Heavy Snow in Alaska, January 22 to 25, 2015

Name: Heavy Snow in Alaska, January 22 to 25, 2015
Start: 2015-01-22T16:15
End: 2015-01-25T15:00
Location: Alaska

January 22 to 25, 2015 · NWS AFG · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A low pressure center in the Gulf of Alaska moved inland and to the east of Fairbanks on the 23rd of January. 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 eastern portion of the Middle Tanana Valley and the eastern Alaska Range.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 222: The heaviest snow occurred east and south of Fairbanks. The snow fell heavily especially during the evening hours on the 23rd and again during the early morning hours on the 24th. Storm totals ranged from 6 to 11 inches. A total of 11 inches of snow was observed at Eielson Air Force Base. North Pole area received 6 to 9 inches.

Zone 225: The heaviest snow occurred from the Parks highway east. Storm totals ranged from 10 to 14 inches. Storm total of 14 inches was observed in Denali Park.

Zone 226: The heaviest snow fell along the south facing slopes of the Alaska Range. Heavy snow lingered into the 25th of January. 2 to 3 feet fell along the Richardson Highway. The Alaska Department of Transportation reported several cars stranded along the Richardson Highway between Mile post 185-202 by heavy snow. A three-day storm total of 2 feet of snow fell on Miller Creek and an estimated 36 inches of snow fell over Trims DOT camp along the Richardson Highway.

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 Jan 22, 1:59 PM AKST, 2 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 22, 1:59 PM AKST, 2 hours 16 minutes before

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
159 PM AKST THU JAN 22 2015

.DISCUSSION...
MODELS ARE IN GENERALLY GOOD AGREEMENT ABOUT THE OVERALL SYNOPTIC
PATTERN IN THE SHORT TERM. THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MODELS
IS THE AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION...WITH THE GFS BRINGING SLIGHTLY
MORE PRECIPITATION INTO THE EASTERN INTERIOR. WE NUDGED THE
INHERITED FORECAST WITH A BLEND OF THE ECMWF AND THE GFS.

THE MODELS ARE ALL IN FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT ON A GENERAL COOLING
TREND IN IN TEMPERATURES OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AS
COLDER AIR WORKS ITS WAY SOUTH.

.EASTERN INTERIOR...THE MAIN WEATHER ACTION IN THE SHORT TERM
WILL WILL BE IN THE EASTERN INTERIOR AND THE ALASKA RANGE. A COLD
FRONT WILL STALL OUT OVER THE EASTERN INTERIOR THROUGH SUNDAY.
THERE WILL BE TWO DISTINCT PUSHES OF MOISTURE THAT WILL TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THE UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT.
THE FIRST PUSH OF MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TONIGHT AND WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. THE SECOND PUSH OF MOISTURE WILL BEGIN ON
SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND WILL CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY. FOR THE FIRST
PUSH OF MOISTURE...WINTER STORM WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR
ZONES 225 AND 226 WITH WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES OUT FOR ZONES
222...223 AND 224. STORM TOTALS IN EXCESS OF A FOOT ARE EXPECTED
IN ZONES 225 AND 226. STORM TOTALS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW ARE
EXPECTED IN ZONES 222...223 AND 224...WITH THE HEAVIEST SNOW EAST
OF FAIRBANKS. FUTURE SHIFTS WILL NEED TO EVALUATE THE NEED FOR
HEADLINES FOR THE SECOND PUSH OF MOISTURE. IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT
THE SNOWFALL WILL LIKELY NOT STOP BETWEEN THE TWO PUSHES OF
MOISTURE...HOWEVER...THERE WILL BE A SHORT LIVED DECREASE IN
SNOWFALL INTENSITY BETWEEN THE TWO EVENTS. LOOKING TO EARLY NEXT
WEEK...TEMPERATES LOOK TO DECREASE EARLY NEXT WEEK...THE BIGGEST
QUESTION WILL BE HOW FAST THE CLOUD COVER MOVES AWAY. IF THE
CLOUDS STICK AROUND THE TEMPERATURES MAY NOT DROP OFF AS MUCH.

.WESTERN INTERIOR AND WEST COAST...CLEAR SKIES BEHIND THE FRONT
HAVE ALLOWED TEMPERATURES TO COOL OFF SIGNIFICANTLY. TEMPERATURES
THIS MORNING IN GALENA DROPPED DOWN TO MINUS 38 THIS MORNING. A
COOLING TREND IN TEMPERATURES IS EXPECTED INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.
PATCHY ICE FOG WILL BE AN ISSUE AT TIMES IN THE SHORT
TERM...PARTICULARLY IN THE WESTERN INTERIOR.

.NORTH SLOPE...THE NORTH SLOPE CAN EXPECT CLOUDY SKIES...SCATTERED
SNOW SHOWERS OR FLURRIES AND PATCHY FOG OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
DECREASING TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH INCREASING WINDS OVER THE
NEXT DAY COULD RESULT IN WIND CHILL VALUES REACHING ADVISORY
LEVELS TOMORROW NIGHT. CONTINUE TO MONITOR FOR POSSIBLE HEADLINES
FOR WINDCHILL.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ225-AKZ226.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ222-AKZ223-AKZ224.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ210.
&&

RM JAN 15

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 22, 12:32 PM AKST, 3 hours 43 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1232 PM AKST THU JAN 22 2015

AKZ225-232145-
DENALI-
INCLUDING...HEALY...DENALI NATIONAL PARK...CARLO CREEK...
KANTISHNA
1232 PM AKST THU JAN 22 2015

TWO STORM SYSTEMS WILL AFFECT THIS AREA OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. A
WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE AREA FROM THIS
EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT FOR THE FIRST STORM.

THE SECOND OF THE TWO STORMS IS SET TO ARRIVE SATURDAY MORNING
AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY. ADDITIONAL HEAVY SNOWFALL IS
POSSIBLE WITH THE SECOND SYSTEM.

USE CAUTION WHEN TRAVELING THE PARKS HIGHWAY THROUGH THIS WEEKEND.

AKZ226-232145-
EASTERN ALASKA RANGE-
INCLUDING...MENTASTA LAKE...BLACK RAPIDS...DONNELLY DOME...
TRIMS CAMP...EAGLE TRAIL...MINERAL LAKE
1232 PM AKST THU JAN 22 2015

TWO STORM SYSTEMS WILL AFFECT THE AREA OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. A
WINTER STORM WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE AREA FROM THIS
EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING FOR THE FIRST OF THE TWO STORMS.

THE SECOND OF TWO STORMS WILL ARRIVE SATURDAY MORNING AND WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY. ADDITIONAL HEAVY SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE
WITH THE SECOND SYSTEM.

Event by event

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng

When: January 22, 4:15 PM AKST to January 25, 3:00 PM AKST
Where: Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng forecast zone
Reported by: NWS Employee

Three day total of 24 inches of snow at Miller Creek.

Heavy Snow, Denali

When: January 23, 5:36 AM AKST to January 24, 2:36 AM AKST
Where: Denali forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Spotter report storm total snowfall 14 inches 5.5 miles SE Denali post office.

Heavy Snow, Middle Tanana Valley

When: January 23, 5:44 AM AKST to January 24, 4:58 AM AKST
Where: Middle Tanana Valley forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Eleven inches of snow Eielson afb.

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 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, January 2015

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: 555925, 555924, 555923.