Winter Weather — Alaska Peninsula, Alaska

2023-12-12 · Alaska Peninsula, Alaska

Event narrative

The Cold Bay ASOS reported visibility one half mile or less with winds gusting as high as 45 knots (52 mph) during a period of snow showers during the afternoon of December 12. Blizzard-like conditions were observed at times in Cold Bay and King Cove.

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 1153640. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.