Highlights

A storm system brought significant amounts of precipitation to the southern coastal regions from April 4 to April 5 and again during the last week of the month. On both occasions, backcountry avalanche warnings were issued for Thompson pass, the Kenai and Western Chugach Mountains and Turnagain Arm.

The Bering Sea became nearly ice free before the end of April. On April 23, the Bering Sea ice extent fell below 10% of the 1981-2010 average maximum extent, the second earliest date for such a low sea ice extent in the times series (only last year was earlier).