Alaska Snow Survey Report

Transcription

1 Alaska Survey Report Natural Resources Conservation Service February 1, 2017

2 The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service cooperates with the following organizations in snow survey work: Federal U.S. Depart of Agriculture - U.S. Forest Service Chugach National Forest Tongass National Forest U.S. Department of Commerce NOAA, Alaska Pacific RFC Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory U.S. Department of Defense U.S. Army Corps of Engineers U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineers Laboratory U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Land Management U.S. Geological Survey U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Park Service Municipalities Anchorage Juneau Private Alaska Electric, Light and Power, Juneau Alyeska Resort, Inc. Alyeska Pipeline Service Company Anchorage Municipal Light and Power Chugach Electric Association Copper Valley Electric Association Homer Electric Association Ketchikan Public Utilities Prince William Sound Science Center State of Alaska Alaska Department of Fish and Game Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Alaska Department of Natural Resources Division of Parks Division of Mining and Division of Forestry Alaska Energy Authority Alaska Railroad Soil and Conservation Districts Homer SWCD Palmer SWCD University of Alaska Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station Geophysical Institute and Environment Research Reindeer Research Program Institute of Arctic Biology LTER Alaska Public Schools Mantanuska-Susitna Borough School District Eagle School, Gateway School District Canada Ministry of the Environment British Columbia Department of the Environment Government of the Yukon The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or a part of an individual s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA s TARGET Center at (202) (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C or call (800) (voice) or (202) (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 2

3 Issued by: Leonard Jordan, Acting Chief Natural Resources Conservation Service Washington, D.C. Released by: Robert Jones State Conservationist Natural Resources Conservation Service Palmer, Alaska Published by: Daniel Fisher, Hydrologist Tony DeMarco, Hydrologist Dan Kenney, Hydrologic Technician, and Climate Staff Natural Resources Conservation Service Palmer, Alaska Cover photo: NRCS Hydrologist, Tony DeMarco en route to the Upper Tsaina SNOTEL site November

4 Table of s State General Overview. 5,6 Basin Conditions and Data Central Yukon Basin. 7,8 Tanana Basin. 9,10 Western Interior Basins Arctic and Kotzebue Basin Norton Sound, Southwest, and Bristol Bay.. 16,17 Copper Basin.. 18,19 Matanuska - Susitna Basins Northern Cook Inlet.. 23,24 Kenai Peninsula Western Gulf ,29 Southeast State pack Map. 32 Telephone Numbers and other contact information. 33 4

5 General Overview Pack The snowpack is much more uniform across the state than it has been for several years. Later, cooler, precipitation brought snow to both the mountains and the valleys. As a result in many areas lower elevation snowpacks are closer to normal than higher mountain snowpacks. Divergently is Southeast where some low lying snowpacks were diminished due to rain storms during January. Most of the state s snowpacks are below normal due to below normal precipitation. The exception is the middle Tanana Valley and White Mountains which benefitted from some late December storms which built above normal snowpacks there. A handful of mountain sites in southcentral are near record low. Turnagain Pass SNOTEL, Kenai Summit Course, Mt. Alyeska SNOTEL and Independence Mine Course are all measuring their lowest snowpack since Precipitation There are only three words to describe precipitation in Alaska in October: dry, dry, and dry. Numerous records were set across the state for minimum precipitation for the month. These included multiple 30+ year records by SNOTEL sites in the Interior and Southcentral and even longer records in Southeast. This was the driest October on record at Yakutat (88 years), Juneau and Petersburg (75 years) and Ketchikan (94 years). Only western Alaska escaped the Big Dry, where some sites had near normal precipitation and Nome even managed to have above normal precipitation. While most of Alaska remained dry through November, Kenai Peninsula and Southeast Alaska received normal and even above normal amounts of precipitation for the month. Late December precipitation brought monthly totals to above average in much of the Interior and nearly twice normal in the central Tanana Basin. This precipitation eluded much of Southcentral and portions of Southeast. Precipitation in January was much more varied across Alaska, with sites in each region logging both below normal and above normal precipitation. Big gains were made during the month in northern Cook Inlet and the mid Tanana basin, while Southwest Alaska was drier than normal. 5

