Noatak Valley under winter storm warning through Sunday, with gusts to 55 mph

The National Weather Service in Fairbanks has a winter storm warning in effect for the Noatak Valley and the South Slopes of the Western Brooks Range until 4 pm Sunday. Forecasters call for 10 to 20 inches of snow in the terrain and 3 to 6 inches in Noatak, with wind gusts as high as 55 mph.

The warning took effect at 4 pm Friday. Snow may mix with or change over to rain Saturday afternoon or evening, then turn back to snow Saturday night, the weather service said.

Travel could be very difficult to impossible, and areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility, according to the warning. Anyone who must travel should carry an extra flashlight, food and water.

The Noatak National Preserve has no roads leading to it or within it. The National Park Service says winter access to the preserve may include aircraft, snowmobiles or travel on foot.

The same area was under a winter storm warning earlier this month. That warning ran from Oct. 8 to Oct. 10 and, as Alaska News reported Oct. 9, forecast up to 14 inches of snow and gusts to 45 mph. The current warning calls for more snow in the terrain and stronger gusts.

More weather is lined up behind this system. Forecasters are tracking four more storms headed for western Alaska through next week, following the system behind flooding in Hooper Bay. The weather service said Friday that a very active pattern is underway across western Alaska, with five storms expected through next week, including one late in the week it is watching closely for possible tropical remnants.

The weather service posts the latest conditions on its Noatak Valley forecast page.