Highlights

The biggest news of the month was a winter storm that struck at the early part of the month around Juneau, Hoonah, Sitka, Petersburg, and Angoon. Due to the wind and snowfall from the storm the Basin Road Trestle Bridge's reopening was delayed, owing to the adverse effects on construction. The colder than normal temperatures also caused a water main to break on the Old Seward Highway closing down a lane on the 7th.

The below normal precipitation in November and for much of the month of December caused Ketchikan Public Utilities to switch to limited diesel generation due to a reduced quantity of water in the reservoir. The record snowfall in Fairbanks on the 12th caused schools to close for the 13th.

Strong storms at the end of the month in the Gulf of Alaska broke the drill rig Kulluk free of the tow ship Aiviq, first on the 27th. On the 31st, the Aiviq and another towing vessels reattached lines to the rig, but the high winds and waves broke both lines while the ships tried to ride out the storm. Finally later on New Years Eve the Kulluk grounded on the island of Sitkalidak, and the event made the national news. The storm generated high wind warning in Anchorage and avalanche warnings in the mountainous areas of Southcentral.