Another low in a series of systems affecting the panhandle brought wind to the south and elevation snow to the north as a front tracked northward across the region.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 low in a series of systems affecting the panhandle brought wind to the south and elevation snow to the north as a front tracked northward across the region.
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 Dec 24, 3:04 PM AKST, 56 minutes earlier.
Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Juneau AK
304 PM AKST Sun Dec 24 2023
.SHORT TERM...Showers moves through the inner channels this
evening and through tonight as a surface low weakens over the NW
Gulf. Winds remain breezy out there with onshore flow ranging
between 15 to 20 mph. Late tonight the next low moves into the S
Gulf bringing a storm force front to the S inner channels. As the
front moves towards the Panhandle, it will weaken causing 30 to
40 kt winds. Widespread strong winds gusting to 40 mph are also
expected for S coastal communities. As the front lifts N through
Monday, moderate to heavy rain will spread N through the day. A
warm air mass will be associated with this system so surface temps
remain well above freezing. Snow levels rise to around 4,000 ft
across the south and around 2,000 ft across the central Panhandle.
Across the far north, including the Haines and Klondike Highways,
precipitation will fall as heavy snow. This has prompted a Winter
Storm Warning to be issued for late Monday morning through late
Tuesday morning.
.LONG TERM...Tuesday morning a system will be departing the
region, with a short break from more active weather until early
Wednesday morning as northerly winds settle in across the
northern and central inner channels. Current forecast reflects
small craft conditions for these waters, with gusts reaching gale
force in Lynn Canal Wednesday into Thursday and the strongest
winds expected late Wednesday into the night. Some guidance is
suggesting gale force for Lynn Canal, additional updates will be
needed.
As winds increase the system will steer moisture into the region,
bringing moderate rain, with snow in the far northern highways
through the end of the week.
&&
.AVIATION...Widespread showers will continue to diminish through
the afternoon and evening with temporary drops in VIS and CIG
possible among heavier showers to MVFR or even IFR. While heavier
showers should diminish by tonight, rain will pick up once more
late tonight into Monday with the next approaching storm. Winds
will remain elevated for most of the panhandle before the next
storm force front approaches from the south to ramp them up
further with LLWS increasing from south to north. Winds will
remain elevated with LLWS expected through the day Monday into
Monday night. Overall expect MVFR and possibly IFR conditions
with widespread lowering CIG and VIS with precipitation as the
system pushes inland overnight into Monday.
&&
.MARINE...Winds increase overnight in the south, with widespread
gale force expected across Dixon into the western coastal water.
While gale force will be the dominant category, there will be
times of storm force in these waters. At the same time, a 30-35
foot southerly swell group will cross Dixon from the coast of
Haida Gwaii, moving north along our coast through the day Monday
diminishing overnight Tuesday.
Wednesday morning winds and swell diminish, with a southwest
swell 9-12ft across the gulf, turning south and increasing 18-22
ft by Friday night.
&&
.AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...Winter Storm Warning from 9 AM Monday to 9 AM AKST Tuesday for
AKZ318-319.
Strong Wind from Monday morning through Monday afternoon for
AKZ323-326.
Strong Wind from late tonight through Monday afternoon for
AKZ327>330-332.
MARINE...Gale Warning for PKZ033>036-641>644-661>664-671.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ011>013-021-022-031-032-053-651-652-
672.
&&
SHORT TERM...CC
AVIATION...SJ
MARINE...AP
LONG TERM...AP
Visit us at http://www.weather.gov/JuneauPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Juneau AK
346 PM AKST Sun Dec 24 2023
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0923 AM Snow White Pass 59.62N 135.16W
12/24/2023 E12.0 inch Skagway AK Public
DOT reported 4 to 12 inches from MP 3 to MP
15.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow, 1 winter storm, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Christmas morning at about 9am, Klondike Highway DOT reported 7 to 12 inches of snow between mile post 8 and the border. The following morning DOT reported another 5 to 8 inches for a storm total of up to 20 inches.
Snow began in the late afternoon of Christmas eve, then by about 9am Christmas morning, Klondike Highway DOT reported 7 to 12 inches of snow between mile post 8 and the border. The following morning DOT reported another 5 to 8 inches for a storm total of up to 20 inches. As the storm was moving out, a southerly surge of winds caused a peak wind gust of 62mph at the Skagway airport, measured at 905am on the 26th, and likely causing blowing and drifting snow up the highway. It was reported later by DOT that the Klondike Highway was closed on the Canadian sides due to white out conditions between the summit and Fraser. The US side was closed later as well.
A front advancing northward brought high winds to western Prince of Wales Island on Christmas morning. NWS station in Craig measured the first high wind gust of 63 mph at 624am and the Hydaburg Seaplane base AWOS recorded 3 hours of high wind, peaking at 67 mph at 1102am.
Haines Highway DOT estimated 6 to 12 inches of snow between mile post 20 and the border by early in the morning of the 26th. Haines Customs COOP reported rain on Christmas morning, then measured 12 inches of snowfall by 7am on the 26th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, December 2023
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: 1154004, 1154256, 1154057, 1154006.