US gets first Winter Storm Warning of the season

While most of the United States is kicking off this weekend with heavy rain, extreme heat and even tornadoes, one area will experience the first winter storm warning of the season.

A winter storm warning was issued by the National Weather Service in Alaska. This is the first winter storm warning to be issued in the US.

The snow is expected to fall in the higher terrain of theBrooks Range. There is a chance of close to a foot of snow over the weekend.

The north coast of Alaska will be affected by high and rough surf through the weekend. There is a chance of wind gusts to 50 mph.

The Atigun Pass is in theBrooks Range. A DOT.

The last winter storm warning in the United States was issued on June 15 for the northern part of Montana. The last winter storm warning issued by the NWS was in March of this year.

As winter gets closer, the amount of daylight in this area of Alaska decreases. Anaktuvuk Pass, one of the locations under the winter storm warning this weekend, had its first glimpse of twilight on July 18.

The pass has 19 hours of daylight and 5 hours of civil twilight. Civil twilight is when the sun is six degrees below the horizon, but there is still enough light for ordinary outdoor jobs.

There will be other impacts due to the weather. Andrew Johnson-Levine explained that the key trucking route that links Alaska's oil fields to the rest of the state runs through this area. The North Slope Haul Road is a road that spans over 400 miles between Fairbanks and Prudhoe Bay. It is one of the most isolated roads in the world.

No climate stations in the lower 48 have ever measured snow on August 5, not including mountain tops.

August is the last month of meteorological summer, with meteorological autumn starting on Thursday, Sept. 1. One area in the United States could see an early frost and others could see an early significant snow, according to AccuWeather.

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