Another winter storm slammed the Northern Panhandle with wind and the Southern Panhandle with snow from 3/6 to 3/8. No damage was reported from the Taku Wind around Juneau on 3/7.
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.
Another winter storm slammed the Northern Panhandle with wind and the Southern Panhandle with snow from 3/6 to 3/8. No damage was reported from the Taku Wind around Juneau on 3/7. Prince of Wales Island and the Ketchikan Area got heavy snow. The impact as usual was snow removal over this long duration event.
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 Mar 6, 5:08 AM AKST, 9 hours 52 minutes earlier.
Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Juneau AK
508 AM AKST Mon Mar 6 2017
.SHORT TERM...Surface analysis and satellite imagery indicate a
1001mb low near 57.5N/139.5W. This feature is the surface reflection
of a strong upper level trough with -40 to -45C 500mb temps. The
surface low will meander SE today as a minor shortwave rotates
around the upper low.
This shortwave will move into the southern panhandle this
afternoon and evening. Steepening lapse rates with the cold pool
aloft combined with lift associated with the shortwave will
provide focus for heaviest bands of snow showers. Model solutions
continue to diverge slightly with timing the onset, but in good
agreement with heaviest precip over southern Prince of Wales
beginning late this afternoon/early evening and persisting into
Tue morning. Although areas expected to receive heaviest snow
accumulations are mainly over more remote areas, winter storm watch
was upgraded to a warning Sun night. Northerly outflow winds from
high pressure over Yukon will keep precip limited to the outer
coast S of Cross Sound and mainly S of Sumner Strait over the
inner channels.
The outflow winds will persist into Tue before beginning to ease.
This will maintain gales and heavy freezing spray over the N
inner channels through the period. Strong winds also expected over
the northern panhandle with headlines over AKZ018-025. Strong
winds combined with cold temps over the Klondike Hwy will maintain
wind chills to 40 below near White Pass into Wed. Another area to
monitor is the potential for Taku winds for downtown Juneau and
Douglas tonight into Tue. Latest runs of local mountain wave model
indicate favorable conditions Tue morning but timing continues to
be in flux between early and late morning. Elected to maintain
current forecast of gusts to 55MPH for downtown and Douglas
overnight into Tue. Inherited forecast represented this thinking
well and minor changes made for local effects made using mainly
hi-res guidance.
.LONG TERM...Not much change to most parameters in the long range,
but temps were one parameter that needed adjusting. With upper
trof expected to remain across the area into next weekend, looking
like it will remain on the cold side. Ended up lowering temps some
from midweek into the next weekend. Think coldest time frame will
be Tue-Wed then some slow moderation should occur, but temps
should still be below normal through the period.
Kept the winter storm warnings going through 00z Wed for zones 27
and 28 as snow showers continue to spin north into the southern
area around sfc and upper low. Could see snowfall rates of 2
inches per hour or more in the heaviest snow showers. The snow
showers may last into Wed but think they will not be as heavy as
low fills and instability decreases.
Extended the wind chill advisory for White Pass until 00z Thu. It
may need further extension by later shifts however. Locally strong
northerly winds will continue across much of the north and
central areas through late week although the latter part of the
period will probably see some gradual diminishing to the winds.
All in all, the cold and blustery start to March will continue for
a while longer.
&&
.AJK Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
PUBLIC...Winter Storm Warning from 3 PM this afternoon to 3 PM AKST
Tuesday for AKZ027.
Strong Wind through late tonight for AKZ018-025.
Winter Storm Warning from 9 PM this evening to 3 PM AKST Tuesday
for AKZ028.
Wind Chill Advisory until 3 PM AKST Wednesday for AKZ018.
Strong Wind until noon AKST today for AKZ017.
MARINE...Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ011-012.
Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ013-031.
Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ013.
Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ031.
Storm Warning for PKZ012.
Gale Warning for PKZ011-013-021-022-031-032-034-035-043-051.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ033-036-041-042-052-053.
&&
BC/RWT
Visit us at http://www.weather.gov/Juneau2 winter storm, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Hydaburg area got 6 to 8 inches new snow. Thorne Bay got 6 inches. The highways around Prince of Wales Island ranged 4-8 inches. Traffic was impeded and snow removal was the main impact.
Mountain wave Taku winds in the downtown and Douglas area reached 60 to 70 mph in the early morning hours, then abated towards early morning while remaining gusty in the 45 to 50 mph range. Minor Mountain wave activity continued to persist beyond the afternoon. No damage was reported.
Storm totals for new snowfall were as follows: Ward Cove 9 inches, Thorne Bay 5 inches, Meyers Chuck 5 inches, KPU 6 inches, Powerhouse 6 inches, 28-13 7 to 8 inches South of Town, and Bear Valley 7 inches. Most fell in the morning. Impact was snow removal in an already buried area.
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: 680848, 680842, 680849.