The arctic front stalled over the central Panhandle on Feb 7th as warmer moist air aloft moved over the area. Six inches to a foot of new snow fell over the area, but no damage was reported.
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.
The episode as NWS AJK wrote it up.
The arctic front stalled over the central Panhandle on Feb 7th as warmer moist air aloft moved over the area. Six inches to a foot of new snow fell over the area, but no damage was reported. There was some lower wind chills and strong wind with this snow which made visibility poor at times.
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 Feb 6, 4:21 PM AKST, 7 hours 39 minutes earlier.
SOUTHEAST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
421 PM AKST FRI FEB 6 2015
.SHORT TERM...UPPER TROUGH EXTENDING SSWWD FROM THE YUKON INTO THE
NERN GULF WILL EVOLVE INTO A CLOSED LOW AS COLD MIDLEVEL AIR IS
INJECTED SWD INTO IT/S BASE TONIGHT. MEANWHILE...UPPER IMPULSE IS
IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING NE ACROSS THE SRN PANHANDLE THIS
AFTERNOON...WITH DRY MIDLEVEL AIR SPREADING EWD IN IT/S WAKE. THE
DRIER AIR WILL SHUT DOWN HEAVY SNOWFALL RATES BY THIS EVENING FROM
PETERSBURG/WRANGELL TO HYDER...THOUGH A FEW MORE INCHES OF
ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE MEANTIME FOR BOTH OF THESE
LOCATIONS. HIGH PRESSURE OVER NWRN CANADA AND MUCH LOWER PRESSURE
OVER THE ERN GULF WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT STRONG OUTFLOW WINDS
ACROSS NRN/CNTRL AREAS...THOUGH SPEEDS WILL DECREASE DURING THE
NIGHT AS THE GRADIENT SLACKENS SLIGHTLY. MOUNTAIN WAVE POTENTIAL
OVER DOWNTOWN JUNEAU WILL COME TO AN END BY EVENING AS THE
CRITICAL LEVEL LOWERS AND CROSS BARRIER FLOW WEAKENS.
ELSEWHERE...HURRICANE FORCE WINDS OVER NRN LYNN CANAL WILL
DIMINISH TO STORM FORCE TONIGHT...AND THEN GALE DURING SAT.
HOWEVER...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE
SHORT TERM PERIOD. STRONG WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH WILL REMAIN
POSSIBLE IN SKAGWAY DUE TO CONTINUED TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT.
STRONG GUSTY WINDS ALONG THE KLONDIKE HIGHWAY/WHITE PASS COMBINED
WITH TEMPERATURES RANGING FROM -10 TO -15F WILL ALSO SUPPORT WIND
CHILL VALUES FROM -30 TO -40F THROUGH SAT.
BY SAT AFTERNOON...UPPER TROUGH OVER THE NRN GULF IS FORECAST TO
RETROGRADE WWD INTO THE WRN GULF. LOW-LEVEL FLOW WILL BECOME
ONSHORE OVER THE SRN PANHANDLE AS THIS TAKES PLACE...WHICH WILL
AID IN MODERATING HIGH TEMPERATURES. OVER CNTRL/NRN
AREAS...OFFSHORE DIRECTED PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL MAINTAIN A
DRIER/SUBFREEZING SURFACE AIRMASS. SWLY 925-850 MB FLOW OVER THE
SRN PANHANDLE WILL ADVECT MOISTURE INLAND DURING THE DAY...AND
STRONGEST ASCENT WILL BECOME FOCUSED ALONG A BOUNDARY EXTENDING
EWD FROM THE CNTRL GULF TOWARD WRANGELL. RAIN SHOWERS WILL BE
PROBABLE S OF THE BOUNDARY FROM SITKA TO KETCHIKAN...WHILE SNOW
SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED ALONG AND TO IT/S N. MODEST SNOW ACCUMULATION
IS FORECAST FOR PETERSBURG/WRANGELL AS A RESULT...WITH TOTALS
DURING THE AFTERNOON RANGING FROM 1-4 INCHES. LIGHTER AMOUNTS WILL
OCCUR FARTHER N TOWARD JUNEAU.
