Winter Storm in Upper Kobuk Valleys, Alaska

Steady snow fell throughout the day on January 16th with heavy snowfall and visibilities dropping to 1/4 mile or less during the afternoon hours. Nearby the Dahl Creek SNOTEL (DHLA2) reported a 10 inch increase in snow depth throughout the day of January 16th.

Following a period of dry, Arctic conditions across Central Alaska, a potent weather shift occurred on Thursday, January 15. A strong low-pressure system entering the North Pacific coupled with high pressure over Western Canada to funnel a stream of warm, moist air into the region. As the associated warm front tracked north over the Alaska Range, it produced heavy snowfall and high winds, resulting in widespread blizzard conditions. Simultaneously, strong winds to the west triggered blizzards along the West Coast. In the wake of the front, colder air returned alongside a series of upper-level disturbances. By Friday and Saturday (January 16'17), these systems produced additional heavy snowfall across the Interior.