Anchorage winter snowfall passes 100 inches, causing roofs to buckle
Alaska is a snowy state but it's overperforming this winter. Residents in Anchorage are having trouble keeping up with the shoveling and roofs threaten to collapse.
As of Jan. 29, Anchorage, Alaska, had seen more than 100 inches of snow this winter. That’s the earliest that amount of snow has ever accumulated since record-keeping began.
With annual snowfall at official climate stations ranging from 3 feet at Annette Island to 27 feet at Valdez, Alaska is generally snowy. Snowfall is overperforming so far this winter, though.
Anchorage, in the south-central part of the state, averages about 6.5 feet of snow each season. The city crossed the 100-inch (8.3-foot) mark on Monday, the earliest on record for the season. Averaging 28.3 inches of snow between February and May, Anchorage has a shot at exceeding its biggest snow season, 2011-2012, which brought 134.5 inches (11.2 feet) of snow.
The Associated Press reports that roofs are collapsing on commercial buildings around Anchorage, and even seasoned residents are tired of constant shoveling. Officials are urging homeowners to shovel the snow off their roofs because of the weight of the snow, which -- assuming rain doesn't make it heavier -- amounts to 45,000 pounds per 1,500-square-foot roof.
Freezing fog caused a 37-car pileup near Anchorage on Jan. 25.
A man attempts to walk on an unplowed city sidewalk, Monday, Jan. 29, 2024, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen)
Other official snow stations are also reporting above-normal numbers but not by as much as Anchorage. Juneau, in the southeast, is 34 inches ahead of its normal with 89.7 inches as of Monday; Fairbanks, in the center of the state, has recorded 53.8 inches, 10.3 inches above normal.
Temperatures have varied across the state this month. Southern Alaska has been 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the historical average so far this month, but from Fairbanks to the east-central part of the state, the opposite is true, with temperatures 10-20 degrees below average.
The Frontier State is also known for cold weather, but low temperatures ranged from 36 below zero F to 43 below zero F in Fairbanks during the last week, which is unusually cold for that city. A typical January day in Fairbanks features a low of 13 below zero F but a high around zero F.
At Chicken, Alaska, a typical cold spot, the last week ranks as the coldest Jan. 11-17 on record, with temperatures ranging from a frigid 30 degrees below zero F to 47 degrees below zero F. For the year so far and the month of January, they are the fifth coldest in their record books.
AccuWeather forecasters say the next threat for snow in Anchorage will be this weekend. After that, the pattern will continue to bring a chance of snow every few days.
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