Winter Storm — Haines Borough and Klukwan, Alaska

2024-01-14 to 2024-01-15 · Haines Borough and Klukwan, Alaska

Event narrative

The Haines COOP measured 6.4 inches of snow in their 8am January 16th measurement, however the Haines ASOS (PAHN) indicated that snow had ended by 8pm on Monday the 15th, making this a 12 hour value. Light snow had fallen throughout the MLK long week with periods of light freezing rain reported by the ASOS and by the COOP on both the 14th and 15th. The COOP measured a storm total of 13.7 inches over the long duration event while the public reported on social media a storm total of 18.5 inches of snow fell on the Chilkat Peninsula south of Haines.

Wider weather episode

Over an extended long weekend event, a prefrontal trough followed by a stronger main system with attached moisture plume, delivered first a wave of dry powdery snow with very high snow rations (40:1 to 50:1 in many places). The next wave/front of snow was wetter and difficult to shovel, with some places seeing a period of freezing drizzle in between the two waves. As the 2nd front tracked southward on the 16th, bringing snow to those areas and extending the duration of the event.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1158360. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.