A really strong storm developed in the southern Gulf of Alaska on the afternoon of 12/1 down to 968 MB. Not only did this bring a slug of warm air to the Panhandle but also strong pressure gradients for a lot of windy places.
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.
A really strong storm developed in the southern Gulf of Alaska on the afternoon of 12/1 down to 968 MB. Not only did this bring a slug of warm air to the Panhandle but also strong pressure gradients for a lot of windy places. By Friday morning 12/2 this monster deepened to 962 MB off Cape Decision then went inland that night through Icy Strait which is a windy track for any storm. By Saturday morning 12/3 the remnants of the storm reestablished the arctic front over Lynn Canal for a bunch of snow in the north. Miraculously damage was limited to downed trees, power outages, and transportation disruptions.
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 30, 4:15 PM AKST, 7 hours 45 minutes earlier.
Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Juneau AK
415 PM AKST Wed Nov 30 2016
.SHORT TERM...A strong occluded front will move E to the outer
coast by late tonight, then be through SE AK by late thu morning.
A strong low will develop and move NE toward the S-central gulf
by late Thu afternoon. Used blend of the previous forecast with
the 06z ARW and 12z GFS to handle things through Thu, with SREF
incorporated for POPs.
Main forecast concerns through Thu afternoon will be winds, precip
potential, potential for significant snow over the far N, and TSTM
chances. Ahead of the occluded front, winds will increase to
35-45 kt over the E gulf and a good part of SE AK tonight. Have
put out strong wind headlines for most of the area tonight, with
zone 25 continuing into early Thu morning. After front moves
through, winds will drop off some in most areas, but increase over
the far N channels as S pressure gradient increases. Then, winds
will increase again to gale force over the far S gulf as the
strong low moves closer to them.
Am expecting precip area wide as front moves through the area.
Will see precip reach the outer coast by 06z, with inner channels
seeing precip develop by 11z. After the front moves through,
precip will become showery. Steadier rain will increase again late
in the day over the SW half of the area ahead of the strong low.
Most of the area will see ptype as rain through Thu, but snow is
expected over the far N including around White Pass, W of the
Chilkat River Bridge, and near Hyder. Snowfall could be heavy near
White Pass late tonight and think they will see 5 to 8 inches
there, so have issued winter storm warning for the White Pass
area from 09-18z Thu. W of the Chilkat River Bridge, snowfall of 3
to 5 inches is likely, so issued a winter weather advisory for
them for 09-18z Thu. Hyder may see 1 to 3 inches of snow through
Thu morning.
TSTM potential will increase overnight over the S-central gulf,
then move to the NE gulf Thu as upper trof moves through. Put in
slight chance TSTMS to handle this. The threat will decrease from
the S Thu as warmer air moves in aloft ahead of the strong low.
.LONG TERM...The forecast for Thursday night and Friday hinges
on the track and strength of storm force low moving into the
northeast gulf Friday morning. Confidence is high that storm force
easterlies will spread ahead of a front as it plows north across
the gulf. We have since fine-tuned the winds in the inside
passages based on low-level jet and general forecast track. New
NAM and GFS guidance suggests a jog to the southeast and east
which would limit winds through the far northern Interior
Panhandle like Haines and Skagway but strengthen winds through the
north central panhandle such as Hoonah and Juneau. But this can be
evaluated more closely as time proceeds. Confidence is still
moderate for high wind gusts around 60 mph for the Southeast Gulf
Coast and Baranof Island. The Southern Inner Channels also look
good for this event, but we think the greatest chance of wind will
rest on the eastern shores of Prince of Wales Island rather than
Ketchikan and Annette. The High Wind Watch stands unaltered.
NAEFS Ensembles rate the integrated water vapor transport as
around 3 standard deviations above normal with this storm. Heavy
rain bands will likely strike across the eastern gulf coast
Thursday night into Friday. Based on the track, we think there
will be enough cold air stuck in the higher elevations of the
highways for potentially up to around 1 foot plus of snow
Thursday night into Friday. We even are increasingly confident
that northwesterly winds through the Chilkat may help preserve the
cold air dome through Haines for much of the period. But
temperatures will be marginal at sea level.
This system moves inland Saturday and weak onshore flow but
cooling temperatures will support scattered rain and snow showers
through the early weekend. We expect cold temperatures and mainly
dry conditions through early next week with the possibility of a
low ushering a potential overrunning snow event for late next
week. However, this is very early to count in at this point
indeed.
&&
.AJK Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
PUBLIC...Strong Wind from midnight AKST tonight through late tonight for
AKZ024-026-028.
High Wind Watch from Thursday evening through late Thursday
night for AKZ023-027-028.
Strong Wind from 9 PM this evening to 3 AM AKST Thursday for
AKZ022-023-027.
Strong Wind from midnight AKST tonight through Thursday morning
for AKZ025.
Strong Wind from 9 PM AKST this evening through late tonight for
AKZ017-021.
Winter Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to 9 AM AKST
Thursday for AKZ019.
Winter Storm Watch from Thursday evening through Friday
afternoon for AKZ018-019.
Winter Storm Warning from midnight tonight to 9 AM AKST Thursday
for AKZ018.
MARINE...Gale Warning for PKZ021-022-031>036-041>043-051>053.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ011>013.
&&
RWT/JWA
Visit us at http://www.weather.gov/Juneau4 high wind, 2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
AK DOT measured 8 to 14 inches storm total depending on where - most at White Pass. Impact was snow removal.
Cape Decision had gusts to 90 mph on 12/2. Although Sitka and Port Alexander were very windy, but below criteria, surface analysis showed extreme pressure gradients over Baranof Island. 46084 had gusts to 62 KT. No damage was reported.
Cape Decision had gusts to 90 mph on 12/2. Craig had 62 mph on the night of 12/2. Some tree branches were downed. Lightning was reported. No damage was reported. Hydaburg had gusts to 66 mph.
Ketchikan Airport had the roof wind gust to 60 mph on 12/2. Hydaburg had 66 mph gusts. Cape Decision had gusts to 90 mph on 12/2. Craig had 62 mph on the night of 12/2. Some tree branches were downed. Lightning was reported. No damage was reported.
Low pressure moved inland near Mount Fairweather. Majority of snow out the Haines HWY began just after midnight as expected (based on webcams).
Haines Customs reported 10.5 inches by 0700 am observation with moderate snow continuing. As the low moved inland rain changed to snow in downtown Haines with Paul Swift (COOP) reporting 2.3 inches between 1500 and 2045 12/02. Another 4 inches was measured during the day by Haines Customs, majority by 1500 for a storm total of 14.5 inches. Snow showers were intermittent through Friday night and into the morning of 12/03.
The Juneau Federal Building had gusts to 65 mph on 12/2. A few tree branches were downed. No damage reported.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, December 2016
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: 664890, 664883, 664884, 664885, 664891, 664886.