Heavy Snow in Alaska, February 24 to 26, 2017

Name: Heavy Snow in Alaska, February 24 to 26, 2017
Start: 2017-02-24T14:50
End: 2017-02-26T02:39
Location: Alaska

February 24 to 26, 2017 · NWS AFG · 1 event in 1 county or zone

An abundant amount of moisture spread over the middle Tanana valley and dropped 8 to 12 inches of snow across the area on February 25th. Zone 222: Reported snowfall of 9 inches of snow at College hills.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

An abundant amount of moisture spread over the middle Tanana valley and dropped 8 to 12 inches of snow across the area on February 25th.

Zone 222: Reported snowfall of 9 inches of snow at College hills.

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 Feb 24, 6:16 AM AKST, 8 hours 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 24, 6:16 AM AKST, 8 hours 34 minutes before

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
616 AM AKST Fri Feb 24 2017

.DISCUSSION...
Another active weather day today as the second winter storm
continues to pile up snow over northern Alaska and the third and
strongest storm takes aim at the west coast, western and central
interior as well as the Brooks Range for Saturday and Sunday.

Models...The 00z model suite initialized well against the 00z
surface analysis and verified well against the 06z surface
analysis. Despite a very progressive pattern with multiple
shortwaves zipping along through the longwave pattern there is
remarkable agreement both between model families and from run to
run through middle of next week.

Aloft at 500 HPA a short shortwave located over western Alaska
continues to plow into the ridge over eastern Alaska and flatten
the ridge. The shortwave continues to flatten the upper level
ridge today and tomorrow which sets up a deep layer west to west
southwest flow over much of northern Alaska for Saturday and
Sunday. Strong and moist deep layer southwest flow continues over
much of northern Alaska as the second snow storm moves with a
surface reflection 1003 mb low along the northwest coast will
continue to weaken and move to the northeast as the associated
front stretches over the central interior continue to push to the
east today.

Snow will diminish over the central and eastern interior today as
the favorable upper level dynamics push north and east into
Canada however moist southwest upslope flow from the surface to
around 500 HPA will continue snowfall over the southern faces of
the Brooks range. As better upper level dynamics move back over
the area Saturday and Sunday with storm number three, expect snow
to increase over all of the interior and to be enhanced in areas
favorable for west to southwest upslope flow. Opted to leave
ongoing Winter Storm Warnings going in these favored upslope areas
through Sunday as these areas will continue to receive
significant snow between storm two and three today and tonight.

On the surface a 1003 mb low over the western north slope weakens
to around 1010 mb as it moves east to near Prudhoe Bay this
evening. Ongoing snow over much of the western, central and
eastern interior will diminish today as upper level support moves
east however upslope locations along the southern faces of the
Brooks Range, the southern Seward Peninsula and the northern
nulato hills will continue to receive snowfall.

Focus turns to storm number three. Winter Storm Watches have been
issued and ongoing Winter Storm Warnings extended for the Seward
Peninsula, eastern Norton Sound, the western and central interior
with 6 to 12 inches of snow expected Saturday and Sunday. The
heaviest snow will fall over the higher terrain and summits in
the interior and along the southwest facing slope of the Brooks
Range. A cold air mass behind the front that sweeps through the
interior Sunday will not only usher in much colder temperatures
for next week but will also create gusty winds especially on
higher terrain in the interior. Travel over highway summits in the
interior will likely be very difficult with considerable blowing
and drifting snow Saturday and Sunday.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ202-AKZ203-AKZ214-AKZ215-AKZ218-
AKZ220-AKZ222.

Winter Storm Warning for AKZ208-AKZ211-AKZ212-AKZ213-AKZ217-
AKZ219.

Winter Storm Watch for AKZ207-AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ216-AKZ218-AKZ220-
AKZ221-AKZ222.

Gale Warning for PKZ210-PKZ230.

Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ200-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ235-PKZ240-
PKZ245.
&&

CCC FEB 17

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 24, 10:35 AM AKST, 4 hours 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1035 AM AKST FRI FEB 24 2017

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0942 AM     SNOW             CHANDALAR D.O.T. CAMP   68.06N 149.58W
02/24/2017  M8.0 INCH                           AK   DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

            CHANDALAR D.O.T. CAMP 24 HR SNOW 8 INCHES. STORM TOTAL 13
            INCHES

&&

CECKERT

Local storm report, Feb 24, 10:36 AM AKST, 4 hours 14 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1036 AM AKST FRI FEB 24 2017

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0942 AM     SNOW             CHANDALAR D.O.T. CAMP   68.06N 149.58W
02/24/2017  M8.0 INCH                           AK   DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

            CHANDALAR D.O.T. CAMP 24 HR SNOW 8 INCHES. STORM TOTAL 13
            INCHES

0715 AM     SNOW             2 W TWO RIVERS          64.87N 147.17W
02/24/2017  M3.5 INCH                           AK   TRAINED SPOTTER

            OVERNIGHT SNOW FALL 3.5 INCHES. SNOWFALL TOTAL SINCE
            WEDNESDAY 9.5 INCHES. CURRENT TEMP 25F

0700 AM     SNOW             2 NNW COLLEGE           64.89N 147.85W
02/24/2017  M4.5 INCH                           AK   NWS EMPLOYEE

            COLLEGE HILLS SNOWFALL THU NIGHT THROUGH FRI MORNING 4.5
            INCHES. STORM TOTAL WED THROUGH FRI MORNING 9.4 INCHES.

0630 AM     SNOW             3 S FOX                 64.92N 147.62W
02/24/2017  M4.8 INCH                           AK   NWS EMPLOYEE

            SOUTH FOX SNOW ENDING 630 AM FRIDAY 4.8 INCHES. STORM
            TOTAL 7.7 INCHES. SNOW DEPTH 28 INCHES

&&

CECKERT

Local storm report, Feb 24, 2:00 PM AKST, 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
200 PM AKST FRI FEB 24 2017

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0152 PM     SNOW             KALTAG                  64.34N 158.69W
02/24/2017  E3.0 INCH                           AK   POST OFFICE

0152 PM     HEAVY SNOW       KOYUKUK                 64.91N 157.65W
02/24/2017  E6.0 INCH                           AK   COUNTY OFFICIAL

0152 PM     HEAVY SNOW       SHUNGNAK                66.88N 157.16W
02/24/2017  E8.0 INCH                           AK   POST OFFICE

            8-16 INCHES

0152 PM     HEAVY SNOW       AMBLER                  67.08N 157.92W
02/24/2017  E6.0 INCH                           AK   POST OFFICE

            6-12 INCHES

0152 PM     HEAVY SNOW       KIANA                   66.97N 160.46W
02/24/2017  E12.0 INCH                          AK   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            12-15 INCHES

0152 PM     HEAVY SNOW       KOBUK                   66.90N 156.90W
02/24/2017  E8.0 INCH                           AK   POST OFFICE

            8-16 INCHES

0152 PM     HEAVY SNOW       NOATAK                  67.58N 163.01W
02/24/2017  E12.0 INCH                          AK   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            12-24 INCHES

&&

SBERG

Event by event

1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Middle Tanana Valley

When: February 24, 2:50 PM AKST to February 26, 2:39 AM AKST
Where: Middle Tanana Valley forecast zone
Reported by: NWS Employee

Snowfall of 9 inches reported at College hills.

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 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, February 2017

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: 682234.