Heavy Snow — Middle Tanana Valley, Alaska

2015-09-28 to 2015-09-30 · Middle Tanana Valley, Alaska

Event narrative

College hills storm total 16.5 inches.

Wider weather episode

A 987 mb low in the gulf of Alaska brought an abundance of moisture into the Tanana Valley from the afternoon hours of the 28th into the morning hours of the 30th. Record setting snow was reported across much of the Fairbanks area. Fairbanks airport set a new daily snowfall record on the 29th of September receiving 11.2 inches of snow...breaking the record of 7 inches set in 1972. Storm totals from around the Fairbanks and eastern interior are below. Numerous power outages and fallen trees were reported due to the heavy wet snow. At the peak of the storm nearly 30 thousand people were without power and some roads impassable with fallen trees.

Zone 222:

Fairbanks International Airport: 14.2 inches

College Hills (NWS Employee): 16.5 inches.

South Fox (NWS Employee): 15.5 inches.

Mile 3 Chena Hot Springs Road: 15.0 inches.

Upper McGrath Road (Spotter): 14.5 inches

UAF (NWS Co-op Observation): 14.9 inches.

North Pole (Spotter): 10.5 inches.

1 Mile Gilmore Trail (Unofficial): 19 inches.

Zone 221: Nenana Alaska State Troopers office reported 8.5 inches.

Zone 225: Denali Park HQ reported 11.8 inches.

Zone 226: Trims DOT camp reported 12 inches.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 601258. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.