Gulf Coast Snow Events, December 2011January 2012
Unless otherwise noted, information from NCDC Storm Events Database
Alaska’s Gulf Coast saw incredible amounts of snow between December
2011 and January 2012. Low-pressure system after low-pressure system
battered the Gulf, bringing high winds, rain, blizzard conditions, and snow. The
storms usually either came west from the Bering Sea or north from the Pacific, as
strong westerlies that developed mid-December over the Aleutians sent cyclones
towards the Gulf.1 Many safety hazards resulted—dangerous driving conditions
with, at times, only several feet of visibility which caused many car wrecks and
moose collision deaths, power outages as tree limbs fell on power lines,
avalanche threats as rain and warmer temperatures heated the snow, and
collapsing roofs as some towns were covered in as much as 18ft of snow, such
as Cordova.
Cordova, a small fishing town with a population of 2,200, got the brunt of
these monstrous storms. For example, on January 6th, the town received 20in of
snow, breaking a 21-year-old daily record by 135%. The city’s mayor declared a
state of emergency for the town after several weeks of relentless snow buried the
town. To aid in the emergency, the Alaska National Guard provided snowremoval assistance and brought supplies to the citizens. The State of Alaska
spent $775K on relief efforts, including sending the Guard to Cordova and snowremoval machines to Cordova and other towns.
Many other Gulf cities felt the wrath of the “snowpocalypse” and snowremoval issues, including Valdez, Yakutat, Haines, and Anchorage. As
Anchorage was digging out from their snowiest season (snow season running
from July to June of the next year) since 195455, and as the residents became
antsy for faster snow handling, the city’s budget director estimated it would cost
the city $33M$45M more a year for a complete 24-hour snow removal after the
end of a storm.2
Date(s)
Dec. 7Dec. 9
Dec. 11Dec. 12
Details
A low-pressure system over the Bering Sea caused rain and snow for Yakutat
and Juneau. An upper-level jet pulled in moisture from the Gulf, fueling the
precipitation in the Panhandle. The system moved southwest and brought
snow to Anchorage.
 Strong wind in South Central Alaska produced gusts up to 86mph along
the Anchorage Hillside.
 According to Anchorage Police, hardened snow banks could have
contributed to the crash of an SUV on the night of 1/8, killing one female
passenger.3
 Thompson Pass measured 18.9in of snow from 12/7 through 12/9.
An intense Bering Sea low-pressure system, and associated front, moved
1
2012: Weatherwatch. Weatherwise, 68.
2
Quicker Snow Removal Would Cost City $33M to $45M Per Year. NBC - 2 KTUU (Anchorage, AK) - January 13, 2012. Author: Matthew Simon. Section: News.
3
Woman Dies in One Car Rollover in Midtown Anchorage.NBC - 2 KTUU (Anchorage, AK) - December 9, 2011. Author: Rhonda McBride. Section: News
Dec. 13Dec. 14
Dec. 17Dec. 18
eastward through the Western Gulf, creating instability with warm, moist air
pushed over colder air in the Northern Lynn Canal area. This system produced
heavy snow and blizzard conditions in Anchorage, Thompson Pass, and
Susitna Valley. Warmer-than-normal temperatures were advected to the
Anchorage area.
 High winds in Cordova knocked over some trees.
 High winds in Anchorage resulted in numerous extended power
outages.
 The Anchorage School District was closed on 1/11 because of the
dangerous traveling conditions.
 The Haines Highway got a rapid snowfall of 7in by the morning of 12/12.
 8,000 people in Hope, Moose Pass, Whittier, Indian, and the Anchorage
Hillside all lost power during mid-afternoon on 1/11 because of falling
tree limbs and high winds. By nighttime, about half had power again.
Nine crews worked long hours to restore power.
 Between midnight and early evening on 1/12, dispatchers recorded 29
crashes and 40 reports of vehicles in distress. Many vehicles skidded off
Seward Highway.4
 The Alaska DOT had 6 plow/sander trucks, 5 graders, 2 belly-dump
sanders, and 2 sidewalk blowers working in Anchorage for snow
removal. The DOT salted the roads to attempt to smooth out bumps.
