It’s Impossible To Forget These 5 Horrific Winter Storms That Have Gone Down In Alaska History
If Alaska is known for one thing, its our brutal snow. We’re well known for having winter storms in Alaska that contain larger amounts of snow compared to the rest of the United States. However, we’ve had some Alaska snowfall records that were well above average. In some cases, we’ve even broken world records! We all know that when Alaska does snow, we do it well.
In a period of less than three days, Fairbanks broke all of its previous records. A whopping 35 inches of snow came down during that time period. Even with city crews working over 24 hours a day, every day, it was difficult to keep up with the massive quantity of snowfall. In fact, workers actually ran out of places to put the snow! To this day, the storm holds Fairbanks's city record as the most snow dropped in a single storm.
Cordova was hit by what locals called a "Snowicane." This was one of the worst blizzards in Alaska's recent memory. Pummeled with over 18 feet of snow in the same amount of days, the city officially declared a state of emergency. The National Guard was called in to help remove snow from homes and roads. Many houses and business roofs caved in, and at least one apartment building had to be evacuated due to fears of collapse!
3. St Patrick's Day Snowstorm, 2002, in Anchorage, Alaska
On March 17, 2002, Anchorage experienced a record breaking snowfall. Within 24 hours, over 29 inches of snow fell on the largest city in Alaska. The snow fell at a rate greater than two inches per hour at some times! However, even during this massive snowfall, Ted Stevens International Airport managed to stay open. A massive crew working 12 hour shifts managed to keep the 25 million square feet of asphalt clear enough for flights to continue to take off and land.
Thompson Pass is the snowiest place in Alaska, coming in at over 500 inches of snow annually. So for them to set Alaska snowfall records is nothing unusual. On December 6, Thompson Pass actually broke the world record for the most intense snowfall ever recorded. A crazy 15 inches of snow were received in just 90 minutes. By the end of the storm, 12 hours had brought over 40 inches of snow! Crews had to work hard to keep the roads clear.
Although Valdez is one of the snowiest places in the United States, averaging over 300 inches annually, the weather really outdid itself during December-January of 2012. Locals called it "Valdez Snowmageddon," and it ended up being one of the worst winter storms in Alaska. By January 12, over 320 inches of snow had been recorded: almost 27 feet! For the first time in decades, locals were concerned about their roofs collapsing from the weight of the snow. That was the first snow day for Valdez schools in an incredibly long time.
Do you remember any of these winter storms in Alaska? Are there any other blizzards you would add to this list? Share your experiences in the comments!
The Exxon oil spill was a terrible event, and we have also had some dreadful wildfires. We have also had a number of horrific plane crashes, like the 1995 Boeing E-3 Sentry crash. Accidents sometimes happen anywhere.
Alaska In Your Inbox
Thank you! You'll receive your first newsletter soon!
Megan McDonald is a writer, photographer, and owner of an Alaska-based media company. She spends her free time traveling with her husband and daughter, and loves to see and experience new things!
