NWS Fairbanks issues Winter Storm Watch for South Slopes of Central Brooks Range through Saturday
Up to 12 inches of snow and very difficult travel conditions are possible from Thursday evening through Saturday morning along the South Slopes of the Central Brooks Range.
The National Weather Service office in Fairbanks has placed the South Slopes of the Central Brooks Range under a Winter Storm Watch, warning that 8 to 12 inches of snow could fall from Thursday evening through Saturday morning — the latest in a string of winter weather alerts to hit interior and northern Alaska since late October.
The watch, issued at 2:56 AM AKDT on October 28 and running until 7:00 AM AKDT on October 31, covers a stretch of remote terrain that includes the Dalton Highway from Mile Post 165 to Mile Post 232, as well as communities and camps such as Wiseman, Coldfoot, Chandalar DOT Camp, and Iniakuk Lake, according to NWS Fairbanks.
Travel could be very difficult.— NWS Fairbanks
A watch — as opposed to a warning — means conditions are favorable for a significant weather event but have not yet developed. Travelers and residents in the affected zone are advised to monitor the latest NWS forecasts closely, as the situation could escalate to a warning if confidence in the forecast increases.
The new watch follows a series of heavier alerts for neighboring zones. NWS Fairbanks had a Winter Storm Warning in effect for the South Slopes of the Western Brooks Range and the Noatak Valley — including Red Dog Mine, Noatak, and Walker Lake — forecasting 6 to 18 inches of total accumulation with wind gusts up to 35 mph and areas of blowing snow capable of significantly reducing visibility. That warning was set to expire Thursday.
Before that, a warning covering the same Western Brooks Range zone had forecast up to 20 inches on higher terrain with gusts to 55 mph, and a separate warning over the Central Brooks Range south slopes called for 8 to 16 inches in two waves. A winter weather advisory covering the Dalton Highway summits, the Elliott and Steese highways, and the Taylor Highway north of Mile Post 9 also expired earlier in the week after NWS Fairbanks noted most snow from that system had passed.
Atmostorm.com, tracking the broader pattern, reported that the week's storm activity brought blizzard conditions to the Baldwin Peninsula, Kivalina, and the Northern Seward Peninsula, with gusts up to 65 mph and accumulations reaching 15 to 30 inches in higher terrain near Red Dog Mine at the storm's peak.
For anyone who must travel in the affected area, NWS Fairbanks recommends keeping an extra flashlight, food, and water in the vehicle. Drivers should also be aware that heavy snow can obscure headlights and cover radar units and cameras in bumpers and windshields that automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping systems rely on — Ford has noted that driver-assist features may become unavailable in heavy snow.
Residents and travelers in the watch zone should continue monitoring weather.gov and local NWS Fairbanks updates through the weekend, as forecasts for the region can shift quickly.
Why it matters — Anyone traveling or living along the Dalton Highway corridor or the Central Brooks Range south slopes faces potentially dangerous road conditions from Thursday evening through the weekend, with up to a foot of snow possible in an already storm-battered region.
⚠ Not yet confirmed
- Temperatures near freezing could lead to mixed precipitation or freezing issues in some spots within the watch zone.
- Separate Winter Weather Advisories were issued on Oct 28 for parts of Denali Borough and the Eastern Alaska Range.
Reported by weather.gov, defconlevel.com, winterweatherwarnings.com, autoblog.com, atmostorm.com, tgftp.nws.noaa.gov, forth.news
