Weather Alert in Alaska
Winter Weather Advisory issued March 14 at 2:38PM AKDT until March 15 at 4:00AM AKDT by NWS Juneau AK
AREAS AFFECTED: City and Borough of Sitka
DESCRIPTION: ...MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL RETURNS SUNDAY INTO MONDAY... .Bands of snow showers are currently pushing into the NE Gulf as of Saturday afternoon with widely varying conditions. Advisory level snowfall rates of around 1 inch per 3 hours is expected from Yakutat to Sitka, with lighter rates inland. If snow showers train over one location for an extended period of time, visibility could drop to a half mile at times with greater accumulations. This wave of showers is separate from a stronger low pressure system that is expected to track northward across the panhandle starting Sunday morning and continuing through Monday. Steady snowfall will return with heaviest rates across the northern and central Alaska Panhandle starting Sunday morning and continuing into Monday. Current forecast snowfall accumulations within the Winter Storm Warnings are between 6 to 14 inches, with locally higher amounts expected through Monday evening. For southern panhandle communities in Winter Weather Advisories, expecting snowfall accumulations of 3 to 6 inches, highest totals within interior Prince of Wales Island. The main forecast challenge for the southern panhandle will be the timing and transition period to a rain and snow mix, or potentially all rain by Sunday afternoon with temperatures reaching into the upper 30s to low 40s along the coast as the front pushes northward, limiting potential snowfall accumulations. Snow showers will then continue behind this system with widely variable accumulations through the rest of the week. * WHAT...For the first Winter Weather Advisory, snow. Additional snow accumulations of up to two inches. For the second Winter Weather Advisory, snow expected. Total snow accumulations of 4 to 6 inches. Winds gusting as high as 50 mph. * WHERE...City and Borough of Sitka. * WHEN...For the first Winter Weather Advisory, until 4 AM AKDT Sunday. For the second Winter Weather Advisory, from 1 PM Sunday to 7 AM AKDT Monday. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult and is discouraged. Gusty winds could bring down tree branches. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A band of snow showers has set up just off shore of Baranof Island near Sitka this Saturday afternoon. This band of snow will gradually shift eastward through the afternoon with additional accumulations up to two inches possible. A separate strong front will push into the area by late Sunday morning, with heaviest snowfall rates expected during the early afternoon before diminishing into the evening.
INSTRUCTION: Slow down and use caution while traveling. People are urged to prepare their property before the onset of winter weather. For the latest road conditions, where available, call 5 1 1 or visit 511.alaska.gov. Mariners should prepare their vessels for snow and wind.
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Weather Topic: What are Cumulonimbus Clouds?
Home - Education - Cloud Types - Cumulonimbus Clouds
Next Topic: Cumulus Clouds
The final form taken by a growing cumulus cloud is the
cumulonimbus cloud, which is very tall and dense.
The tower of a cumulonimbus cloud can soar 23 km into the atmosphere, although
most commonly they stop growing at an altitude of 6 km.
Even small cumulonimbus clouds appear very large in comparison to other cloud types.
They can signal the approach of stormy weather, such as thunderstorms or blizzards.
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Weather Topic: What is Drizzle?
Home - Education - Precipitation - Drizzle
Next Topic: Evaporation
Drizzle is precipitation in the form of water droplets which are
smaller than raindrops.
Drizzle is characterized by fine, gently falling droplets and typically does not
impact human habitation in a negative way. The exception to this is freezing drizzle,
a condition where drizzle freezes immediately upon reaching earth's surface.
Freezing drizzle is still less dangerous than freezing rain, but can
potentially result in hazardous road conditions.
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