Alaska Snow Report · SNOTEL Snowpack, Snowfall & 5-Day Forecasts

May

18

2026

Snow briefing

The Alaska snowpack is monitored by the USDA NRCS SNOTEL network — automated stations sitting on the mountain that report snow depth, snow water equivalent (SWE), and air temperature every hour. Snoflo joins those live readings to a 5-day NOAA forecast for each station so you can see what's on the ground and what's coming.

Use the SNOTEL inventory below to find the closest station to where you're headed. Percent of normal tells you how today's snowpack compares to the historical average for the same date — below 70% is drought-stressed; above 130% is a fat year. Snow water content (SWC) indicates how wet and dense the snowpack is — useful for water-supply planning and avalanche stability assessment.

For backcountry travel always cross-reference with your regional avalanche center at avalanche.org.

Alaska at a glance

State-wide snowpack overview

Today's standouts across the Alaska SNOTEL network -- the deepest snowpack, coldest mountain, biggest expected snowfall, and how the state sits versus normal.

Percent of normal

86%

100% is the historical norm for today's date. Below 70% is drought-stressed; above 130% is a fat year.

Deepest snowpack

Look Eyrie Snotel 127"

vs 121" seasonal average

Coldest station

Atigun Pass 25°F

Elevation 4,800 ft

Biggest 5-day forecast

Upper Tsaina River 24"

Expected fresh snow over the next 5 days

Full SNOTEL inventory

Alaska snowpack monitoring sites

Every SNOTEL station Snoflo tracks in Alaska. Sortable, quickly filterable. Numeric columns heat-mapped from light to deep. Tap any station for its full history.

Snowpack monitoring site	Snowpack (in)	Snowfall (in)	24hr fcst (in)	Next 72hrs (in)	Temp (°F)	% Normal	SWC (%)	Watershed	Elevation (ft)
Anchorage Hillside, Ak Site 1070	6	0	0	0	44	53%	37%	Anchorage	2,080
Atigun Pass, Ak Site 957	43	0	0	0	37	105%	·	Middle Fork-North Fork	4,800
Cooper Lake, Ak Site 959	1	0	7	15	46	7%	·	Upper Kenai Peninsula	1,200
Eagle Summit, Ak Site 960	32	0	0	0	47	390%	·	Birch-Beaver Creeks	3,650
Gobblers Knob, Ak Site 962	2	1	0	0	61	169%	·	South Fork Koyukuk River	2,030
Grandview, Ak Site 956	17	0	27	48	43	38%	26%	Upper Kenai Peninsula	1,100
Imnaviat Creek, Ak Site 968	33	1	0	0	42	110%	·	Kuparuk River	3,050
Independence Mine, Ak Site 1091	57	0	0	1	38	168%	36%	Lower Susitna River	3,550
Indian Pass, Ak Site 946	58	-1	4	5	40	139%	33%	Anchorage	2,350
Kantishna, Ak Site 1072	3	0	0	0	54	63%	27%	Kantishna River	1,550
Long Lake, Ak Site 1001	65	0	0	0	50	102%	43%	Mainland	850
May Creek, Ak Site 1096	1	0	0	0	52	56%	·	Chitina River	1,610
Mcneil River Sgs, Ak Site 1191	2	0	0	1	44	0%	·	Tuxedni-Kamishak Bays	140
Middle Fork Bradley, Ak Site 1064	24	0	6	10	38	61%	·	Lower Kenai Peninsula	2,300
Monahan Flat, Ak Site 1094	4	0	0	2	43	44%	18%	Upper Susitna River	2,710
Moore Creek Bridge, Ak Site 1176	39	0	1	6	43	110%	·	Chilkat-Skagway Rivers	2,250
Mt. Alyeska, Ak Site 1103	36	0	15	24	43	77%	·	Anchorage	1,540
Mt. Eyak, Ak Site 1073	1	0	0	0	46	3%	80%	Eastern Prince William Sound	1,405
Mt. Ryan, Ak Site 948	9	0	0	0	56	84%	40%	Chena River	2,800
Munson Ridge, Ak Site 950	26	0	0	0	52	132%	39%	Chena River	3,100
Nuka Glacier, Ak Site 1037	4	3	0	2	38	0%	·	Lower Kenai Peninsula	1,250
Prudhoe Bay, Ak Site 1177	26	0	0	0	28	165%	·	Kuparuk River	30
Rocky Point, Ak Site 973	9	0	0	0	50	65%	·	Nome	250
Sagwon, Ak Site 1183	19	0	0	0	35	111%	·	Kuparuk River	1,000
Sugarloaf Mtn, Ak Site 1095	37	0	8	24	41	156%	·	N/A	550
Tokositna Valley, Ak Site 1089	6	0	0	1	46	46%	40%	Chulitna River	850
Turnagain Pass, Ak Site 954	51	1	22	36	42	79%	36%	Upper Kenai Peninsula	1,880
Upper Chena, Ak Site 952	17	0	0	0	55	141%	36%	Chena River	2,850
Upper Tsaina River, Ak Site 1055	30	1	4	10	43	105%	35%	Lower Copper River	1,750
Alpine Airstrip, Ak Site APNA2	44	0	0	0	25	107%	·	Lower Colville River	36
Bettles Field, Ak Site BFLA2	1	0	0	0	59	11%	40%	Upper Koyukuk River	626
Cooper Lake, Ak Site CORA2	1	0	1	10	43	9%	·	Upper Kenai Peninsula	1,200
Davies Creek Snotel, Ak Site DCSA2	34	0	0	0	44	108%	41%	Lynn Canal	2,093
Mt Eyak, Ak Site EYKA2	1	-1	0	0	43	3%	70%	Eastern Prince William Sound	1,814
Frostbite Bottom Snotel Site, Ak Site FBBA2	26	-1	0	0	45	78%	42%	Lower Susitna River	2,998
Fielding Lake, Ak Site FLDA2	13	-1	0	1	40	100%	42%	Delta River	3,004
Flower Mountain Snotel, Ak Site FLOA2	71	-1	3	8	38	108%	42%	Chilkat-Skagway Rivers	2,188
Galena Snowtel, Ak Site GANA2	1	0	0	0	58	55%	·	Galena	312
Granite Crk, Ak Site GCKA2	168	0	0	0	59	510%	0%	Healy Lake	1,250
Grandview, Ak Site GRVA2	16	-1	2	25	42	42%	27%	Upper Kenai Peninsula	1,056
Hatcher Pass, Ak Site HATA2	56	-1	0	1	35	139%	37%	Lower Susitna River	3,546
Anchorage Hillside, Ak Site HILA2	4	-1	0	0	50	54%	40%	Anchorage	269
Hoonah Snotel, Ak Site HOSA2	21	-3	0	0	52	87%	49%	Baranof-Chicagof Islands	1,542
Indian Pass, Ak Site INPA2	58	-1	0	0	39	134%	33%	Anchorage	2,391
Jack Wade Junction Snotel, Ak Site JWJA2	2	-2	0	0	52	43%	35%	Fortymile River	3,611
Kantishna, Ak Site KTSA2	1	-2	0	0	53	38%	10%	Kantishna River	1,588
Look Eyrie Snotel, Ak Site LESA2	126	0	0	2	36	103%	37%	Delta River	5,212
Long Lake, Ak Site LLKA2	65	-1	0	0	49	136%	43%	Mainland	813
Mcgrath Snotel, Ak Site MCSA2	1	0	0	0	58	25%	20%	Stony River	331
Monument Creek, Ak Site MNCA2	33	-1	0	0	55	146%	49%	Chena River	1,870
Fairbanks,Ak, Ak Site MNFA2	4	-1	0	2	41	60%	10%	Upper Susitna River	2,788
Moraine, Ak Site MORA2	1	0	0	1	46	32%	100%	Matanuska	1,971
Munson Ridge, Ak Site MSOA2	38	-6	0	0	50	130%	46%	Chena River	3,024
Mt. Ryan, Ak Site MTRA2	39	-1	0	0	55	271%	57%	Chena River	2,795
May Creek, Ak Site SNCA2	1	0	0	0	52	4%	·	Chitina River	1,542
Paradise Hill Snotel, Ak Site SPHA2	1	0	0	0	59	%	10%	Nabesna-Chisana Rivers	2,004
Teuchet Creek, Ak Site TEUA2	31	0	0	0	62	225%	1%	Chena River	1,515
Tokositna Valley, Ak Site TKVA2	6	-2	0	1	46	71%	42%	Chulitna River	800
Turnagain Pass, Ak Site TUGA2	49	-1	26	42	42	78%	37%	Upper Kenai Peninsula	1,830
Upper Chena, Ak Site UCEA2	33	8	0	0	55	69%	114%	Chena River	2,814
Upper Tsaina River, Ak Site UPPA2	29	-2	3	8	43	92%	36%	Lower Copper River	1,735

