Winter Storm Warning Issued as Nearly 5 Feet of Snow, 40-Degree Temperature Drop Approach

A fresh winter storm warning has been issued by The National Weather Service as one state anticipates up to 58 inches of snow and a laundry list of others feel the impact of that cold front as they prepare for freezing temperatures.

The National Weather Service has issued winter storm warnings across multiple regions of Alaska this weekend, with total snow accumulations of up to 58 inches — nearly 5 feet — forecast through Monday. At the same time, the frigid Arctic air behind those storms is sweeping southward into the contiguous United States, threatening one of the most dramatic temperature reversals of the year for communities from the Plains to the Northeast.

Alaska Expecting Up to 5 Feet of Snow, 45 mph Winds

Winter storm warnings are in effect across a wide swath of Alaska through Monday, covering regions from the Eastern Alaska Range to the Yukon Delta Coast.

In the Eastern Alaska Range south of Trims Camp — including the Richardson Highway from MP 202 to MP 224 — a winter storm warning runs from 1 a.m. Sunday through 4 p.m. Monday. Between 8 and 16 inches of snow are expected, with wind gusts as high as 40 mph and blowing snow that could significantly reduce visibility.

Along the Yukon Delta Coast — including Kotlik, Scammon Bay, Hooper Bay, Alakanuk and Emmonak — a winter storm warning runs through 10 a.m. Monday. Between 5 and 8 inches of snow are forecast with wind gusts up to 45 mph. The NWS warns visibilities could drop below a quarter mile. Warnings also cover the Eastern Norton Sound and Nulato Hills, the Middle Yukon Valley and the Lower Yukon River, with additional snow accumulations ranging from 3 to 10 inches across those regions.

"Travel could be very difficult. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility," the NWS said. "If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency."

Combined, the warnings span a total potential accumulation of up to 58 inches — nearly 5 feet — of snow across affected Alaskan communities through Monday.

Why Is It Snowing in April?

The source of all of this cold isn't a mystery. Alaska just endured its coldest December through March in 50 years — driven by a strong area of high pressure over eastern Russia that repeatedly sent frigid, northerly wind flows from the Arctic Ocean across the state.

"It was definitely a cold winter up here. Statewide, it was the coldest December to March in 50 years," Alaska-based climate scientist Brian Brettschneider told The Washington Post. He noted it was the snowiest March in Juneau by a wide margin — the city's fourth-snowiest month on record — following its second-snowiest month ever the previous December.

That stored Arctic cold is now on the move. A dip in the jet stream is ushering an area of low pressure out of the Northwest that is pushing that frigid air mass southward into the contiguous United States this weekend. The result is a weather whiplash that few saw coming just days ago.

Nearly 100 Million Americans Face Freezing Temperatures and Snow

Washington D.C. hit 92 degrees Thursday. Baltimore, Philadelphia and areas near New York were also in the 90s. This weekend, a plunge of 20 to 40 degrees is forecast for many of those same cities, with some areas dropping into the 30s, 40s and 50s.

Nearly 100 million people from Boise, Idaho to Boston and southward toward Philadelphia can expect freezing temperatures this weekend into early next week. Near Salt Lake City, the NWS has already warned of widespread blossom loss following an early bloom driven by record-breaking winter warmth. It snowed there Thursday after a high of 77 degrees the day before.