Alaska Snow Day Calculator: Chances & Closure Norms
What closes Alaska schools? Rarely snow — Snowday's Alaska calculator sets the closure baseline near 9–10 inches of heavy, wet, commute-timed snow, with extreme cold (around −10 °F at the bus stop) the more common trigger. Anchorage averages about 75 inches a year. Enter your ZIP above for tomorrow's chance.
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Fun estimate only — always follow your school district’s official announcements.
How Alaska districts decide snow days
Anchorage School District, the state’s largest, closes when storms push past roughly 10 inches of wet snow or when conditions ground school buses — wind and ice on hillside roads matter more than depth. Neighborhood schools on the Hillside can close while town schools stay open.
Interior districts around Fairbanks treat extreme cold as the main trigger: schools typically close or move to remote learning when temperatures hover near −20 to −25 °F, because diesel buses struggle and exposed skin risks frostbite in minutes. Snowfall alone rarely does it — Fairbanks’ dry, cold snow blows off roads rather than packing.
Average snowfall in Alaska
| Place | Avg. snow per year |
|---|---|
| Anchorage | ≈ 75 in/yr |
| Juneau | ≈ 87 in/yr |
| Fairbanks | ≈ 65 in/yr |
Averages are approximate NOAA/NCEI 1991–2020 climate normals, rounded. Valdez, a coastal town squeezed between mountains and sea, often exceeds 300 inches in a season — among the snowiest communities in North America.
The storm Alaska remembers
The record 2011–12 winter. Anchorage’s 2011–12 snow season totaled nearly 135 inches — the snowiest winter in the city’s recorded history — collapsing some roofs while schools kept operating. It stands as the proof point for how much snow an Alaskan city can absorb without closing: roughly eleven feet.
Using the calculator in Alaska
Snowday sets Alaska’s closure baseline near 9 inches and lets cold and wind bonuses push the score. Try the snow day calculator with ZIP code 99501 (Anchorage) or 99801 (Juneau) and see how tomorrow stacks up. For the full picture, open the snow day calculator and see how commute-hour snowfall, cold, and wind combine into tomorrow’s percent chance — free, instant, no sign-up.
Last updated: October 2026