Preparing for the next Icemageddon: a new tool for the Interior
In December 2021, a severe storm hit Interior Alaska, bringing the most liquid to ever fall in a winter calendar day. Along with dramatic temperature swings and 17 inches of snow, this event is often referred to as “Icemageddon.”
This winter rain left 20,000 people without power, caused at least 172 business or government service closures, contributed to a 35-40% decrease in moose populations, and cost entities across the Interior up to millions of dollars
Alaskans regularly face extreme cold temperatures and high-impact winter weather. Winter rain, however, poses a unique and growing challenge in the Interior, and it’s becoming more frequent. For people to prepare for these events — including local and regional governments, utilities, and other sectors — understanding the associated risks and historical impacts is a useful first step.
Through the Alaska Fellows Program and the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Preparedness, Policy Fellow Eleanor Greenbaum led the creation of a preparedness brief about the impacts of and responses to winter rain in Alaska’s Interior. She spoke with 30 people across sectors in the Fairbanks area who provided insight into the wide range of impacts and responses to winter rain to better understand the hazard’s effects on Interior communities,
These interviews covered on-the-ground impacts, including transportation challenges, power outages, threats to personal safety, emergency care and response, school and business closures, delayed delivery of essential goods, stress on wildlife, and long-term infrastructure degradation. Greenbaum combined these interviews with data from car crashes, power outages, and state troopers to create a comprehensive overview of the many impacts of winter rain.
“I hope that decision-makers can use this brief as one of the many tools at their disposal,” Greenbaum said.
Greenbaum recently presented her findings at an ACCAP webinar. She emphasized that the impacts of winter rain often last all winter; ice on roads can remain until spring melts or the weight of ice sheets on roofs can cause collapse months later. The rain formed a crust on the snow, making it difficult for moose to move around, and potentially forcing them toward human infrastructure, increasing the risk of vehicle collisions and other dangerous interactions.
As Rick Thoman, climate specialist with ACCAP and contributor to the brief, put it, winter rain “is the gift that keeps on giving.”
This publication is meant to serve as a baseline for future work, whether that be cost analysis, improved forecasting for these events, or integration into broader planning documents. Anyone affected by winter rain may find it useful in preparing for the next Icemaggedon.
You can learn more about winter rain in ACCAP’s preparedness brief, two-pager, or webinar at: https://uaf-accap.org/projects/policy-brief-interior-winter-rain/