On Monday 2/12 and Tuesday morning 2/13 Juneau and Petersburg got hit with a heavy snow storm that was not well forecasted. By Tuesday morning Juneau got 6 to 15 inches of new snow plus some freezing drizzle, and Petersburg got 7 to 8 inches.
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.
On Monday 2/12 and Tuesday morning 2/13 Juneau and Petersburg got hit with a heavy snow storm that was not well forecasted. By Tuesday morning Juneau got 6 to 15 inches of new snow plus some freezing drizzle, and Petersburg got 7 to 8 inches. This was due to |deep WSW flow aloft that was expected to rain, but cold air never changed over.
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 12, 2:49 PM AKST, 1 hour 11 minutes earlier.
Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Juneau AK
249 PM AKST Mon Feb 12 2018
.SHORT TERM.../Monday night through Tuesday night/...The threat of
freezing rain has largely passed. Some locations did in fact
report freezing rain and the advisory issued by night shift was
definitely a good call. Have opted to let the advisory for Zone 26
expire on time even though temperatures in Petersburg and Wrangell
remain below freezing. Snow continues to fall there, but will
transition to rain later tonight. Elsewhere, Haines, Gustavus,
Hoonah and the southern zones are all reporting rain as of mid
afternoon. A rain-snow mix is likely occurring in Yakutat.
Besides zone 26, snow continues to fall in Juneau as well. Short
term forecast trend is for all spots except Hyder and White Pass
to transition to rain by tomorrow and a lot of sport will see
overnight lows early this evening with temperatures steady or
slowly rising through the night.
South winds, up to marginal gale force over northern Lynn Canal,
will diminish as the front weakens and moves off. Weak low
pressure remaining over the panhandle and eastern gulf will
restore a northerly pressure gradient tomorrow with sub-small
craft winds on the inside. On the outside, post-frontal
southwesterly small craft and gale force winds will veer
northwesterly tomorrow.
Little to no change made to the short range forecast. Overall
forecast confidence is average.
.LONG TERM.../Wednesday through Monday as of 10 pm Sunday/ Long
range period will start in an active pattern then it appears that
things will quiet down during the latter part of the period. A
flat ridge will be over the EPAC with a shortwave riding through
the ridge into the E gulf Thu/Thu night. This will bring another
low and frontal system into the area. Still some model differences
to resolve on track of main low center. For now, and after coord
with WFO PAFC, went toward WPC/12z EC idea of low tracking toward
the Icy Bay area. 00z models have trended it further S toward the
central panhandle though, so later shifts may need to adjust
this. Another shortwave looks to drop SE into the E gulf for Fri
and Fri night as ridge builds upstream, and this will herald
colder air moving in for the weekend. Ridge looks like it will
remain to the W of the area although will need to watch for any
shortwaves moving through the ridge and interacting with the
colder airmass that will be in place. Ended up using blend of 18z
GFS and 12z EC to handle Wed period, then EC/WPC for Thu through
daytime Fri (to show a stronger system than what WPC had based on
model consensus of a stronger low). From Fri night onward, used
mostly WPC although did use NBM to help adjust temps.
Will start out dry Wed into Wed evening, then as system moves in,
precip threat will increase later Wed night into Thu. Using the
further N low track, ended up with rain reaching further N (with
warmer temps inferred), but if low does track across the central
area like the 00z model runs show, may need to go with lower
temps and more snow over the N. This system should move out later
Thu night and Fri, but upper shortwave diving SE into the E gulf
could bring more precip to the area. Where the most precip occurs
will depend on track of the main vort center. Regardless of precip
occurrence, colder air should follow this system into the area
Fri night and Sat on strong N-NW flow. Looking like increasing
chances for a mostly dry weekend. Toward the end of the period,
the 00z GFS hints at a shortwave moving through the N and E gulf
down front side of the ridge with a threat for precip, while
EC/Canadian suggest any system would stay further offshore. WPC
had chance POPS during this time for a good part of the area,
which is a good compromise.
&
.AJK Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
PUBLIC...Strong Wind from 9 AM AKST Monday through Monday afternoon for
AKZ018.
MARINE...Small Craft Advisory for PKZ012-013-021-022-031>036-041>043-051-
052.
Small Craft Advisory due to Seas for PKZ053.
&&
.AJK Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
PUBLIC...Winter Weather Advisory until 3 PM AKST this afternoon for
AKZ025-026.
Strong Wind until midnight AKST tonight for AKZ018.
MARINE...Gale Warning for PKZ012-042-052.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ011-013-021-022-031>036-041-043-051.
Small Craft Advisory due to Seas for PKZ053.
&&
Fritsch/RWT
Visit us at http://www.weather.gov/Juneau2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Juneau for 6 to 15 inches of snow in this storm. No damage was reported. Impact was intense snow removal.
Petersburg got 7 to 8 inches of snow in this storm. No damage was reported. Impact was intense snow removal.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, February 2018
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: 738632, 738633.