Winter Storm Central

First Winter Storm Warning of the Season Has Been Issued in the U.S. on the First Day of Meteorological Fall

By Linda Lam
14 hours ago
weather.com

Video at the page link

First Winter Storm Warning of the Season for U.S.

Meteorologist Danielle Banks takes a look at the first winter storm warning of the season in the U.S.

At a Glance

  • The first winter storm warning of the season in the U.S. was issued in Alaska.
  • Up to a foot of snow is possible in the higher elevations.


The first day of meteorological fall saw the first winter storm warning of the season in the U.S., specifically in the higher elevations of northern Alaska.
(MORE: Here's What to Expect in Meteorological Fall)



The National Weather Service in Fairbanks issued a winter storm warning for the northeastern Brooks Range for Sept. 1, 2018.

This is not the first snow of the season in northern Alaska andsnow has also already fallen in parts of the northern Rockies, where winter storm advisories were issued in late August when a few inches of wet snow fell in the higher elevations.
This first winter storm warning of the season was issued in northern Alaska, for the northeastern Brooks Range, at elevations above 3,500 feet. The last winter storm warning in the U.S. was issued in June in Alaska.

(FORECAST: Anaktuvuk Pass | Arctic Village)

Below 3,500 feet any snow that falls will quickly melt and little to no accumulation is expected.
This precipitation is due to a frontal system draped across the region. A series of disturbances will track through this area into midweek, bringing additional chances for rain and snow, as well as strong winds.
Light snow has already fallen in the Brooks Range and a few inches of snow was visible early Friday morning.

Rick Thoman‏ @AlaskaWx
A picturesque Aug 31 morning at the UAF @Toolik field station in #Alaska's Brooks Range (elevation ~2400', 730m MSL). Eyeballing the accumulation on the wood supports, maybe 3" (8cm) of new snow. Chilly too: 7am AKST temp was 19F (-7C). #akwx #snow @NWSFairbanks @Climatologist49



9:54 AM - 31 Aug 2018

Snow in the higher elevations of northern Alaska in August and September is not that unusual.

Utqiagvik, formerly known as Barrow, typically records its first measurable snow, at least 0.1 inches, on Aug. 23, based on the latest 30-year average from 1981-2010. So far since July 1, when the 2018-19 winter season began, 2 inches of snow has been reported here, falling on July 7, with several reports of a trace of snow in August.
Farther south, the first measurable snow of the season usually occurs in Fairbanks in late September, but snow has been recorded as early as Aug. 25, in 1995.

https://weather.com/storms/winter/ne...-issued-alaska