6 General Overview Temperature Temperatures this winter season started out cooler than last winter. Most areas were within a few degrees of normal for the month of October with only western and northern coastal areas being much above normal. Nome was 9 F above normal, Barrow was 16 F above normal and Bethel was 7 F above. Gulkana, in the Copper Valley, was the cooler part of the state with 8 F below normal for October. November was near normal across much of state, excepting the Arctic. Barrow again was above normal by double digits being 15 F above normal for the month. Southcentral and Southeast were moderately above normal for the month, ranging from normal to up to 7 F above normal at Talkeetna with several locations (Homer, Anchorage, Cordova, Juneau) being 3-5 F above normal. In western Alaska, Bethel record 3 F below normal for the month. Temperatures cooled off a little more in December and many sites were at or near normal for the month. Barrow continued its above normal path, bearing 11 F above normal for December. Nome and Fort Yukon were also above normal for the month, 5 F and 7 F respectively. Despite a brief cold snap in January, most locations in Alaska were near or above normal for the month. Barrow, again was 13 F above normal for the month. Fort Yukon was 10 F above normal and Juneau was 5 F above normal for the month. Most other locations were within a couple degrees +/- of normal for January. 6

7 Central Yukon Basin pack The Central Yukon Basin snowpack is below to near normal across much of the basin, except for in the White Mountains, where the snowpack is above normal. Precipitation across the whole basin was much below normal during October and November with sites receiving a third to half of normal precipitation. December brought near normal precipitation to the basin and January brought above normal precipitation. Precipitation sites vary from 74% of normal for the winter at Fort Yukon to 105% of normal at the Upper Nome Creek SNOTEL site, in the White Mountains. The American Creek SNOTEL site, just outside Eagle, AK, has 15 inches of snow with 2.7 inches of water content, 0.5 inches less water content than last year. In the Forty-Mile River country, near the fork of the Taylor and Top-of-the-World Highways, the Jack Wade Junction SNOTEL site has 18 inches of snow and 2.6 inches of water content, about half of last year s snowpack. In the lower part of the basin, Seven Mile snow course, near the Yukon Crossing, was 68% of normal with 16 inches of snow and 2.7 of water content, 5 shallower than last year. The four sites in the White Mountains average 125% of normal snowpack. These sites benefitted mainly from a few large January storms. 7

8 pack Data Site Name Elev. Date Precipitation Central Yukon Basin Inches Accumulated since October 1st (as of February 1, 2017) Site Name Elev. This Year Last Year Normal % of Normal American Creek Atigun Pass % Chandalar Camp 3300 No Survey Eagle Summit % Fort Yukon % Jack Wade Jct Upper Nome Creek % 8 This Year Last Year Normal December 1st American Creek /1/ Atigun Pass /1/ Eagle Summit /1/ Fort Yukon /1/ Hess Creek /30/ Jack Wade Jct /1/ Seven Mile /29/ Thirty Mile /29/ Upper Nome Creek /1/ January 1st American Creek /1/ Atigun Pass /1/ Eagle Summit /1/ Fort Yukon 430 2/1/ Jack Wade Jct /1/ Upper Nome Creek /1/ February 1st American Creek /1/ Atigun Pass /1/ Borealis /3/ Boundary /31/ Cathedral Creek /2/ * Chicken Airstrip /1/ Coal Creek /2/ Copper Creek /2/ * Crescent Creek /2/ * Eagle Summit /1/ Fort Yukon 430 2/1/ Fossil /3/ Hess Creek /2/ Jack Wade Jct /1/ Lost Chicken Hill /1/ Mt. Fairplay /30/ Seven Mile 600 2/2/ Step Mountain /2/ * Thirty Mile /1/ Three Fingers /2/ Upper Nome Creek /1/ * Windy Gap /2/ Wolf /2/ *Estimate

