Anchorage set a new monthly record for snowfall in November, despite it being just two-thirds of the way through the month.
Slightly more than an inch of snow fell on November 17, pushing Anchorage’s monthly total to more than 39 inches, a new record during the seventy years of consistent record keeping there. The previous record of 38.8 inches was set in 1994.
“A squall that dropped barely in inch of snow Friday morning added just enough accumulation to make this the snowiest November in Anchorage since recordkeeping began in 1953,” reported the Anchorage Daily News. “Friday’s measurement combined with several feet dumped in back-to-back storms last week and Monday set a record for the snow-weary city less than two-thirds of the way through the month.”
In a post on X formerly Twitter, the U.S. National Weather Service wrote:
The Anchorage Daily News says crews manning snowplows have been unable to keep up with the accumulating wet snow. They are concentrating on keeping state-maintained roads cleared, leaving snow piling up on rural roads and in neighborhoods. The harsh early winter weather has resulted in more than 160 vehicles reported as in distress, being stranded and unable to move on ice or in snow. Almost three dozen accidents were reported on November 16, alone.
With a third of November still remaining, and the NWS forecasting more snow over the coming days, Anchorage’s new 2023 snow record is likely to grow.