051.
  SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ013-021-031>036-041>043-052.

PRB/MAM

Event by event

4 heavy snow, 2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Eastern Baranof Island and Southern Admiralty Island

When
January 3, 5:00 AM AKST to January 4, 3:30 PM AKST
Where
Eastern Baranof Island and Southern Admiralty Island forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer

A frontal band moved onshore over Southeast Alaska the night of 3 Jan, developing an overrunning snow event for the central and southern panhandle starting early on the 3rd into the following afternoon. Hidden Falls, a CO-OP station on eastern Baranof Island reported, for roughly a 60 hour period ending at 05/1700 they received 35.1 inches of snow. The bulk of the snow fell from the evening of the 3rd to 4th.

Heavy Snow, Misty Fjords

When
January 3, 12:00 PM AKST to January 5, 8:00 AM AKST
Where
Misty Fjords forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer

A frontal band moved onshore over Southeast the night of 3 Jan, developing an overrunning snow event for the central and southern panhandle into the following afternoon. It began to snow heavily the afternoon the 3rd and persisted into the morning of the 5th. Hidden Inlet CO-OP reported 16.4 inches the morning of the 4th with an additional 10.6 inches /27 inch storm total/ for the event. Stewart BC right across the border from Hyder reported 19.7 inches for roughly the same time.

Heavy Snow, Southern Inner Channels

When
January 3, 6:00 PM AKST to January 4, 11:00 AM AKST
Where
Southern Inner Channels forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations

A frontal band moved onshore over Southeast the night of 3 Jan, developing an overrunning snow event for the central and southern panhandle into the following afternoon. The heavier snow started early in the evening on the 3rd and persisted into the following morning with slowly warming temperatures that changed the snow over to rain late in the morning hours. Annette Weather Service Office reported a snow total of 6 inches, with a spotter about 12 miles north of Ketchikan reported a total of 7 inches before it changed to rain.

Heavy Snow, Inner Channels From Kupreanof Island to Etolin Island

When
January 4, 12:00 AM AKST to 1:30 PM AKST
Where
Inner Channels From Kupreanof Island to Etolin Island forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations

A frontal band moved onshore southeast the night of 3 Jan, developing an overrunning snow event for the central and southern panhandle into the following afternoon. It began to snow heavily over the northern portions of Kupreanof Island. A spotter reported the morning of the 4th that they had received 5.75 inches of snow in 12 hours at Petersburg. Total snow fall in Petersburg for the event was 7.5 inches.

Blizzard, Taiya Inlet and Klondike Highway

When
January 4, 9:45 AM AKST to 11:30 PM AKST
Where
Taiya Inlet and Klondike Highway forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

Light to moderate snowfall combined with very strong winds with sustained 30 to 40 mph with gusts of 50 to 70 mph, reduced visibilities to near zero for periods of times along the Klondike Highway and in Skagway.

Local storm reports:

0930 AM Blizzard 8 N Skagway 59.57N 135.33W|01/04/2009 AK CO-OP Observer

Skagway customs reporting 1/8 mi visibility in blowing | snow. Estimated wind speed 35 MPH with higher gusts. | Temperature 4 below zero. Wind chill -33F.

0930 AM Blizzard 15 NE Skagway 59.61N 135.03W|01/04/2009 Dept of Highways

At 930 AM the Klondike highway road condition report | issued by AKDOT reported 1/4 mi visibility, 4 inces new| snow overnight, temperature of -17, sustained wind of 25 | MPH with wind chill of 47 below zero.

0938 AM Blizzard Skagway 59.45N 135.33W|01/04/2009 AK ASOS

Skagway ASOS reporting 3/4 mi visibility in -SNSQ. Wind| is 050 at 43 MPH with peak gusts of 61 MPH. Temperature | is 4F with wind chill of -23F.

Blizzard, Haines Borough and Lynn Canal

When
January 4, 3:30 PM AKST to 8:00 PM AKST
Where
Haines Borough and Lynn Canal forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations

Light to moderate snowfall leading up to and through the event. Strong sustained north winds to 25 mph with gusts of 35 to 50 mph...and locally stronger along Lynn Canal south of Haines, reduced visibilites to near zero for several periods during the afternoon and evening.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Blizzard
Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Alaska in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, January 2009

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: 151816, 151819, 151818, 151815, 151723, 151729.