A large storm system in the North Pacific moved northward towards Southern Alaska and brought a myriad of precipitation types. Moisture overran the Arctic air at the surface that was entrenched across the southern Mainland resulting in the hazardous winter weather.
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 AFC wrote it up.
A large storm system in the North Pacific moved northward towards Southern Alaska and brought a myriad of precipitation types. Moisture overran the Arctic air at the surface that was entrenched across the southern Mainland resulting in the hazardous winter weather.
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 Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 14, 5:59 PM AKST, 11 hours 21 minutes earlier.
Southcentral and Southwest Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Anchorage AK 559 PM AKST Mon Feb 14 2022 .ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS... A deep vertically stacked low is approaching the western Aleutian islands between Adak and Shemya. The estimated central pressure is around 965 mb. An occluded front is strung out from west to east across the southern Bering Sea and over to Southwest Alaska. The front is lifting slowly northward, with precipitation overspreading all of Southwest Alaska. Precipitation is in the form of snow north of the frontal boundary, with a transition to rain along and south of the front. This transition from snow to rain is positioned along the Bristol Bay coast. The strongest winds with this storm are located over the central to western Bering and Aleutians, where gale to storm force winds are being observed. Further east, a triple point is crossing the Alaska Peninsula into the northwest Gulf of Alaska, with a warm front extending eastward across the Gulf. Deep and moist southwest flow aloft is leading to overrunning precipitation while weak short-waves embedded within the flow are also providing some upward vertical motion. This is leading to widespread snow across Southcentral Alaska. && .MODEL DISCUSSION... Models continue to all show the same general pattern evolution and same key features. However, run-to-run continuity is not great as models struggle to track short-waves moving out of the central Pacific up to southern Alaska, then eastward overtop of the blocking ridge sitting over the east Pacific. As was the case yesterday, the NAM is the notable outlier on the 12Z guidance. In particular, NAM solution is different with track of surface low in the eastern Bering Sea Tuesday night/Wednesday and with track/timing of short-waves crossing southern Alaska Wed-Thu. The other solutions are clustered together and will be preferred for forecast updates. Will not get too cute with qpf/snow amounts beyond the ongoing event over southern Alaska because expect models will continue to show at least minor shifts in depiction of short-wave troughs. Bottom line, it will be an active weather week, with at least 3 distinct precipitation events over southern Alaska. && .AVIATION... PANC...Snow will continue to limit ceiling/vis through about 12Z, with prevailing IFR conditions. A weak surface low will head inland across the Kuskokwim Valley tonight, which looks to be just enough to switch around the pressure gradients and allow a southeasterly Turnagain wind to bend into the airport right around 12Z. This should lead to an improvement and both ceiling/vis to at least MVFR. This will cause surface temperatures to rise to freezing or a degree or two above freezing. I could bring in just enough warm air to produce some very light rain or drizzle before precipitation completely ends. The wind will be short-lived as pressure gradients quickly slacken between 15Z and 18Z. As has been the case behind the last couple snow events, upper levels will dry out, while lower levels will remain quite moist. As a result, areas of low clouds and fog will likely develop sometime Tuesday/Tuesday night, with a good chance of IFR or low end MVFR conditions. && .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA (Days 1 through 3...Tonight through Thu afternoon)... A VERY active weather pattern is expected to continue through the week. First, the well-advertised storm system number one is currently moving through Southcentral. A very strong upper level ridge centered over the North Pacific and a strong upper level low south of the Aleutian Islands is creating southwesterly flow in between which is aimed right at Southcentral Alaska. A series of upper level shortwaves will continue to move through Southcentral through the evening and overnight hours. As a result, latest radar data shows precipitation in the form of snow with some mesoscale banding occurring within the main precipitation shield this afternoon primarily over the Anchorage Bowl. This will result in continued heavy snowfall rates up to 1 inch per hour at times throughout the evening. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for Anchorage and the Matanuska Valley for the evening commute as a result. Snow is expected to continue through the overnight hours and potentially even through around noon on Tuesday when the last of the upper level shortwaves lifts on through Anchorage. Therefore, the morning commute on Tuesday may also be affected. This last upper level shortwave is expected to only slowly move northward towards the Alaska Range through Tuesday night. Therefore, areas of the Susitna Valley (mainly from Talkeetna on north) and across the Copper River Basin may see snowfall continuing through Tuesday evening. This will especially be the case on the west side facing Talkeetna and Wrangell Mountains as well as the south side of the Alaska Range. Also, this pattern continues to favor Hatcher Pass where upwards of a foot to 16 inches of snow is expected between now and Tuesday afternoon. Heights will slowly build from southwest to northeast behind