They also performed avalanche control on the Seward Highway. 5
 About 2,500 homes and businesses in Kenai also lost power on 1/11,
but power was mostly restored within an hour.6
 Valdez received 20.3in of snow on 12/11.
A front from an associated weak low-pressure system from the Bering Sea
moved eastward onto the Gulf Coast on the morning of 12/14, brining with it
heavy snow to Yakutat.
 On 12/13, Yakutat measured 3.6in of snow. On 12/14, 7.3in of new
snow were measured from the previous night, giving a storm total of
10.9in of new snow.
 Visibility at Yakutat Airport dropped to as low as 0.50mi on 12/14.
A complex, low-pressure system in the Bering Sea moved westward during the
early morning hours of 1/17, bringing with it high winds to South Central
Alaska, namely the Prince William Sound. It also produced blizzard conditions
for Portage Valley and Thompson Pass.
 In Bear Valley (Anchorage), high wind caused two roofs to be partially
blown off and it caused major utility outages across the Anchorage area.
Chugach Electric incurred nearly $500K in costs to restore and repair
utilities damaged from the high wind.
4
Winter storm leaves roads slick in Fairbanks, causes power outages, accidents. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner (AK) - December 11, 2011. Author: Staff and Wire Report Fairbanks Daily News
Miner
5
6
No Snow Day on Roads, Sledding Hills. NBC - 2 KTUU (Anchorage, AK). December 12, 2011. Author: Ted Land. Section: News
Heavy, blowing snow and high winds knock out power - BLIZZARD: Police busy responding to accidents, vehicles in distress. Anchorage Daily News (AK) - December 12, 2011. Author: LISA
DEMER ldemer@adn.com ; Staff. Edition: Final. Section: Main. Page: A3

Dec. 20
Dec. 22Dec. 23
Dec. 26Dec. 29
Winds of 14mph and drifting snow created an issue for television
reception in Kenai from signals in Glen Alps on 12/18.7
 Valdez received 20.0in of snow on 12/17.
A strong low-pressure system moved into Southwest Alaska bringing snow and
strong wind to the Central Gulf, including the Anchorage area, Susitna Valley,
and the Thompson Pass area.
 Blizzard conditions were produced in Thompson Pass because of high
winds paired with 30in of snow. This also created an avalanche threat.
 The peak wind in Anchorage was 84mph.
 Talkeetna DOT reported 16in of snow on 1/20.
A strong low of 970mb made its way to the Central Gulf Coast on 1/22, causing
heavy snow and high winds for the Panhandle as warm, moist air was pushed
over cooler surface air around the Northern Lynn Canal area.
 Skagway Customs measured 7.0in of snowfall from the night of 12/21;
Haines Customs measured 6.5in.
 Hydaburg AWOS had gusts as high as 76mph around midday on 12/22.
Most winds were 60 to 70mph.
 Upslope flow produced heavy snowfall at the Robertson River Bridge
with a total of 10.2in of snow from the afternoon of 12/22 until midday on
12/23. A total of 5.7in of snow were observed in 7hrs during the
afternoon and early evening of the 22nd.
 Peak wind at Thompson Pass was 146mph with blizzard conditions.
 Despite getting 6.0in of snow during the storm, Alaska Airlines at
Anchorage International Airport reported only minor delays.
 During the night of 12/22 in Anchorage, there were 3 car accidents and
29 cars were stuck in ditches.6
 To add to the excitement, there was a 3.9 magnitude earthquake 12mi
southwest of Anchorage. There were no reports of damage.8
A strong low-pressure system spanned the entire Gulf on 12/26, bringing heavy
snow to the Haines area on 12/26 and 12/27, while tight pressure gradients
caused strong winds for the outer coast and the Southern Panhandle. By the
afternoon of 12/26, the system deepened to have a central pressure of 960mb
near Middleton Island with hurricane-force (category 3) gusts. Another lowpressure system met up with the nearly-stalled the trough on 12/27, brining
warmer air, snow, and rain to the Panhandle through 12/29.
