Forecasters expect up to a foot of snow near Red Dog Mine through Thursday afternoon

Up to a foot of snow could fall near Red Dog Mine by 4 pm Thursday, under a winter storm warning from the National Weather Service in Fairbanks.

The mountains of the Western Brooks Range could get 12 to 18 inches, with gusts to 35 mph and blowing snow that could sharply cut visibility. The heaviest snow is expected Wednesday afternoon into Thursday morning.

Lower down, it should mostly be rain. Forecasters expect mostly rain below 800 feet, including in Noatak.

Farther east, a winter storm watch calls for 6 to 12 inches from Thursday evening through Saturday morning on the south slopes of the Central Brooks Range. That includes Coldfoot, Wiseman and the Dalton Highway between mileposts 165 and 232.

It's the second winter storm warning for the Red Dog area in a week. The earlier one at one point called for 15 to 30 inches in the higher terrain. Forecasters canceled it Sunday morning, saying warming valleys would keep most of the snow at higher elevations. The last of that stretch's Brooks Range warnings ended Monday night.