A strong upper level disturbance moved over the Panhandle with a 1004 MBV Gale force Low just off Ocean Cape. This system rapidly deepened to 992 mb early on the morning of 2/28 as a strong front moved on to the coast dumping snow.
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 strong upper level disturbance moved over the Panhandle with a 1004 MBV Gale force Low just off Ocean Cape. This system rapidly deepened to 992 mb early on the morning of 2/28 as a strong front moved on to the coast dumping snow. The impact was snow removal but no damage was reported. This is a continuation of the earlier episode.
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 28, 4:30 PM AKST, 10 hours 30 minutes earlier.
Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Juneau AK
430 PM AKST Tue Feb 28 2017
.SHORT TERM...The southern and portions of the central Panhandle are
witnessing perhaps their biggest snow event in three years with
widespread reports from partners, spotters, media, and social media
of 6 to 12 inches of snowfall for the area. We thank them immensely
for their reports. Meanwhile to the north, a sharper wave of low
pressure forming near Baranof Island induced stronger offshore winds
at most all levels through Juneau and Gustavus, which significantly
reduced accumulations to next to nothing. Confidence was always
lower in our region due to this possibility and the range of
solutions we were given.
A sharpening trough in the western Gulf will angle winds aloft and
through the mid levels to blow perpendicular to our coast into
tonight. And roughly across a polar front a zone of diffluence
will form tonight holding across the central Panhandle tonight
and lifting northward into early Wednesday morning. This zone will
sustain lift and spread significant snow potential northward.
Hence we extended winter storm warnings for Sitka, Petersburg,
Wrangell, and Pelican (although Pelican slightly lower
confidence). Also, based on snowfall reports and rates from
Hoonah, we upgraded the winter weather advisory to a warning.
However, see below why we have extended Hoonah into Wednesday
evening. This zone of diffluence has arguably been situated across
the southern Panhandle all day, so confidence is moderate to high
for this area tonight, although highest for Sitka itself.
Looking northward, this zone of lift will settle across the Icy
Strait corridor. This caused us to go ahead and place Gustavus and
Juneau in a winter storm warning from early Wednesday morning
into Wednesday evening, including Hoonah. Although, it should be
noted that Hoonah may experience periods of lighter snow before
they re-intensify tonight. All told, warned areas will see
another 6 to 10 inches. Warnings extend a little farther than the
point at which we currently think snowfall rates will fall, but we
hedge to cover any timing errors. Angoon, shadowed as they have
been from this system, we have reduced snow potential and issued
an advisory through 9 AM Wednesday morning. Hyder rates will also
decrease today.
Wind assoc with the low in the NE gulf will continue the gales out
of Cross Sound and over the gulf. Expect north winds through the
northern inner channels and southerly winds south of the low. On
Wednesday the low will weaken to a trough and shift to the W-NW.
.LONG TERM...Looking long range, we see heavy snow potential
continuing for much of the Panhandle with a changeover of rain
Wednesday night for the far south. Sitka could see another heavy
snow maker with a wave moving up the coast Wednesday
night/Thursday. This we must watch, but we elect to hold in the
back of our mind until Wednesday's event runs its course. Snow
amounts look to lighten Thursday night into Friday. But all models
are shifting this snow-maker upper low well to the southeast to
allow drying from the northwest. Thus, we have reduced chances of
snow for the long-range. Temperatures will cool in turn, and
really dip down in the mornings under partly cloudy skies and
boundless fresh snowcover. Model spread becomes an issue early
next week so we keep a chance of precipitation in the forecast.
For winds...the low center moving up from the south Wednesday
night will increase to gale force by the time it is off the coast
of Baranof Island. Used the 12z GFS and ECMWF to update the
position and strength of this low today. This increased the speeds
further to storm force 50kt early Thursday. Will need to watch for
potential need of high wind warnings for the central outer coast,
since the low center is so near. Have tempered speeds a little
below this level for now. The low looks to meander off the coast
of Sitka as it weakens through Thursday night then shift south on
Friday. As it does high pressure will increase in Canada and thus
northerly outflow winds will increase as well.
AJK Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
PUBLIC...Winter Storm Warning until 9 AM AKST Wednesday for AKZ023-026.
Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM AKST Wednesday for AKZ027.
Winter Storm Warning until noon AKST today for AKZ024-027-028.
Winter Weather Advisory until 9 AM AKST Wednesday for AKZ024.
Winter Storm Warning from 3 AM Wednesday to midnight AKST
Wednesday night for AKZ020-025.
Winter Storm Warning until midnight AKST Wednesday night for
AKZ021-022.
Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM AKST Wednesday for AKZ029.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory for PKZ011>013-021-022-031-041>043-051>053.
DEL
&&
.AJK Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
PUBLIC...Winter Storm Warning until 9 AM AKST Wednesday for AKZ023-026.
Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM AKST Wednesday for AKZ027-029.
Winter Weather Advisory until 9 AM AKST Wednesday for AKZ024.
Winter Storm Warning from 3 AM Wednesday to midnight AKST
Wednesday night for AKZ020-025.
Winter Storm Warning until midnight AKST Wednesday night for
AKZ021-022.
Strong Wind from midnight AKST tonight through Wednesday morning
for AKZ022.
Strong Wind through Wednesday afternoon for AKZ018.
Strong Wind through Wednesday afternoon for AKZ017.
MARINE...Storm Warning for PKZ022.
Gale Warning for PKZ012-013-021-031-042-043-051-053.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ011-032-034>036-041-052.
&&
JWA/Ferrin
Visit us at http://www.weather.gov/Juneau1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Juneau got at least 6 inches in 12 hours ending at 2/28 ending at 2100. West Juneau reported a heavy rate of snow: 6 inches in 6 hours on 3/1. Impact was snow removal.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, March 2017
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: 678532.