Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 11 to 13, 2012

Name: Heavy Snow in Alaska, December 11 to 13, 2012
Start: 2012-12-11T21:00
End: 2012-12-13T15:00
Location: Alaska

December 11 to 13, 2012 · NWS AFG · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A 980 mb low in the southern Bering Sea at 0900AKST on the 12th weakened to 985 as it moved into the Central Interior on the 13th. A strong west to southwest flow aloft transported significant amounts of moisture across the central portions of the interior, with the highest amounts in the Fairbanks area.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 AFG wrote it up.

Zone 216: Eight to ten inches of snow was received. The Co-operative Observer at Ruby reported 8 inches of snow on the morning of the 13th, and an unofficial report at Galena stated 8 to 10 inches had fallen during the same time.

Zone 221: Approximately 11 inches of snow was received at Nenana, as reported by a Storm Spotter.

Zone 222: Snow began in the Fairbanks area in the early morning hours of the 12th and continued until around 1500AKST on the 13th. The snow fell heavily at times, especially during the evening hours on the 12th and again during the early morning hours on the 13th. Storm totals ranged from 9 to 14 inches. A total of 11.9 inches of snow was observed at the Fairbanks International Airport. A total of 9.5 inches was observed on the 12th. This amount set a new daily snowfall record for December 12th. The previous record was 5.7 inches which was set in 1972. Area schools were canceled on the 13th due to heavy snow and difficult driving conditions.

Zone 223: The Co-operative Observer on the Salcha River at 25 mile reported 8 inches of snow in the 24 hours ending at 0900AKST on the 13th.

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 Fairbanks, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 11, 4:18 PM AKST, 4 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 11, 4:18 PM AKST, 4 hours 42 minutes before

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
418 PM AKST TUE DEC 11 2012

.DISCUSSION...
MODELS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT IN THE SHORT TERM WITH INCOMING
WEATHER SYSTEM MOVING INTO SOUTHWEST ALASKA. THIS IS A COMPLEX
SYSTEM WITH THE PARENT LOW CENTER LOCATED FAR TO THE WEST IN THE
WESTERN BERING SEA...AND THE ASSOCIATED WEATHER FRONT STRUNG OUT
EAST ACROSS THE BERING SEA. A SECONDARY LOW IS DEVELOPING NEAR
SAINT PAUL ISLAND ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. THIS ENTIRE LOW
PRESSURE COMPLEX IS FORECAST TO MOVE EASTWARD THROUGH THURSDAY...WITH
THE PARENT LOW CENTER TRACKING INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA AND THE LOW
NEAR SAINT PAUL ISLAND MOVING EAST ACROSS THE CENTRAL INTERIOR.

STRONG WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW AT ALL LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE
WILL ALLOW A STEADY FEED OF MOISTURE TO STREAM ACROSS THE FORECAST
AREA FROM THE ALASKA RANGE NORTH TO THE BROOKS RANGE THROUGH
THURSDAY...AND CONTINUE IN THE EASTERN INTERIOR INTO FRIDAY.
WIDESPREAD SNOW WILL FALL FROM THE WEST COAST TO THE CANADIAN
BORDER OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS FROM 4 TO 12
INCHES ARE LIKELY WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOW FALLING OVER HIGHER
TERRAIN WHERE PRECIPITATION WILL BE ENHANCED. SOME ISOLATED
LOCATIONS MAY SEE EVEN HIGHER AMOUNTS.

FROM THE SEWARD PENINSULA NORTHWARD TO THE ARCTIC COAST...THE
WEATHER WILL BE GENERALLY QUIET WITH WITH FLURRIES AND SOME SNOW
SPILLING OVER THE CREST OF THE BROOKS RANGE BUT AMOUNTS WILL BE
LIGHT. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN COLD NORTH OF THE BROOKS RANGE.

SKIES WILL CLEAR FROM THE WEST BEGINNING ON THURSDAY BUT SOME SNOW
WILL LINGER IN THE EASTERN INTERIOR THROUGH FRIDAY. TEMPERATURES
WILL FALL WHEN THE CLOUDS CLEAR OUT WITH INTERIOR LOCATIONS
FALLING INTO THE 20 TO 30 BELOW RANGE FOR THE WEEKEND.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ211-AKZ212-AKZ214-AKZ215-AKZ216-
AKZ219-AKZ220-AKZ221-AKZ222-AKZ223-AKZ224-AKZ225.

BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ213.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ227.

HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ210.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ220-PKZ225.
&&

 DEC 12

Event by event

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys

When: December 11, 9:00 PM AKST to December 13, 9:00 AM AKST
Where: Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Heavy Snow, Wrn Tanana Vly Wrn Yukon Vly

When: December 11, 10:00 PM AKST to December 13, 3:00 PM AKST
Where: Wrn Tanana Vly Wrn Yukon Vly forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow, Middle Tanana Valley

When: December 12, 1:00 AM AKST to December 13, 3:00 PM AKST
Where: Middle Tanana Valley forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations

Heavy Snow, Deltana and Tanana

When: December 12, 3:53 PM AKST to December 13, 9:00 AM AKST
Where: Deltana and Tanana forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

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 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, December 2012

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: 423414, 423415, 416386, 423416.