Storm

Alaska Airlines passengers flying into or out of Anchorage Wednesday afternoon found themselves waiting a few extra hours due to a large winter storm which pummeled the Pacific Northwest with more than a foot of snow in places. A few evening flights to Seattle were delayed. None were cancelled. “I'm glad I'm getting away for a little bit,” said Jeffrey Akmata, who was on his way to catch a Caribbean Sea cruise out of Miami, “I was supposed to leave at 4:30 pm originally, and leaving at 6:30 pm right now.” Christopher Schumacher had no idea cities down south were experiencing such nasty weather.

The Alaska Aces completed the series sweep against the Stockton Thunder 4 - 2 Saturday evening at the Sullivan Arena. Aces charged ahead 2 - 0 just five minutes into the game with a pair of goals from Wes Goldie.  Before the end of the first, Stockton managed to tally one courtesy of Ian O'Connor. Less than 20 seconds into the second period, Stockton came in with the equalizer from Jordan Fulton. The Aces battled to find the back of the net, but weren't able to until 3:57 when Nick Mazzolini scored the game winner.  Jaques Lamoureux added to the total with an empty netter less than a minute left in the game.  The Aces are home next weekend, hosting the Idaho Steelheads Friday, January 20th. 

A potent weekend storm is lingering along the Alcan and Panhandle with a couple of inches of snow likely for areas of the northern Panhandle. This storm brought nine to 18 inches of snow to Anchorage and 18 inches to Valdez. Rain fell on several feet of snow in Cordova, saturating it and increasing its weight substantially. Heavy wet snow on buildings will pose a threat to life and property this week. All attention now turns to what is to come. Another major low-pressure system is located south of the Aleutians and is moving northeast toward Southcentral.

A couple of disturbances brought snow to Southcentral yesterday and overnight.  Over half a foot fell along the mountains in Anchorage.  Higher snow totals near two feet have been reported in the eastern PWS region.  Snow and mixed precipitation are still lingering in Valdez and Cordova this morning.  A dome of high pressure has strengthened over Southwest Alaska and has brought a return to bitter cold for Bristol Bay and the Alaska Peninsula. ...

This is a weekend when a lot of families take down the Christmas tree, bringing it to one of the free tree recycling spots in town. There are some rules and apparently not everyone is following them. Mike Post and his team from Tall Trees Inc., a tree care and removal company which chips up the recycled trees, get a kick out of seeing what people bring to the lot each year. “We've seen totally decorated trees before, they don't take off the lights, they don't take off any ornaments,” said Post, who just a few minutes earlier kicked a plastic tree stand off one of the trunks.

The November winter storm that hit Western Alaska became a federal disaster Thursday, as President Obama signed a declaration activating federal funds to help affected communities. State and eligible local governments, as well as some private nonprofit groups, may request federal aid on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the storm. Eligible areas include the North Slope Borough, as well as the Bering Strait Regional Educational Attendance Area and the Lower Kuskokwim REAA, the Lower Yukon REAA and the Southwest Region REAA.

Another wind storm, the fourth in a pattern of of weather hitting the Southcentral region, knocked out power for thousands of residents on Tuesday. The National Weather Service says the storm pattern is not unusual for this time of year, but it has taken a toll on electric companies -- and ratepayers will likely have to cover the damage costs. Chugach Electric Association says crews have worked hard to restore power throughout the month of December, sometimes just in time for the next storm to hit. Chugach says it's too early to estimate the cost of the damage, but says it is hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Snow associated with a shortwave feature that lifted north over Southcentral overnight is still scattered throughout the Interior this morning.  Another weak low is offshore from St. Lawrence Island.  A few snow showers will wrap around it into the Seward Peninsula and Kotzebue Sound area. Meanwhile, a big storm system is battering the Bristol Bay region this morning.  A strong front will bow out to the north and east ahead of the low center, bringing very strong winds and rain and snow.  The low will track northeast over the Aleutians and Alaska Peninsula today.  By tomorrow morning, it will push into the Interior and weaken.

What a weekend!  Near 100 mph winds, heavy rain, snow, mixed precipitation, and water flowing down the roadways and creating small ponds in intersections.  We're not done with it yet.  Snow showers will continue this morning along the Northern Cook Inlet region, including the Matsu and Anchorage metro.  Skies will begin to clear from west to east over the state through tonight as this low lifts northeastward into Canada.  Wrap-around moisture...

A winter storm that hit Southcentral Alaska Sunday brought whiteout conditions to the Seward Highway, dozens of accidents to Anchorage roads and power outages to 8,000 homes across the region as authorities advised people not to drive for the day. The National Weather Service issued a weather advisory as the low-pressure system arrived over the area. “A very strong low has rapidly developed today in the North Pacific and is heading toward the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula this afternoon,” NWS meteorologists wrote in the advisory.