Heavy Snow in Eastern Aleutians, Alaska

The Emergency Manager from Unalaska Public safety reported that 1 to 2 feet of snowfall fell in a 24 hour period from January 25th to January 26th. He reported that snow drifts of over two and a half feet were forming. He mentioned that vehicles were getting stuck on roads and road crews were having difficulty keeping up with the snow. Visibilities were also low during this time.

From January 23rd to January 26th, a cluster of low pressure systems with multiple separate centers moved into the Bering Sea. Parts of this cluster included a low with two centers that moved in from the west and a north Pacific Low that rose from the Southwest. As they approached the Southwestern Alaskan mainland, a frontal system set up and pressure gradients oriented in such a way that winds became gusty in the Alaska Peninsula during the afternoon hours of January 23rd. The lows combined and took a northerly turn on the 24th. The frontal system remained in place for the next two days and another north Pacific low rose from the south on January 25th. The low stalled out over the Alaska Peninsula and took advantage of an atmospheric river to drive heavy snowfall into Southwest and Southcentral Alaska through January 26th. A period of gusty winds were also felt in the Anchorage region on January 25th.