Highway crews measure up to 32 inches of snow near Thompson Pass after blizzard

The Richardson Highway near Thompson Pass took as much as 32 inches of snow in the blizzard that ended Tuesday, Nov. 10, according to a National Weather Service storm report built on state highway department measurements.

Crews reported 28 to 32 inches between mile markers 30 and 35, about 5 miles northeast of the pass. They reported 24 inches at the pass itself, between mile markers 24 and 29. Every blizzard warning for the pass had called for 8 to 16 inches.

The warnings said a band of light to moderate snow would come Monday morning, followed by a second round of heavier snow from Monday evening through Tuesday morning.

Winds of 50 mph drove blowing snow and limited visibility at the pass, especially between 10 pm and 3 am, the storm report said. The warnings had said visibility could fall to as low as one-quarter mile in blowing snow, and told anyone who had to travel to carry a winter survival kit and to stay with the vehicle if stranded.

The weather service cancelled the blizzard warning at 5:45 am Tuesday, according to the NWS Anchorage winter weather message. Temperatures had risen to between 31 and 34 degrees, winds had diminished and the threat of significantly reduced visibility had ended, the agency said.

Thompson Pass sees more than 700 inches of snow a year, and bigger single-storm totals are on record in the region. A National Weather Service presentation cites an Alaska Department of Transportation observation of 86 inches of snow in 31 hours near Mile 46/47 during a November 2023 storm, including 24 inches in two hours.

The Anchorage forecast office expects a much lighter round of precipitation early Wednesday through Thursday, mainly around Prince William Sound and the Kenai Peninsula. Road conditions are posted at 511.alaska.gov or by calling 511.