The Nearly Snowless Alaska Winter That Took Everyone By Surprise In 2015
By Megan McDonald|Published February 21, 2019
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Megan McDonald
Author
Megan McDonald is a writer, photographer, and owner of humu media, an Alaska-based digital media agency. She spends her free time traveling with her husband and daughter around the US and the world.
In Alaska, we get pretty used to impressive snowfalls. But does anyone remember our winter of 2014-2015? That was one incredible snowless Alaskan winter, breaking previous warm weather records from all the way back in 1925! That is pretty incredible, and unfortunately, to many snow-loving Alaskans, it made for one long, ski-less winter.
For three years in a row, Alaska had record low snowfall.
The winters of 2013-2014, 2014-2015, and 2015-2016 were the lowest snowfall and highest "low" temperatures seen in decades. But 2014-2015 took the winning spot.
This was one of the warmest and least snowy winters on record, even though the East Coast of the United States was experiencing one of their coldest.
The East Coast saw the coldest winter temperatures since 1895. In Alaska, on the other hand, Homer was setting two brand new high-temperature records for February (53 degrees), and March (54 degrees).
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By March 21st, Anchorage International Airport had seen less than 21 inches of snow all season.
That was almost 50 inches of snow less than normally seen during the season! That March was also the least snowy March in 31 years — only .2 inches of snow fell in the city.
In fact, Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska saw half the snow it took in the next season, at 478 inches. Hilltop Ski Area actually closed early for the season due to lack of snowfall.
More than 350 dump trucks brought in snow for the ceremonial start of the Iditarod in Anchorage.
However, a lack of snow south of the Alaska Range moved the official start all the way up to Fairbanks. This was only the second time in the history of the Iditarod that the start was moved to Fairbanks.
Across the state, average surface temperatures were 4-10 degrees above normal.
The largest change in temperatures were experienced in western Alaska. Barrow experienced their third warmest season ever, averaging just -7 degrees Fahrenheit.
The weather has been blamed on above-average sea surface high temperatures in the Gulf of Alaska.
Several weather stations throughout Alaska reported this season in the top 10 warmest ever recorded. The 2014-2015 winter was Kodiak's warmest ever. Hopefully, this will be the last time we see a rainy winter season for a while.
Do you remember this winter? What was your favorite part? What was your least favorite part? Let us know in the comments below!