.LONG TERM...UPPER TROF/LOW OVER THE ERN GULF WILL REDEVELOP TO
THE SW GULF AS A STRONG SHORTWAVE DIVES S THRU INTERIOR AK AND
INTO THE SW GULF BY SAT EVENING. THIS WILL DEVELOP A LOW OVER THE
CENTRAL GULF WHICH WILL DEEPEN AND DRIFT WWD TO THE SW GULF SUN.
EXPECT SEVERAL TROFS/WEAK OCCLUDED FRONTAL BANDS TO MOVE NE ACROSS
THE ERN GULF AND SE AK SAT NIGHT-MON. THESE WILL BRING BANDS OF
PRECIP WITH THEM...AND AREAS TO THE N OF THE ARCTIC FRONT WILL
ALSO GET SOME OVERRUNNING AS AIRMASS OVER THE SE GULF WARMS AND
MOISTENS UP...THEN IS FORCED NWD OVER THE ARCTIC AIR. THE ARCTIC
FRONT WILL SLOWLY LIFT N THRU MON...LIKELY GETTING TO THE PAJN
AREA BY LATE SUN NIGHT. SNOWFALL COULD GET LOCALLY HEAVY AT TIMES
ESPECIALLY AS THE TROF/FRONTAL BANDS MOVE THRU THE AREA...BUT
TIMING AND TRACK OF THESE FEATURES DIFFERS SOMEWHAT AMONGST THE
MODELS. SO...WILL NOT ISSUE ANY SNOW RELATED HEADLINES FOR THE SAT
NIGHT-MON TIME FRAME AND ALLOW LATER SHIFTS TO GET BETTER HANDLE
ON THIS.
EVENTUALLY THE UPPER LOW WILL SPLIT...WITH ONE PIECE LIFTING NEWD
ACROSS THE GULF AND INTO THE YUKON BY MON AFTERNOON...WHILE
ANOTHER PIECE GETS PULLED INTO A LARGER UPPER LOW THAT WILL DRIFT
EWD ACROSS THE NPAC. THIS LARGER LOW WILL REACH ABOUT 160W AND
BECOME A FAIRLY DEEP FULL LATITUDE UPPER TROF WITH RIDGE BUILDING
DOWNSTREAM OVER WRN NOAM. THIS WILL LIKELY BRING IN A SLOW MOVING
FRONTAL SYSTEM WITH MULTIPLE LOW PRESSURE WAVES RUNNING NWD ALONG
IT. MAIN QUESTION IS HOW FAST WILL THE FRONT GET E AND SPREAD
PRECIP INTO THE AREA FOR MIDWEEK. GFS IS A BIT SLOWER THAN THE
ECMWF MOVING THE FRONT IN. OVERALL...THIS PATTERN WILL WARM THINGS
UP QUITE A BIT...AND PUT THE AREA BACK INTO THE WARM/WET PATTERN
THAT WAS IN PLACE FOR MUCH OF JANUARY. RAISED TEMPS...ESPECIALLY
THE MINS...TO REFLECT THIS PATTERN CHANGE. ONLY AREAS WITH ANY
SNOW MENTION AFTER TUE NIGHT ARE THE PAHN/PAGY AREAS. ONE
POTENTIAL THING THAT COULD SLOW THE EROSION OF THE COLD AIRMASS
OVER THE FAR N IS A NRN STREAM TROF PASSING BY THE AREA TO THE N
AND REINFORCING THE ARCTIC AIRMASS...BUT CURRENT MODELS SUGGEST
ANY TROF WOULD BE TOO FAR N TO HELP MAINTAIN THE COLD AIRMASS OVER
THE NRN AREAS.
&&
.AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM AKST THIS EVENING FOR AKZ026-029.
STRONG WIND UNTIL MIDNIGHT AKST TONIGHT FOR AKZ017-025.
STRONG WIND UNTIL 9 PM AKST THIS EVENING FOR AKZ019.
STRONG WIND UNTIL 3 AM AKST SATURDAY FOR AKZ018.
STRONG WIND SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOR AKZ018.
WIND CHILL ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM AKST SATURDAY FOR AKZ018.
MARINE...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ011.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ012.
STORM WARNING FOR PKZ012.
GALE WARNING FOR PKZ011-013-021-022-031-043-051>053.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ032>036-041-042.
