Winter Weather — Western Prince William Sound, Alaska

2023-12-12 · Western Prince William Sound, Alaska

Event narrative

Whittier MAWS reported visibility one half mile or lower with winds gusting in excess of 31 knots (36 mph) on the morning of December 12 through shortly after noon. Similar visibilities were observed at Portage Glacier during the same time period.

Wider weather episode

A low tracked into Prince William Sound on Dec 12 as it rotated around a deep upper-level trough centered over Western Alaska. Snow spread west from the Copper Basin as the trough became northwest-southeast oriented. Out west, the upper-level trough contributed to a strong push of cold air across the Bering Sea, which lead to blowing snow with widespread snow showers across the Alaska Peninsula.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1153638. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.