the aforementioned upper level shortwave during the day on Tuesday. However, the next upper level shortwave will be quickly approaching Southcentral lending to only a very brief break in the weather perhaps Tuesday afternoon and evening for Anchorage and the Matanuska Valley. With the overall westerly flow aloft, any clearing that does occur will likely not make it into the Cook Inlet region on Tuesday. Therefore, thinking the low level clouds will remain in place. While the upper levels are expected to dry out some, this will leave an atmospheric profile resembling that of potentially freezing drizzle. For now though, current thinking is that enough moisture will be in place to result in on and off flurries sort of like what occurred over Anchorage Sunday evening. Next, another storm system which will be the stronger and warmer of the two makes its way into Southcentral Tuesday evening and affects the area through Wednesday. This system will do the same as the first and ride up and over the periphery of the upper level ridge over the North Pacific as the energy from the upper level low centered south of the Aleutians moves northeastward. This upper level shortwave will be much stronger than this recent one today and will bring a return of deep moist southwesterly flow into Southcentral. This will result in precipitation breaking out yet again from southwest to northeast. However, this time the previous system will have virtually eroded all the cold air for places such as Kodiak and the southern Kenai Peninsula (including Homer) resulting in all rain this time around. Further north, thinking enough warm air moves northward to result in potentially a rain/snow mix for the Kenai/Soldotna area as well as for the Sterling Highway between Soldotna and Cooper Landing. Right now it appears Anchorage, Mat-Su Valleys, and Copper River Basin will remain all snow with this event with heavy snow accumulations likely. This snow will likely be of the wet snow variety due to warmer temperatures aloft and at the surface. Cordova may also see enough warm air come in to result in a rain/snow mix with the Valdez and Thompson Pass area remaining cold enough for all snow. Hatcher Pass will yet again be the favored area for this system with deep moist southwesterly flow aloft bringing potentially another foot or more of heavy wet snow. There is the potential for this one to also bring a heavy amount of snow to the southern Copper River Basin including the Richardson Highway and Edgerton Highway areas. Behind this system, a similar setup looks to occur for Wednesday evening into Thursday with the upper levels drying out but low level moisture remaining trapped resulting in potentially freezing drizzle or on and off light snow showers during this time frame. Then just will quickly touch on this here, there is yet a third system that may bring another round of snow to much of Southcentral Thu afternoon onward. && .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHWEST ALASKA (Days 1 through 3 - Today through Thursday)... Busy weather persists for Southwest through the period. As the upper-level shortwave behind today's weather moves out of the area, precipitation will gradually taper off from south to north through Tuesday morning. For now, a Winter Weather Advisory for blowing snow remains in effect over the Kuskokwim Delta coast through this evening. A rain/snow transition has set up across southern Bristol Bay, where the AKPEN is seeing rain while the Dillingham area is seeing mixed precipitation. As temperatures in northern Bristol Bay are expected to warm above freezing only when precipitation is ending, the transition zone is not expected to move much further north than its current location. An upper-level shortwave moves north on Tuesday, spinning up a surface low and front that move into Southwest Alaska. Precipitation will slowly spread north from Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning. Much of Bristol Bay will likely see rain as the low brings an influx of warm air, though the Kuskokwim Delta and Lower Kuskokwim Valley should see mostly snow except for areas of compressional warming downwind of the Kuskokwim Mountains. As the surface low moves towards the Kuskokwim Delta early Wednesday morning, increased winds and potentially heavy snowfall rates could create another period of blowing snow and reduced visibilities. Some uncertainty remains with where the heaviest precipitation will occur, so the severity of blowing snow and potential reduced visibilities remain unclear. Snow will continue through Wednesday evening, diminishing as the surface low moves east out of the area. There is little break in precipitation as an occluding low in the Bering pushes its front into Southwest early Thursday morning. For now, precipitation looks to be mostly snow except for rain along the AKPEN. There remains model disagreement with the track of the Bering low and where a triple point low, if it forms, will track. As such, precipitation amounts and finer details remain uncertain at this time. && .SHORT TERM FORECAST BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS (Days 1 through 3 - Today through Thursday)... A strong low lingers near the Western Aleutians, stretching its front across the Bering and into Southwest Alaska. As the low occludes, winds will slowly diminish below gale force along the Western Bering through Tuesday morning. Elsewhere in the Bering and Aleutians, the weather remains quiet through Monday evening. The weather becomes more active Tuesday. Over the Eastern Aleutians and Bering, a quick-moving surface low and its front bring rain and small craft winds as it crosses from the Pacific into the Bering. Further west, a strong North Pacific low pushes its front towards the Western and Central Aleutians Tuesday evening. Rain and gale-force winds spread across the Bering as the low and