9 Tanana Basin pack Winter started dry in the Tanana Valley. Most sites received less than a quarter of normal precipitation in October. November, likewise, was dry with most sites receiving less than half of normal November precipitation. December, however, was a different story. Several small storms and one large storm at the end of the month deposited from near normal precipitation in parts of the valley to between % of normal in most of the Chena Basin near Fairbanks. Even though this above normal precipitation trend continued into January, most sites in the Tanana Valley remain below normal for the Year. The snowpack varies greatly across the Tanana Valley, ranging from 63% of normal in the upper Valley near Tok, to over 150% of normal near Fairbanks. The three sites measured above Tok averaged 52% of normal. Chisana SNOTEL had only 5 of snow on February 1 st, just 29% of normal water content. The snowpack becomes more normal down valley near Delta Junction. The 5 snow sites in this area average 84% of normal. Like last year, the snowpack really perks up near Fairbanks. The Fairbanks FO SNOTEL site is recording 148% of normal water content, with 20 of snow and 3.7 of water content. The Chena and Chatanika Valleys both report above normal snowpacks. Precipitation Inches Accumulated since October 1st (as of February 1, 2017) Site Name Elev. This Year Last Year Normal % of Normal Chisana Fairbanks F.O % Granite Crk % Kantishna % Little Chena Ridge % Nenana Tok Upper Chena % 9

10 pack Data Tanana Basin This Year Last Year Normal Site Name Elev. Date 10 December 1st Bonanza Creek /30/ Caribou Creek /1/ Caribou Pillow /1/ Chisana /1/ Cleary Summit /1/ Colorado Creek /30/ Fairbanks F.O /1/ Faith Creek /1/ Fort Greely /29/ French Creek /1/ Gerstle River /29/ Granite Crk /1/ Lost Creek /29/ Monument Creek /1/ Mt. Ryan /1/ Munson Ridge /1/ Shaw Creek Flats /1/ Teuchet Creek /1/ January 1st Chisana /1/ Fairbanks F.O /1/ Granite Crk /1/ Monument Creek /1/ Mt. Ryan /1/ Munson Ridge /1/ February 1st Bonanza Creek /1/ Caribou Creek /31/ Caribou Pillow 900 1/31/ Chisana /1/ Fairbanks F.O /1/ Fielding Lake /31/ Fort Greely /1/ French Creek /1/ Gerstle River /1/ Granite Crk /1/ Kantishna /2/ * Lake Minchumina 730 2/2/ Lost Creek /31/ Mentasta Pass /31/ Monument Creek /1/ Mt. Ryan /1/ Munson Ridge /1/ Paradise Hill 2200 No Survey Rock Creek Bottom /2/ Shaw Creek Flats 980 2/1/ Teuchet Creek /1/ Tok Junction /31/ *Estimate

11 Western Interior Basins pack Koyukuk The Koyukuk Basin had a very dry start to the winter and precipitation for the winter remains much below normal. pack is also below normal, varying from near normal close to the Brooks Range to near half normal in portions of the flats. Kuskokwim There are fewer sites reporting in the Kuskokwim basin this winter, but snowpack is below normal. Purkey Pile Mine is at 65% of normal with 15 of snow and 2.2 of water content, the lowest since Aniak SCAN had 13 of snow on February 1 st, compared to 9 last year and the highest since Lower Yukon The snow measured around Galena is shallower and lighter than last year at this time. 11

12 pack Data Western Interior Basins This Year Last Year Normal Site Name Elev. Date Koyukuk December 1st Bettles Field /1/ Bonanza Forks /30/ Cloverleaf /1/ Coldfoot /1/ Colville Bend /1/ Disaster Creek /30/ Gobblers Knob /1/ Huggins Creek /1/ Jr Slough /1/ Kanuti Lake /1/ Table Mountain /30/ Treat Island /1/ January 1st Bettles Field 640 1/1/ Coldfoot /1/ Gobblers Knob /1/ Kanuti Lake 524 1/1/ February 1st Bettles Field 640 2/1/ Bonanza Forks /1/ * Coldfoot /1/ Disaster Creek /1/ Gobblers Knob /1/ Kaldoyeit 750 1/30/ * Kanuti Chalatna 670 1/30/ * Kanuti Kilolitna 550 1/30/ * Kanuti Lake 524 2/1/ * Minnkokut 580 1/30/ * Nolitna 560 1/30/ * Table Mountain /1/ * Kuskokwim December 1st Aniak 80 12/1/ Canyon Lake /1/ Telaquana Lake /1/ Telaquana Lake SNOTEL /1/ January 1st Aniak 80 1/1/ Canyon Lake 550 1/1/ Telaquana Lake /2/ Telaquana Lake SNOTEL /1/ February 1st Aniak 80 2/1/ * Canyon Lake 550 2/1/ Mcgrath 340 2/1/ * Purkeypile Mine /2/ Telaquana Lake /2/ Telaquana Lake SNOTEL /1/ *Estimate 12

