An intense warm front moved into the Panhandle on the evening of November 20th and into the Yukon on the 21st. This caused the pressure difference along northern Lynn Canal to become very strong causing high SSW wind at Skagway.
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.
An intense warm front moved into the Panhandle on the evening of November 20th and into the Yukon on the 21st. This caused the pressure difference along northern Lynn Canal to become very strong causing high SSW wind at Skagway. The snow at higher elevations was loose and with strong winds caused blizzard (white-out) conditions along the Klondike Highway on the morning of the 21st.
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 Nov 19, 4:33 PM AKST, 7 hours 27 minutes earlier.
SOUTHEAST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
433 PM AKST THU NOV 19 2015
.SHORT TERM...A WEAK LOW PRESSURE WAVE WILL DISSIPATE AS IT MOVES
ONSHORE NEAR CROSS SOUND THIS EVENING. A WARM FRONT EXTENDS FROM
THE NORTHERN GULF TO CENTRAL SE AK. THIS FRONT WILL MOVE N AND BE
N OF THE AREA BY DAYBREAK FRI. A STRONG OCCLUDED FRONT WILL MOVE E
ACROSS THE GULF TONIGHT...THEN INTO SE AK FRI. MODELS WERE IN
FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT ON THE MAIN FEATURES.
MAIN FORECAST CONCERNS WILL BE PRECIP POTENTIAL...PTYPE/AMOUNTS...
WINDS...AND TEMPS. PRECIP WILL GENERALLY CONTINUE OVER THE CENTRAL
AREA BUT WILL BECOME FAIRLY LIGHT BY LATE EVENING. AS WARM FRONT
LIFTS NWD TONIGHT...PRECIP WILL DEVELOP OVER THE FAR NRN AREA BY
LATE EVENING. THEN...PRECIP WILL INCREASE FROM THE W LATE TONIGHT
AND FRI AS STRONG OCCLUDED FRONT MOVES IN. THE PRECIP WILL BE
HEAVY AT TIMES OVER THE NW THIRD OF THE AREA FRI. THE FAR SRN AREA
WILL HAVE LOWEST PRECIP THREAT OVERALL.
AS FOR PTYPE...SNOW OVER THE N-CENTRAL AREA WILL CHANGE TO RAIN
THIS EVENING. TOTAL SNOWFALL IN THE N-CENTRAL PANHANDLE ADVY AREA
WILL BE 3 TO 5 INCHES BEFORE THIS CHANGEOVER OCCURS. PRECIP WILL
START AS SNOW OVER THE NRN AREA BY LATE EVENING...BUT CHANGE OVER
TO RAIN NEAR SEA LEVEL BY LATE TONIGHT AS WARMER AIR MOVES IN ON
SLY LOW LEVEL FLOW. HIGHER ELEVATIONS ALONG THE KLONDIKE AND
HAINES HIGHWAYS WILL SNOW LONGER...WITH THE CANADIAN BORDER AREA
ON HAINES HIGHWAY NOT CHANGING TO RAIN UNTIL MID-MORNING FRI.
WHITE PASS WILL REMAIN AS SNOW THROUGH DAYTIME FRI WITH SNOW LEVEL
RISING TO AROUND 1800 FEET BY THE AFTERNOON. THE SNOW NEAR SEA
LEVEL WILL GENERALLY BE LESS THAN 2 INCHES...BUT AROUND 4 INCHES
OF SNOW IS EXPECTED ALONG THE HAINES HIGHWAY NEAR THE CANADIAN
BORDER BY 18Z FRI...AND AROUND 14 INCHES OF SNOW IS LIKELY NEAR
WHITE PASS BY LATE FRI AFTERNOON. DECIDED TO LIMIT THE WINTER
WEATHER ADVY FOR THE HAINES ZONE TO NEAR THE CANADIAN BORDER.
CHANGED THE WINTER STORM WATCH FOR ZONE 18 TO A BLIZZARD WARNING
FOR THE UPPER ELEVATIONS OF THE KLONDIKE HIGHWAY FOR LATE TONIGHT
AND FRI AS STRONG WINDS WILL CAUSE THE SNOW TO BLOW AROUND EASILY
AND REDUCE VISIBILITY TO 1/4 MILE OR LESS.