 Hydaburg AWOS recorded a gust of 76mph on 12/26 with many
sustained winds in the 60s and lower 70s.
 Baranof Island measured a peak wind of 84mph at 9am on 12/26, with
many sustained wind speeds in the 70s.
 Haines Customs measured 18in new snowfall for 24hrs, ending at 7am
on 12/27. Downtown Haines got 12.5in.
 Blizzard conditions persisted in Thompson Pass.
7
Kenai Television Signal Down. NBC - 2 KTUU (Anchorage, AK) - December 18, 2011. Author: Tim Akimoff. Section: News.
8
Anchorage gets up to 14 inches of snow. Associated Press State Wire: Alaska. (AK) - December 23, 2011. Author: MARK THIESSEN - Associated Press. Section: State and regional
Jan. 1Jan. 2
Jan. 3Jan. 5
Jan. 6Jan. 8
A low-pressure system from the North Pacific, spanning the entire Gulf on 1/1,
caused highly variable amounts of snow, strong winds up to 60mph, and rain
through 1/2.
 Snow amounts were highly variable around Juneau; Lena point
measured 8.9in and Auke Bay measured 7.6in of new snow for the
evening of 1/1, while the airport only got 4.1in.
 Yakutat received 5.9in of new snow during the afternoon of 1/1;
Gustavus measured 8.5in of new snow in the morning.
 A spotter in Hoonah measured 6.5in of new snow on 1/1 and an
additional 4.9in during the early morning of 1/2.
 Downtown Haines COOP observer measured 16.1in of new snow on the
morning of 1/2.
 Haines Customs measured 4.0in of new snow on 1/1 and 42.0in of new
snow on 1/2; most of the snow fell before midnight.
 A COOP observer near Ketchikan observed 70mph gusts on 1/1;
Hydaburg AWOS measured 60mph gusts during the afternoon.
 Peak winds at Thompson Pass were 108mph.
A storm-force system with many low centers, coming from the North Pacific,
covered the entire Gulf on 1/3. The storm headed north along the Panhandle
on 1/4, creating tightly-packed pressure gradients and, thus, high winds to the
Clarence Strait area. The system weakened by mid-afternoon 1/4, but heavy
snow persisted in the Haines area into 1/5.
 Downtown Haines received a total of 15.6in of new snow between 1/3
and 1/4; Haines Customs measured 13.0in of snow.
 Valdez measured 19.2in of snow on 1/5.
 Spotters near Clarence Strait reported 115mph gusts.
 The Southern Channels experienced a several-hour power outage and
many downed trees across the roads.
 Up to one foot of snow fell in just a few hours during the early morning
hours of 1/4 along the Richardson Highway.
 Yakutat received 20.3in of snow the night of 1/5.
 There were 90mph gusts in Whittier on 1/4, which ripped off several
boat covers that were in a dry dock and broke one boat window in
Begich Towers. The mooring lines of several boats moored in the harbor
were snapped due to the strong winds.
A hurricane-force 960mb low center moved into the Northern Gulf on 1/6 and
produced heavy snow and strong winds through 1/8 across the South Central
region, the Prince William Sound area, and east through the Northern Lynn
Canal area.
 Downtown Haines measured 5.5in of new snowfall on the morning of 1/7
and then 1.8in on the morning of 1/8.
 Eldred Rock had a peak gust of 80mph on 1/8.
 The mountains in Anchorage got 12in of snow.
 Valdez measured 19.3in of snow on 1/6.
 A state of emergency was declared in Cordova on 1/6. White-out
conditions on 1/6 in Cordova only added to the danger of the city being
Jan. 10Jan.12
9
buried beneath 18ft of snow from the past few weeks. Snowplows could
not maneuver in the streets because visibility fell between 10 to 15ft.