13 pack Data continued Western Interior Basins This Year Last Year Normal Site Name Elev. Date Lower Yukon December 1st Hozatka Lake /1/ Little Mud River /4/ Lower Nowitna River /4/ Middle Innoko /30/ Ninemile Island /30/ Pike Trap Lake /30/ Squirrel Creek /30/ Upper Innoko /30/ Wapoo Hills /30/ January 1st Hozatka Lake 206 1/1/ February 1st Galena Ecology Site 125 2/1/ Hozatka Lake SCAN 206 2/1/ * *Estimate Precipitation Inches Accumulated since October 1st (as of February 1, 2017) Site Name Elev. This Year Last Year Normal % of Normal Koyukuk Bettles Field % Coldfoot % Gobblers Knob % Hozatka Lake Kuskokwim Aniak Telaquana Lake Lower Yukon Innoko Camp 83 Site down

14 Arctic and Kotzebue Sound pack Arctic The Arctic has below normal precipitation for the water year. Sagwon and Imnaviat had slightly below normal snow depth until a windstorm on January 31 st scoured the snowpacks down to 8 inches of depth at both sites. The three precipitation sites along the Dalton Highway average 86% of normal precipitation for the water year. The seasonal snowpack at Imnaviat Creek, in the foothills of the Brooks Range, started on September 11 th, about the same time as last year. 14

15 Arctic and Kotzebue Sound pack Data This Year Last Year Normal Site Name Elev. Date December 1st Atigun Pass /1/ Imnaviat Creek /1/ Kelly Station /1/ Prudhoe Bay 30 12/1/ Sagwon /1/ January 1st Atigun Pass /1/ Imnaviat Creek /1/ Kelly Station 310 1/1/ Prudhoe Bay 30 1/1/ Sagwon /1/ February 1st Atigun Pass /1/ Imnaviat Creek /1/ Kelly Station 310 2/1/ Prudhoe Bay 30 2/1/ Sagwon /1/ *Estimate Precipitation Inches Accumulated since October 1st (as of February 1, 2017) Site Name Elev. This Year Last Year Normal % of Normal Arctic Atigun Camp 3400 No Survey Atigun Pass % Imnaviat Creek % Prudhoe Bay % Sagwon % Kotzebue Sound Port Red Dog % Red Dog Mine % Kelly Station

16 Norton Sound/Y-K Delta/Bristol Bay pack Norton Sound The Norton Sound area has received below normal precipitation. depths at measurement sites on the Seward Peninsula are similar to last year at this time. The Unalakleet SCAN site had 7 of snow on February 1 st, more than at any time last year. Yukon Kuskokwim Delta The Kanaryagak Camp SCAN site, located southeast of Chevak, has 8 inches of snow depth, compared to 12 inches last year and 8 inches for the year before. Precipitation at the NWS site in Bethel is below normal for the water year. Bristol Bay There is more snow in the lowlands of Bristol Bay than in several years. The Naknek River SCAN site had 14 of snow depth on Feb 1 st, the most snow that has been measured since it was installed in Weary Lake SCAN, 20 miles northwest of Dillingham, had 28 of snow on Feb 1 st, the most since Precipitation for the region is below normal. 16