&&
GARNER/RWT
VISIT US AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/JUNEAUPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
953 PM AKST FRI FEB 06 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0630 PM SNOW PETERSBURG 56.81N 132.96W
02/06/2015 M14.5 INCH AK CO-OP OBSERVER
24 HOUR STORM TOTAL
0545 PM SNOW HYDER 55.91N 130.02W
02/06/2015 E21.0 INCH AK CO-OP OBSERVER
36 HOUR TOTAL
0545 PM SNOW 9 S WRANGELL 56.34N 132.40W
02/06/2015 M15.0 INCH AK CO-OP OBSERVER
STORM TOTAL
0545 PM SNOW WRANGELL 56.47N 132.40W
02/06/2015 E12.0 INCH AK CO-OP OBSERVER
STORM TOTAL
0545 PM SNOW POINT BAKER 56.35N 133.62W
02/06/2015 E6.0 INCH AK CO-OP OBSERVER
1115 AM SNOW 12 N KETCHIKAN 55.51N 131.65W
02/06/2015 M5.7 INCH AK TRAINED SPOTTER
SPOTTER AT 12 MILE NORTH OF KETCHIKAN. EVENT TOTAL.
1000 AM HEAVY SNOW CRAIG 55.47N 133.13W
02/06/2015 M9.0 INCH AK TRAINED SPOTTER
SNOW AROUND TOWN 8 TO 9 INCHES AS OF 10 AM.
0800 AM HEAVY SNOW HOLLIS 55.48N 132.67W
02/06/2015 M7.5 INCH AK CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP REPORT FOR 24 DAY
0800 AM HEAVY SNOW COFFMAN COVE 56.01N 132.83W
02/06/2015 M11.0 INCH AK CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP REPORT FOR 24 DAY.
0800 AM HEAVY SNOW THORNE BAY 55.67N 132.50W
02/06/2015 M14.2 INCH AK CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP 24 DAY REPORT
0400 AM NON-TSTM WND GST 20 S HAINES 58.95N 135.44W
02/06/2015 M114 MPH AK OFFICIAL NWS OBS
99 KT AT ELDRED ROCK. FREEZING SPRAY. ALASKA MARINE
HIGHWAY FERRY AURORA CANCELLED TRIP.
0800 PM NON-TSTM WND GST JUNEAU 58.30N 134.41W
02/05/2015 M65.00 MPH AK OFFICIAL NWS OBS
WIND GUST REPORTED AT EAGLECREST
0730 PM NON-TSTM WND GST JUNEAU 58.30N 134.41W
02/05/2015 M81.00 MPH AK OFFICIAL NWS OBS
MOUNT ROBERTS TRAM WINDS GUSTING TO 81 MPH
0730 PM NON-TSTM WND GST JUNEAU 58.30N 134.41W
02/05/2015 M140 MPH AK OFFICIAL NWS OBS
GUST ON SHEEP MOUNTAIN TO 140 MPH
0645 PM NON-TSTM WND GST DOUGLAS 58.27N 134.39W
02/05/2015 M87.00 MPH AK OFFICIAL NWS OBS
DOUGLAS BOAT HARBOR PEAK WIND
0330 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG JUNEAU 58.30N 134.41W
02/05/2015 AK UTILITY COMPANY
TREE DOWN KNOCKED OUT POWER TO THANE, BUT WAS RESTORED.
1215 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG THANE 58.26N 134.31W
02/05/2015 AK NWS EMPLOYEE
12-18 INCH DIAMETER TREE BLOWN OVER KNOCKING DOWN POWER
LINE
0130 PM SNOW CRAIG 55.47N 133.13W
02/06/2015 E8.5 INCH AK CO-OP OBSERVER
8 TO 9 INCHES AROUND TOWN
&&
JWA5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
At 0830 on 2/9 DOT measured 13.0 inches at 11.5 mile on Klondike Highway. Road closed with 4-6' drifts and blowing snow.
Up to 8 inches of new snow fell in Gustavus in 12 hours.
At Hoonah up to 6 inches of new snow fell in 12 hours.
Some areas of Juneau got 6 inches of new snow in 12 hours with this storm. No damage or outages were reported.
Downtown Haines got 13.0 inches measured for the storm total. No damage reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, February 2015
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: 564148, 562241, 562242, 562243, 562240.