AS FOR WINDS...THEY WILL BE INCREASING OVER THE AREA TONIGHT AND
FRI. AS WARM FRONT LIFTS NWD...THE NRN AREA WILL SEE WINDS
INCREASE TO SCA LEVELS WITH LOW LEVEL RIDGE BEHIND THE FRONT
INCREASING THE SLY PRESSURE GRADIENTS. WINDS WILL INCREASE TO
GALE FORCE FOR MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND NRN PANHANDLE FRI AS STRONG
OCCLUDED FRONT MOVES IN...WITH SCA LEVEL WINDS OVER THE SRN AREA.
OVER THE GULF...GALE FORCE WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE OFFSHORE
WATERS AND MUCH OF THE NW HALF OF THE COASTAL WATERS LATE
TONIGHT. THEY WILL DIMINISH GRADUALLY FRI AS THE FRONT PASSES BY
THE AREA. WILL HEADLINE THE PAJN AREA FOR STRONG WINDS FOR FRI
WITH FAVORABLE PRESSURE GRADIENT ORIENTATION THERE. OTHER AREAS
OVER THE FAR NRN PANHANDLE WILL ALSO INCREASE TO STRONG WIND
LEVELS LATE TONIGHT AND FRI...BUT WITH OTHER HEADLINES IN THOSE
ZONES WILL LEAVE THAT OUT. OTHER AREAS OVER THE CENTRAL PANHANDLE
AND OUTER COAST COULD ALSO GET CLOSE TO STRONG WIND LEVELS FRI.
TEMPS WILL BE RISING OVER MUCH OF THE AREA TONIGHT...ALTHOUGH THE
SRN AREA WILL HAVE MORE STEADY TEMPS. USED EARLY EVENING LOW TEMP
WORDING IN MANY OF THE ZONES. ON FRI...MOST AREAS NEAR SEA LEVEL
WILL HAVE TEMPS IN THE 40S.
.LONG TERM...VIGOROUS BAROCLINIC SYSTEM LOCATED SOUTHWEST OF THE
OUTER ALEUTIANS IN THE NORTH PACIFIC WILL FOLLOW A 150 KT JET AT
300 MB INTO THE NORTHERN GULF BY FRIDAY NIGHT. WITH SUCH A DEEP
LONG FETCH OF WARM AIR SUPPLYING HIGH LEVELS OF MOISTURE AND FORCED
LIFTING ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF SOUTHEAST, WE SHOULD SEE A MAJOR
RAIN OVER SNOW EVENT WITH AS MUCH AS 2 TO 5 INCHES ACROSS MUCH OF
THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE...WITH LESSER AMOUNTS IN LYNN CANAL AREA.
FARTHER TO THE SOUTH...SHALLOWER SNOW COVER WILL DISAPPEAR FAR
MORE QUICKLY, AND IMPACTS WILL BE MUCH LESS. BUT GIVEN A
SNOWPACK RANGING FROM 6 INCHES TO AS MUCH AS A FOOT ACROSS THE
NORTHERN PANHANDLE, CONDITIONS WILL BE INCREDIBLY SLOPPY AND
SLICK. RESIDENTS CAN DO THEIR PART MITIGATING IMPACTS BY KEEPING
STORM DRAINS CLEAR OF SNOW AND ICE AND OTHER DEBRIS. THIS WILL
KEEP INEVITABLE PONDING FROM POTENTIALLY BECOMING SIGNIFICANT. BUT
OTHER THAN THIS NO FLOODING IS EXPECTED. SNOW LEVELS WILL RISE TO
3500 FEET FOR A SHORT-TIME ON SATURDAY MORNING, BUT AS THE FRONT
PASSES...SNOW LEVELS AND TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN DROPPING RAPIDLY
MID-DAY SATURDAY INTO THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SO MUCH SO...THAT
SNOW WILL ONCE AGAIN BEGIN MIXING IN WITH THE RAIN AS EARLY AS
SATURDAY EVENING FOR THE NORTH...AND INTO MORE SOUTHERN
COMMUNITIES LATE. IN ADDITION...GIVEN THE WINDY CONDITIONS THAT
WILL BEGIN AFFLICTING THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE PEDESTRIANS SHOULD
TAKE EXTRA CAUTION WHEN CROSSING STREETS, APPROACHING BUSSES, AND
WALKING SIDEWALKS. FRIDAY MORNING...ESPECIALLY BE MINDFUL OF KIDS
CROSS STREETS TO CATCH BUSSES THROUGH VERY SLICK CONDITIONS.