17 pack Data Site Name Elev. Date Norton Sound/Y-K Delta/Bristol Bay 17 This Year Last Year Normal Bristol Bay December 1st Canyon Lake /1/ Lower Mulchatna /1/ Naknek River /1/ Weary Lake /1/ January 1st Canyon Lake 550 1/1/ Lower Mulchatna 320 1/1/ Naknek River 100 1/1/ Weary Lake 100 1/1/ February 1st Canyon Lake 550 2/1/ Lower Mulchatna 320 2/1/ Naknek River 100 2/1/ Weary Lake 100 2/1/ * Norton Sound December 1st Checkers Creek /1/ Johnsons Camp 25 12/1/ Pargon Creek /1/ Rocky Point /1/ Unalakleet /1/ January 1st Checkers Creek 326 1/1/ Johnsons Camp 25 1/1/ Pargon Creek 100 1/1/ Rocky Point 250 1/1/ Unalakleet 290 1/1/ February 1st Checkers Creek 326 2/1/ Johnsons Camp 25 2/1/ Pargon Creek 100 2/1/ Rocky Point 250 2/1/ * Unalakleet 290 2/1/ Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta December 1st Kanaryagak Camp 13 12/1/ January 1st Kanaryagak Camp 13 1/1/ February 1st Kanaryagak Camp 13 2/1/ *Estimate

18 Norton Sound/Y-K Delta/Bristol Bay Precipitation Inches Accumulated since October 1st Site Name Elev. This Year Last Year Normal % of Normal Bristol Bay Lower Mulchatna Naknek River Weary Lake Norton Sound Checkers Creek Pargon Creek % Rocky Point % Unalakleet Yukon - Kuskokwim Delta Kanaryagak Camp

19 Copper Basin pack The snowpack in the Copper Basin is generally below normal. Like other parts of the state, winter in the Copper Valley started off dry, with less than a quarter normal precipitation during October. November had closer to normal precipitation, while December was again drier. January also had below, but closer to normal precipitation. The eleven sites measured in the Copper Valley averaged 79% of normal on February 1 st, down from 94% last year. The Alaska Range courses averaged 69% of normal, down from 104% last year. Paxson snow course measured at 22 inches of snow with 3.6 inches of water content, the same depth, but 1.2 inches drier than last year at this time. The basin floor snowpack was below normal, with its seven sites averaging 78% of normal, similar to last year. The low snowpack continues west into the eastern Talkeetnas where Sheep Mountain was 55% of normal with 15 inches of depth and 2.2 inches of water content. The Chugach Range sites average 89% of normal. The Upper Tsaina SNOTEL site has received only 51% of normal precipitation for the Year. 19

20 pack Data Copper Basin This Year Last Year Normal Site Name Elev. Date December 1st Chokosna /30/ Copper Center /28/ Kenny Lake School /1/ Little Nelchina /1/ Lost Creek /29/ May Creek /1/ Tazlina /1/ Tolsona Creek /1/ Upper Tsaina River /1/ January 1st May Creek /1/ Tsaina River /3/ Upper Tsaina River /1/ Worthington Glacier /3/ February 1st Chistochina /31/ Chokosna /29/ Copper Center /30/ Fielding Lake /31/ Haggard Creek /31/ Kenny Lake School /1/ Little Nelchina /1/ Long Glacier /1/ * Lost Creek /31/ May Creek /1/ Mentasta Pass /31/ Paxson /31/ Tazlina /1/ Tebay Lake /1/ * Tolsona Creek /1/ Tsaina River /1/ Upper Tsaina River /1/ Worthington Glacier /1/ *Estimate Precipitation Inches Accumulated since October 1st (as of February 1st) Site Name Elev. This Year Last Year Normal % of Normal May Creek % Upper Tsaina River % 20

21 Matanuska Susitna Basin pack The winter started dry in the Matanuska-Susitna Basins with sites receiving percent of normal precipitation in October and November. December brought more, but still below normal precipitation while in January things turned around. Several sites around the basins received normal to well above normal precipitation. The snowpack across the Matanuska and Susitna Basins is below normal. The 19 snow measurement sites across the area averaged 66% of normal, compared to 110% of normal last year. Only a few of the lower basin snow sites, which were rained on last year, had more snow this year. The lower Susitna Basin snow courses average to 73% of normal, down from 79% last year. The Talkeetna Course has 22 of snow with 3.7 of water content, compared to 18 of depth and 4.2 of water content last year. The Upper Susitna Basin snowpack has about half as much snow this year as last year. The four snow sites in this area average only 55% of normal on February 1 st. In the Matanuska Basin, the snowpack in the southern Talkeetna Mountains is below normal. The five sites here average 63% of normal snowpack. depths are more consistent this year compared to last year, because many of the storms which have come through have seen snow down to sea level, unlike last year when low elevation sites received plenty of rain. Independence Mine snow course at 3500 feet above sea level has 42 of snow, only 10 more than Little Susitna Course at Last year at this time there was a 27 difference. 21