More than 70 Alaska National Guard personnel were sent to Cordova on
1/8 to help move snow, including avalanche control, and provide
assistance and supplies to the people. The Guard arrived by ferries to
the city because there was no road access. Other volunteers and
workers were paid $25/hour to shovel snow.9 Snow depth at the airport
was 59in on 1/9 before rain compressed it to 47ft. Two commercial
buildings and one house had their roofs collapsed by snow.10
 After this storm, Valdez had 290.1in of snowfall during the season,
which was 146in above normal.11
An intense, low-pressure system in the northern Gulf, with a central pressure of
968mb, produced strong winds, low wind chills, heavy snow, rain, and blizzard
conditions for the South Central. On 1/10, a strong, upper-level jet brought
moist air to the Prince William Sound area, and caused more heavy snow, and
then rain, for Cordova and the Anchorage-Sustina Valley area. The storm
extended to Yakutat and Haines, also brining them snow. The system
weakened and stalled but still continued to produce snow until 1/12.
 Blizzard conditions and an avalanche closed the Seward Highway
between Bird and Girdwood the night of 1/10 through the late afternoon
of 1/12.12
 Valdez received 31.6in of snow from this storm.
 Yakutat received 5.9in of new snow from noon to midnight on 1/10. The
snow changed to heavy rain around midnight, which rapidly compacted
the snow by measurement time.
 The roof of First National Bank in Cordova collapsed on 1/9 because of
the snow load that had been building the past few weeks.
 City officials in Cordova were in a search for more shovels—the shovels
kept breaking trying to move heavy snow. They worked with shovel
manufactures in Quebec to have more shovels sent to them. They
ordered 72 shovels at $50/shovel, which was paid for by the city’s
emergency fund.13
 A warm-up with rain turned Cordova’s rain to slush, which created
widespread fear of avalanches.14
 Three docked boats sank in Kodiak because of the heavy snow load.
Kodiak got about 10in of snow on 1/9, and another 6in on 1/10.
 As of 1/11, the snow depth in Kodiak was 21in.
BIG SNOW OF 2012. Cordova Times (AK) - January 13, 2012. Section: News
10
Alaska town tries to dig out from huge snow dump. Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. (AK) - January 8, 2012. Author: Rachel D'Oro. Section: Alaska News
11
State of Emergency Continues in Cordova, Alaska National Guardsmen Arrive to Help. NBC - 2 KTUU (Anchorage, AK) - January 8, 2012. Section: News.
12
Seward Highway Closure Extended Until Wednesday. NBC - 2 KTUU. (Anchorage, AK) - January 10, 2012. Author: Neil Torquiano and Ted Land. Section: News.
13
Shovel maker helps Cordova dig out from big snowfall. Kodiak. Daily Mirror (AK) - January 12, 2012. Author: Mark Thiessen / Associated Press. Section: news.
14
National Weather Service: Big snowfall but no record. Kodiak Daily Mirror (AK) - January 11, 2012. Author: Daily Mirror Staff / editor@kodiakdailymirror.com. Section: news.

Jan. 13Jan. 14
Jan. 19Jan. 27
Because of the snowy conditions in Anchorage on 1/12, there were 88
reports of vehicles in distress, 51 wrecks without injuries, and 5 wrecks
with injuries.15
 As of 1/12, Anchorage had 88in of snowfall, which was more than
double of its normal snowfall of 30.1in, from the “snow season” between
July 1 to June 30.16
 As of 1/12, the State of Alaska has paid $775K for relief efforts including
the Guard to help Cordova, heavy equipment for snow removal, and
fuel.17
During the night of 1/13, a strong Arctic high pressure built over Alaska’s
interior, causing the semi-permanent Arctic front to move southward, from Lynn
Canal all the way to Dixon Entrance by the morning of 1/14. This movement
lifted warm, moist air over the southern Panhandle, producing heavy snow,
namely around Ketchikan, in a possible “lake-effect” manner.
 A spotter near Ketchikan measured 13in of rapidly accumulating new
snowfall on 1/13, with another 6in overnight in snow showers. Other
areas around Ketchikan had highly variable amounts; some of which
were only a couple of inches.
 Blizzard conditions persisted through Thompson Pass.