THIS SYSTEM WILL ANGLE INTO THE REGION SUCH THAT WE SHOULD SEE
GREAT PRESSURE FALLS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN YUKON AND GIVEN ALREADY
STRONG GRADIENTS ACROSS THE GULF AND PANHANDLE...MODELS ARE
SUGGESTING GRADIENTS IN EXCESS OF -20 MB FROM JUNEAU TO
KETCHIKAN...AND GRADIENTS CLOSE TO -8 OR -9 MB BETWEEN SKAGWAY TO
JUNEAU. THIS SUGGESTS LOTS OF WINDS. BUT GIVEN THE GREATER
DYNAMICS ACROSS THE NORTHERN REGION, THAT IS WHERE WE ARE
FORECASTING THE STRONGEST WINDS. ASIDE FROM STORM FORCE WESTERLIES
ACROSS THE GULF ON SATURDAY...WE WILL LIKELY INCREASE TO STORM
FORCE THROUGH LYNN CANAL AS WELL LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY.
WINDS WILL REACH SOLID GALES THROUGH GLACIER BAY, SOUTHERN LYNN
CANAL, STEPHENS PASSAGE, AND ICY STRAIT. MINIMUM GALES WILL BE
FOUND TO THE SOUTH. WINDS AT SKAGWAY ARE SO CONCERNING THAT A HIGH
WIND WATCH HAS BEEN POSTED FOLLOWING THE BLIZZARD WARNING FOR
WHITE PASS IN THE SHORT-TERM. THE THREAT FOR 60 MPH WINDS BEGINS
AFTER MIDNIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT AND EXTENDS INTO SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
ONE THING TO NOTE ABOUT THE WINDS...GRADIENTS WILL BE STRONG
FRIDAY NIGHT...BUT GIVEN WARM AIR ADVECTION...TRIED TO HOLD BACK
WHAT THEY WOULD NORMALLY DELIVER SINCE STABILITY WILL KEEP WINDS
ALOFT. SATURDAY WINDS WILL BEGIN TO TRANSLATE TO THE SURFACE MORE
EASILY.
AS THE SYSTEM PASSES TO THE EAST...COLDER AND DRIER AIR WILL
FILTER IN BEHIND. THIS COLD AIR SHOULD REMAIN IN PLACE OVER THE
PANHANDLE INTO NEXT WEEK. THERE IS STILL THE POSSIBILITY OF AN
OUTFLOW EVEN EARLY NEXT WEEK AND THE POSSIBILITY OF WIDESPREAD FOG
BEFORE THANKSGIVING IF GRADIENTS SLACKEN. BUT LATE MODEL RUNS
ARE TRYING DEGRADE THE RIDGE IN PLACE AND POTENTIALLY BRINGING
SOME RAIN CHANCES AND CLOUDS BY THE HOLIDAY NEXT WEEK. HOWEVER,
MID-RANGE ISSUES TOOK PRECEDENCE. THIS WILL BE STUDIED BETTER BY
SHIFTS THIS WEEKEND.
A SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT HAS COVERED SOME OF THE ISSUES WITH
THE RAIN OVER SNOW EVENT ACROSS THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE TONIGHT
INTO SATURDAY.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE GOOD THROUGH THE WEEKEND. BUT THIS FALLS INTO
MID NEXT WEEK.
&&
.AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...STRONG WIND FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING FOR
AKZ025.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM AKST THIS EVENING FOR AKZ025.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM AKST THIS EVENING FOR AKZ021-
022.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 9 AM AKST
FRIDAY FOR AKZ019.
HIGH WIND WATCH FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY
AFTERNOON FOR AKZ018.
BLIZZARD WARNING FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM AKST FRIDAY FOR
AKZ018.
MARINE...GALE WARNING FOR PKZ012-013-031-034-051-052.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ011-021-022-032-033-035-036-041>043-
053.
&&
RWT/JWA
VISIT US AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/JUNEAU1 blizzard, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
White pass had blizzard (white out) conditions on the morning of Nov 20th due to loose snowpack and strong winds. The highway was closed over night as usual. DOT crews had to plow drifting snow after the wind died down.
Skagway had southerly winds around 50 mph all day on the 21st. The peak gust was 68 mph at 0500 AKST on the 21st. No damage was 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, November 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: 606960, 606959.