22 pack Data Matanuska Susitna Basin This Year Last Year Normal Site Name Elev. Date December 1st Alexander Lake SNOTEL /1/ Archangel Road /1/ Blueberry Hill /30/ Denali View /30/ E. Fork Chulitna /30/ Fishhook Basin /1/ Halfway Slough /30/ Horsepasture Pass /1/ Independence Mine /1/ Independence Mine SNOTEL /1/ Lake Louise /1/ Little Susitna /1/ Monahan Flat /1/ Sheep Mountain /1/ Susitna Valley High /1/ Talkeetna /30/ Tokositna Valley /1/ Willow Airstrip /30/ January 1st Alexander Lake SNOTEL 160 1/1/ Horsepasture Pass /1/ Independence Mine SNOTEL /1/ Monahan Flat /1/ Susitna Valley High 375 1/1/ Tokositna Valley 850 1/1/ *Estimate 22

23 Matanuska Susitna Basin pack Data continued This Year Last Year Normal Site Name Elev. Date February 1st Alexander Lake 160 No Survey Alexander Lake SNOTEL 160 2/1/ Archangel Road /30/ Blueberry Hill /31/ Chelatna Lake /1/ * Denali View 700 1/31/ Dunkle Hills /1/ * Dutch Hills /1/ * E. Fork Chulitna /31/ Fishhook Basin /30/ Halfway Slough 350 1/31/ Horsepasture Pass /1/ * Independence Mine /30/ Independence Mine SNOTEL /1/ Lake Louise /1/ Little Susitna /30/ Monahan Flat /1/ Nugget Bench /1/ * Ramsdyke Creek /1/ Sheep Mountain /1/ Susitna Valley High 375 2/1/ Talkeetna 350 1/31/ Tokositna Valley 850 2/1/ Willow Airstrip 200 1/31/ *Estimate Precipitation Inches Accumulated since October 1st (as of February 1st) Site Name Elev. This Year Last Year Normal % of Normal Alexander Lake Independence Mine % Monahan Flat % Susitna Valley High % Tokositna Valley % 23

24 Northern Cook Inlet pack Winter started out dry with many sites receiving only a quarter to half of normal October and November precipitation. December fared a little wetter though several sites measured only half of normal precipitation. January delivered, however. Sites across the basin measured between 130% and 270% of normal precipitation for the month, most of it coming as snow. Total precipitation numbers for the Year are still only 65% of normal. This explains why the seven snow sites measured this month only averaged 70% of normal. Last year at this time the same sites measured 56% of normal, not a substantial difference in numbers. The bigger difference is in spatial distribution. Less overall precipitation keeps snow values low in high elevations which would have received all the precipitation as snow, but since more of winter s precipitation came later during colder weather, the lower elevation sites gained more snow. Kincaid Park snow course, at 250 of elevation had 19 of snow and 3.8 of water content, 123% of normal and considerably more than last year s 1 of snow and 0.2 of water content. Compare that to Anchorage Hillside SNOTEL at 2080 of elevation at 77% of normal with 26 of snow and 5.5 of water content, while last year it had 19 and 4.3 of water content. 24

25 Northern Cook Inlet pack Data This Year Last Year Normal Site Name Elev. Date December 1st Anchorage Hillside /1/ Indian Pass /1/ Kincaid Park /1/ * Moraine /1/ Mt. Alyeska 1540 Site Down Portage Valley 50 12/1/ * South Campbell Creek /1/ * January 1st Anchorage Hillside /1/ Indian Pass /1/ Moraine /1/ Mt. Alyeska /1/ February 1st Anchorage Hillside /1/ Indian Pass /1/ * Kincaid Park 250 2/1/ Moraine /1/ Mt. Alyeska /1/ Portage Valley 50 1/27/ South Campbell Creek /1/ *Estimate Precipitation Inches Accumulated since October 1st Site Name Elev. This Year Last Year Normal % of Normal Anchorage Hillside % Indian Pass % Moraine % Mt. Alyeska 1540 Site Down

