Winter Storm Warning Continues!

The latest from the NWS:

Winter Storm Warning continues until 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, November 23rd!

...UNUSUAL WINTERTIME RAINFALL TO PERSIST THROUGH WEDNESDAY...

AN EXTREMELY WARM AND MOIST AIR MASS MOVING AROUND A LARGE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE NORTH PACIFIC WILL CONTINUE TO BRING WIDESPREAD RAIN AND FREEZING RAIN TO INTERIOR ALASKA.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS EXCEEDING ONE INCH ARE POSSIBLE IN FAIRBANKS AND THE REMAINDER OF THE CENTRAL INTERIOR THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THIS AMOUNT OF RAIN IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT COMPACTING AND MELTING OF THE LOCAL SNOW PACK OVER THE NEXT TWO DAYS.

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT RUNOFF FROM RAIN AND MELTING SNOW WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND OTHER POOR DRAINAGE AREAS AND LOW SPOTS. SIGNIFICANT OVERFLOW IS ALSO EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ON LAKES AND RIVERS...AND SOME SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS MAY EXPERIENCE ELEVATED WATER LEVELS.

COOLER AIR WILL SLOWLY FILTER IN TO THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THE RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE BACK TO SNOW.

THIS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY EVENT FOR INTERIOR ALASKA. RAIN DURING THE WINTER IN FAIRBANKS IS UNUSUAL...BUT WHEN IT DOES OCCUR AMOUNTS ARE TYPICALLY VERY LIGHT. HOWEVER...RAIN AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF A QUARTER INCH OF RAIN...EVEN OVER SEVERAL DAYS...ANYTIME BETWEEN MID-NOVEMBER AND EARLY APRIL ARE EXTREMELY RARE. THE LAST TIME FAIRBANKS HAD THAT MUCH RAIN DURING THE WINTER WAS IN FEBRUARY 2003...WHEN 0.29 INCHES OF RAIN FELL BETWEEN THE 8TH AND 10TH. THE ONLY OCCURRENCE DURING THE SECOND HALF OF NOVEMBER OF SO MUCH RAIN WAS ON NOVEMBER 24 1936...WHEN 0.42 INCHES OF RAIN FELL. THE GREATEST WINTER RAINFALL OF RECORD IN FAIRBANKS OCCURRED ON JANUARY 20 1937...WHEN AN AMAZING 0.99 INCHES OF RAIN FELL ON TOP OF THE 25 INCHES OF SNOW THAT HAD FALLEN ON THE TWO PREVIOUS DAYS.

IT IS LIKELY THAT OVER AN INCH OF RAIN WILL FALL IN FAIRBANKS BEFORE THE RAIN CHANGES BACK TO SNOW WEDNESDAY NIGHT.