Winter Storm — Northeast Prince William Sound, Alaska

2025-01-11 to 2025-01-12 · Northeast Prince William Sound, Alaska

Event narrative

The Alaska Department of Transportation closed Thompson Pass due to high snow accumulations, high winds, and avalanche concerns. Nick's Valley SNOTEL just north of Thompson Pass recorded 28 inches of new snowfall in a 24 hour period ending at 4:00 AM AKST on January 13th. The Department of Transportation reported 108 inches of snow over a three day period from January 10th to January 13th.

Wider weather episode

A large and strong low moved up the North Pacific into the eastern Bering Sea, peaking in strength as it moved up the Kuskokwim Delta. The orientation of the low's front was ideal for strong winds across Southcentral Alaska. Damaging winds were observed across parts of the Turnagain Arm, Kenai Peninsula, Matanuska Valley, and Anchorage. A significant amount of moisture also was transported by this system, causing issues with localized flooding and ponding of water on roads across parts of Southcentral. Snow fell in higher elevations, with multiple feet recorded in Thompson Pass. Colder temperatures prevailed after the front passed, allowing for heavy snowfall in Whittier on the morning of January 12. In Southwest Alaska, high surf, and minor coastal flooding in the Kuskokwim Delta Coast resulted from strong onshore winds. Low sea ice coverage was a factor in this flooding episode.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1234089. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.