26 Kenai Peninsula pack The Kenai Peninsula water year started slow in October, with sites measuring 27-80% of normal precipitation for the month. November was wetter and most sites collected normal to much above normal precipitation. December was dry again, less than 60% normal at most locations. January precipitation was varied and sites collected between % of normal precipitation. To date for this winter, most Kenai sites have received near 80% of normal precipitation. The Peninsula s 17 snow sites average 76% of normal compared to 86% last year and 22% two years ago. Because of the colder and drier conditions this year snow is more evenly distributed than last year. Low elevation sites have more snow than last year and high elevation sites, less. 26

27 Kenai Peninsula pack Data This Year Last Year Normal Site Name Elev. Date December 1st Anchor River Divide /1/ Bertha Creek /3/ * Bridge Creek /1/ Cooper Lake /1/ Demonstration Forest /1/ Exit Glacier /1/ Exit Glacier SNOTEL /1/ Grandview /1/ Grouse Creek Divide /1/ Jean Lake /2/ * Kachemak Creek /29/ Kenai Moose Pens /1/ Kenai Summit /3/ * Lower Kachemak Creek /1/ Mcneil Canyon /1/ Middle Fork Bradley /1/ Moose Pass /3/ Mt. Alyeska 1540 Site down Nuka Glacier /29/ * Port Graham /1/ Portage Valley 50 12/1/ * Snug Harbor Road /2/ * Summit Creek /1/ Turnagain Pass /1/ January 1st Anchor River Divide /1/ Cooper Lake /1/ Exit Glacier SNOTEL 400 1/1/ Grandview /1/ Grouse Creek Divide 700 1/1/ Kenai Moose Pens 300 1/1/ Lower Kachemak Creek /1/ Mcneil Canyon /1/ Middle Fork Bradley /1/ Mt. Alyeska /1/ Port Graham 300 1/1/ Summit Creek /1/ Turnagain Pass /1/ *Estimate 27

28 Kenai Peninsula pack Data continued This Year Last Year Normal Site Name Elev. Date February 1st Anchor River Divide /1/ Bertha Creek 950 1/31/ Bridge Creek /1/ Cooper Lake /1/ Demonstration Forest 780 2/1/ Exit Glacier 400 2/1/ * 10.4* Exit Glacier SNOTEL 400 2/1/ Grandview /1/ * Grouse Creek Divide 700 2/1/ Jean Lake 620 1/27/ Kenai Moose Pens 300 2/1/ Kenai Summit /31/ Lower Kachemak Creek /1/ Mcneil Canyon /1/ Middle Fork Bradley /1/ Moose Pass 700 1/31/ Mt. Alyeska /1/ Port Graham 300 2/1/ Portage Valley 50 1/27/ Snug Harbor Road 500 1/27/ Summit Creek /1/ Turnagain Pass /1/ *Estimate Precipitation Inches Accumulated since October 1st Site Name Elev. This Year Last Year Normal % of Normal Anchor River Divide % Cooper Lake % Grandview % Grouse Creek Divide % Kachemak Creek % Kenai Moose Pens % Mcneil Canyon % Middle Fork Bradley % Nuka Glacier % Port Graham % Summit Creek % Turnagain Pass % 28

29 Western Gulf pack The Western Gulf of Alaska region has just below to near normal snowpack and below normal precipitation. Like the rest of Alaska, October was dry in Prince William Sound with sites measuring only a third of normal precipitation for the month. A wetter November was followed by a dry December. January brought varied precipitation with most sites just above or below normal. The eight snow measurement sites in this area average 89% of normal, similar to last year s 90%. However, lower temperatures and less precipitation mean that the higher elevation sites have less snow than last year and lower elevation sites have more. The Esther Island SNOTEL site, 20 miles east of Whittier at 50 of elevation, had 28 of snow on February 1 st, after settling from 49 on January 23 rd. This site had no snow last February 1 st after a season high of 18 on December 15 th. 29