A storm-force low, deepening down in to the 950mbs (category 3 hurricane
pressures), moved into the Central Gulf on 1/19 and lingered there until 1/27.
The system caused high winds, cold temperatures, and heavy snow for most of
the Panhandle. On 1/22, a low from the North Pacific merged with the existing
low-pressure system, brining more snow to the Panhandle because it rotated in
warm, moist air over the cold surface air. The system weakened the night of
1/22 but strengthened again when another low from the North Pacific joined the
massive system, until finally dissipating on 1/27.
 South Douglas profiler observed many gusts between 70 to 80mph on
the night of 1/19.
 Baranof Island received 19.0in of new snow on the evening of 1/20 and
had 60mph winds.
 Misty Fjords measured 17.4in of new snowfall from 1/20 through the
morning of 1/22.
 Edna Bay observed 10.3in of new snowfall during this storm.
 Coffman Cove got 9.7in by the morning of 1/21 and an additional 3.6in
by the morning of 1/22.
 Gusts at Eldred Rock were 93mph.
 Haines and the Lynn Canal area had a period of strong north wind on
1/20 with gusts of 70mph.
 Downtown Haines measured 15.7in of new snow on 1/22. Visibility at
Haines airport was as low as 0.25mi.
15
Anchorage copes with another big snowfall - 88.8 INCHES: City on pace to break all-time mark set 57 years ago; some relief is expected this weekend. Anchorage Daily News
(AK). January 13, 2012. Author: Daily News staff and wire reports ; Staff. Edition: Final. Section: Main. Page: A10
16
Another big storm hits Alaska as weary residents dig out. Fairbanks Daily. News-Miner (AK) - January 12, 2012. Author: Mark Thiessen. Section: Alaska News
17
Winter piles on more snow for weather weary. Peninsula Clarion, The (Kenai, AK) - January 12, 2012. Author: Mark Thiessen. Section: News.


Jan. 29Jan. 31
As of 1/18, Kodiak had received 36.4in of snow.
Yakutat WSO measured 7.7in of new snow on 1/23, with visibility as low
as 0.25mi and gusts up to 23mph.
 Highly variable snow amounts around Juneau; 4 to 6in on the afternoon
of 1/23, then 4 to 11in new snow by the morning of 4/24.
 Hoonah got 6 to 7in of new snow on 1/24 and the next day received
11.6in more of snow.
 The NWS office in Yakutat measured 11.3in of new snow on 1/24; 11.2
on 1/25, 8.7 on 1/26, and 9.3 on 1/27. Snow removal had been a
significant issue and cost to Yakutat for the winter of 201112.
 Cape Decision had gusts up to 93mph.
During the evening of 1/29, the Arctic front was situated over Juneau, while a
weak low-pressure system rotated in warm, moist air to the area. Heavy snow
was brought to the Haines area the night of 1/30.
 Juneau Airport received 7.5in of snow overnight on 1/29. The water
treatment plant in Juneau measured 14.0in on 1/30.
 The Haines area had snow totals ranging from 8 to 11in.
 A spotter measured 11in of new snow at the Chilkat Peninsula.
 On 1/30, on Thane Road in Juneau, there was a power outage caused
by the storm lasting for three hours, which affected 89 people.18
10-Day Snowfall Records (from NOAA RCC’s xmACIS2)
Station
Value
Dates
Cannery Creek
65.2
2011-12-22 through 2011-12-31
Cordova North
89.5
2011-12-28 through 2012-01-06
Anchorage 11.9 SSE
43.8
2011-12-19 through 2011-12-28
Select Snowfall Records (from NOAA RCC’s xmACIS2)
Station
December
2011
Anchorage
31.1
Cordova
71.3
Valdez
152.2
Haines Customs*
74.5
*Limited period of record
18
Oh Snow!. Juneau Empire (AK) - January 31, 2012. Section: Local
December
Avg.
14.7
25.1
60.0
62.2
January 2012
January Avg.
25.2
53.6
X
123.5
11.2
23.2
X
50.9