Alaska sees first widespread snow event of season
The recent snowfall south of Fairbanks was not the first time frozen precipitation has impacted the Last Frontier this year. Snowfall was reported in the Brooks Range in mid-August, but due to its rural nature was not impactful to residents.
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FAIRBANKS, Alaska - The first widespread snow event of the season blanketed parts of the Final Frontier this week, signaling that the winter season is fast approaching.
Snowfall was reported along the Eastern Alaska Range, including Isabel Pass, where upwards of 7 inches of snow fell.
The frozen precipitation was significant enough that National Weather Service meteorologists issued a Winter Weather Advisory and said travel could be difficult along roadways such as the Richardson Highway.
Forecasters said snow levels dipped to around 1,200 feet - the lowest so far this season - but not low enough to impact more populated areas around Fairbanks, the state’s second-biggest city, which sits at an elevation of about 400 feet.
This was not the first time snow has been reported during the second half of the year, but it is widely considered the most impactful so far.
Frozen precipitation has occurred off and on along the Brooks Range since mid-August, but because of the terrain, there has often been little disruption.
The recent snowfall even led to a dusting at lower elevations of Denali National Park, one of the largest NPS sites in the country.
Photo of heavy snowfall in Alaska.
(Alaska DOT / FOX Weather)
FALL FOLIAGE SEASON BEGINS IN LOWER 48 WITH CHANGING LEAVES SPOTTED
According to forecasters, the wintry precipitation is not unusual for this time of year, as temperatures typically drop significantly in late September or early October, with the coldest weather arriving in January.
One region not following seasonal norms is western Alaska, where a lack of frozen precipitation is expected, in part due to a massive "blob" of warm water in the Pacific.
Water temperatures in some parts of the Pacific Ocean are running 5-10 degrees above average, often exerting a moderating influence on surrounding coastal areas.
Forecasters say it is too early to tell how much of the state will experience reduced snowfall due to the warm Pacific this season, but during previous significant marine heat waves, measurable snow was hard to come by for some communities.
Photo of heavy snowfall in Alaska.
(Alaska DOT / FOX Weather)
Forecast models continue to show the potential for additional light accumulations in the higher elevations over the next week, while more populated locales such as Fairbanks, Anchorage and Juneau are expected to see cold rain.
According to data from Anchorage’s Ted Stevens International Airport, wintry precipitation can fall as early as September and last through May, with the region averaging about 70 inches of snow annually.
Alaska Wednesday Forecast
(NOAA)