30 pack Data Western Gulf This Year Last Year Normal Site Name Elev. Date December 1st Exit Glacier /1/ Exit Glacier SNOTEL /1/ Grouse Creek Divide /1/ Mt. Eyak /1/ Nuka Glacier /29/ * Sugarloaf Mountain /2/ * Upper Tsaina River /1/ January 1st Exit Glacier 400 No Survey Exit Glacier SNOTEL 400 1/1/ Grouse Creek Divide 700 1/1/ Lowe River 600 1/4/ Mt. Eyak /1/ Sugarloaf Mountain 550 No Survey Tsaina River /3/ Upper Tsaina River /1/ Valdez 50 1/4/ Worthington Glacier /3/ February 1st Exit Glacier 400 2/1/ * 10.4* Exit Glacier SNOTEL 400 2/1/ Grouse Creek Divide 700 2/1/ Lowe River 600 2/1/ Mt. Eyak /1/ Sugarloaf Mountain 550 2/2/ Tsaina River /1/ Upper Tsaina River /1/ Valdez 50 2/1/ Worthington Glacier /1/ *Estimate Precipitation Inches Accumulated since October 1st (as of February 1, 2017) Site Name Elev. This Year Last Year Normal % of Normal Esther Island % Grouse Creek Divide % Mt. Eyak Nuchek Nuka Glacier % Port San Juan % Seal Island Strawberry Reef Sugarloaf Mtn % Tatitlek % 30

31 Southeast pack Many sites in Southeast Alaska experienced their driest October on record. This included Ketchikan (94 years of record), Petersburg and Juneau (75 years), and Yakutat (88 years). Then, November saw near normal precipitation across the region. December saw varied precipitation with some sites receiving normal precipitation and others half normal precipitation. January came and brought near normal precipitation to most of the region. Still, precipitation is below normal for the Year. The snowpack in Southeast Alaska is below normal, but healthier than last year, which was healthier than the year before. The seven measured snow sites in Southeast averaged 83% of normal compared to 71% last year. Only the sites near Skagway have less snow this year. 31

32 Southeast pack Data This Year Last Year Normal Site Name Elev. Date December 1st Cropley Lake /2/ Eagle Crest /2/ Fish Creek /2/ Heen Latinee /1/ Institute Creek /29/ Long Lake /1/ Moore Creek Bridge /2/ Petersburg Reservoir /3/ Petersburg Ridge, S /3/ Rainbow Falls /29/ West Creek /2/ January 1st Heen Latinee /1/ Long Lake 850 1/1/ Petersburg Reservoir /30/ Petersburg Ridge, S /29/ February 1st Cropley Lake /3/ Eagle Crest /3/ Fish Creek 500 2/3/ Heen Latinee /1/ Institute Creek /1/ Long Lake 850 2/1/ Moore Creek Bridge /2/ Petersburg Reservoir 550 2/1/ Petersburg Ridge, S /31/ Rainbow Falls 500 2/1/ West Creek 475 2/2/ *Estimate Precipitation Data Inches Accumulated since October 1st (as of February 1, 2017) Site Name Elev. This Year Last Year Normal % of Normal Long Lake % Heen Latinee Moore Creek Bridge % 32

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34 For further information contact: NRCS Alaska web site: NRCS and Climate Center web site: Alaska Meteor Burst Communication System (AMBCS) web site: NRCS Survey Office Daniel Fisher, Hydrologist 800 West Evergreen Avenue Palmer, Alaska Telephone: (907) Facsimile: (907) Delta Junction Work Unit Michael Stephens, Conservationist Telephone: (907) x 110 Facsimile: (855) Michael.Stephens@ak.usda.gov Fairbanks Hub Office Joanne Kuykendall, Conservationist Telephone: (907) x 1010 Facsimile: (855) Joanne.Kuykendall@ak.usda.gov Homer Work Unit Karin Sonnen, Range Management Specialist Telephone: (907) x 103 Facsimile: (855) Karin.Sonnen@ak.usda.gov Central Hub Office Katie Mattila, Conservationist Telephone: (907) x 104 Facsimile: (855) Katelyn.Mattila@ak.usda.gov 34