15-day outlook

Alaska ski-area meteograms

Per-resort interactive weather forecasts for the next 15 days — temperature curve, precipitation bars, weather symbols, and humidity at every Alaska ski area Snoflo tracks.

Snow report FAQ

About Alaska snowpack

Where does the Alaska snowpack data come from?

The USDA NRCS SNOTEL network (SNOpack TELemetry) -- automated mountain stations that continuously measure snow depth, snow water equivalent, precipitation, and air temperature. Snoflo aggregates the live readings and joins them to a 5-day NOAA forecast for each station.

What is Snow Water Equivalent (SWE)?

The depth of water you'd get if you melted the entire snowpack. A 30-inch snowpack with 8 inches of SWE is wetter and denser than one with 5 inches -- useful for water-supply forecasting and avalanche assessment. The "SWC %" column shows the ratio.

What does Percent Normal mean?

Current snowpack as a percentage of the historical average for the same date at that station. 100% is right at the historical norm. Below 70% indicates drought-stressed snowpack; above 130% is a fat year.

How fresh is the Alaska data?

SNOTEL stations transmit hourly; Snoflo re-pulls throughout the day. The 5-day forecasts regenerate from NOAA NOHRSC analysis fields and NWS forecast guidance.

Why are SNOTEL stations only in some states?

The NRCS SNOTEL network is concentrated in the western mountain U.S. -- where the snowpack drives federal water supply forecasts for irrigation, hydropower, and municipal water. Eastern snowpack is measured by other networks (CoCoRaHS, NWS) which Snoflo includes elsewhere.

Is this a substitute for the local avalanche center?

No. For backcountry travel always consult your regional avalanche forecast at avalanche.org. Snoflo is informational data only.

Alaska snowpack