its front push northwards. The front brings light precipitation as it progresses across the Bering and Aleutians, reaching Southwest Alaska by Thursday morning. As the surface low occludes through Thursday, winds around it will diminish below gale force, and precipitation will transition to a showery regime. && .Marine (Days 3 through 5: Thursday through Saturday)... Gulf of Alaska: Gales and seas up to 12 to 15 feet will brush through Kodiak Island, Shelikof Strait, the southern Cook Inlet and south of Kenai Peninsula Thu and Thu night as a result of a rapid-moving frontal system. The next episode of potentially widespread gales and large seas could reach the southwestern Gulf by Sat evening if not sooner. The forecast confidence is moderate. Bering Sea/Aleutians: An active weather pattern continues for the Bering Sea/Aleutians into the end of the week, with the first low bringing gales and seas of 18 to 20 ft across the central/eastern Aleutians and south of Pribilof Islands starting Thu morning through Fri evening. Trailing behind this system would be another broad frontal boundary that may reach the western Aleutians by Fri morning, bringing potentially storm force winds Fri afternoon and much elevated seas of more than 20 ft across the western/central Aleutians and the Bering Sea into Sat night. The latter system will usher widespread gales across the Bering with much higher gap winds across the Aleutian Chain. The forecast confidence is high. && .Long Term Discussion (Days 4 through 7: Friday through Monday)... The potential for more snow and rain/snow mixed is highly favorable for southern AK as a result of a combination of upper level troughs and frontal systems. Warm southerly winds combined with tropical moisture could invite rainfall for parts of the Aleutians especially over the western Aleutians and potentially near Kodiak Island. Meanwhile, an upper ridging over the state will aid to brief periods of calm and quiet weather in spite of uncertainties with the placement and motions of the synoptic lows and upper level dynamics. The forecast confidence is low after Friday. && .AFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PUBLIC...Winter Weather Advisory 101 111 155. MARINE...Gale Warning 175-178 185 411 412. Heavy Freezing Spray Warning 185 411 412. FIRE WEATHER...NONE. && SYNOPSIS AND MODEL DISCUSSION...SEB SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA...MV SOUTHWEST ALASKA/BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS...KC MARINE/LONG TERM...CB
9 winter weather, 1 heavy snow, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Aniak Tribal Svcs reported 18 inches. Chuathbaluk reported 24 inches over two days.
Bethel police department reported 6 inches of snow as well as blowing and drifting. Ground blizzards were reported at Hooper Bay and Kipnuk with low amounts of new snow reported.
Snowfall reports of 6 to 8 inches were received between Willow to Houston to Big Lake area. Also 6 inches was reported 11 miles NNW of Palmer. Multiple reports of 3 to 8 inches through the Matanuska Valley with the highest report to the NNE of Willow where 8 inches of snow was reported. 7 inches was reported in Big Lake, 4.8 inches near Chickaloon, 8 inches 6 miles SSE of Houston, 3 inches near Wasilla, 6 inches 11 mile NNW of Palmer. There was also one report by an NWS employee of 16 inches 4 mile NNE of Knik.
Chulitna River Lodge had 9 inches of snow between 14-16th. Chulitna River (PAEC) had 5.0 inches from 3pm on the 14th to 3 pm on the 15th. Another 4.0 inches was reported from the 3 pm on the 15th to 3 pm on the 16th. Amber Lake (ABRA2) reported 4.2 inches new snow from 7 pm on the 15th until 7 am on the 16th. Another 4.5 inches was reported from 7 pm on the 15th until 7 pm on the 16th.
Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport reported one and one half mile visibility with light freezing drizzle around 6:46 am on the 15th. Advisory was reactionary based on persistent freezing drizzle/rain that lasted from 6:45 AM through 3 PM AKST at|Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport and several other sites in Anchorage proper. About one tenth of an inch of ice fell at Sand Lake office, with 0.13 inches reported as freezing drizzle at Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport. Total ice accretion likely slightly lower with temps occasionally rising to 33-34F.
Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport reported light freezing drizzle and a trace of ice. Merrill Field reported light freezing rain on the 16th at 1:36 am as well as Fort Richardson at 2:08 am on the 16th. Elmendorf also reported light freezing rain on the 16th at 3:43 am.
Kenai reported light freezing rain and a trace of ice.
Chevak AWOS (PAVA) reported winds sustained of 27 mph, one half mile visibility and moderate snow. Hooper Bay AWOS (PAHP) reported a gusts of 34 knots, one quarter mile visibility and heavy snow from 02:34 until 05:40 am on the 17th. Kipnuk also reported one quarter mile visibility for 3 or more hours with similar winds.
Rich Highway milepost 150 reported between 8 and 12 inches of snow. Alaska 511 showed Tok Cutoff Milepost 30 reported between 8 and 12 inches of snow. Alaska 511 showed Isabel Pass closed for snow slide; Public in Glennallen reported 1.4 inches and CoCoRAHS 3.2 miles northeast of Glennallen reported 1.2 inches of snow.
Chulitna River (PAEC) reported 10 inches of snow. CoCoRAHS 7.6 miles south of Talkeetna reported 3.8 inches of snow; 8.5 miles south-southwest of Trapper Creek reported 1.2 inches of snow.
Kenai ASOS reported light freezing rain and trace of ice accumulation at the 8:53 pm ob on the 17th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, February 2022
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: 1019131, 1019132, 1019129, 1019130, 1019133, 1019134, 1019135, 1019136, 1019137, 1019138, 1019139.