Weather: 8 States Under Winter Alerts Amid Strong Wind Gusts And Heavy Snow

Eight states are under Winter Weather Advisories, including Alaska and Colorado, where up to 12 inches of snow accumulation is expected. Officials have urged citizens to practice caution while traveling as roads may become slippery due to winter weather conditions.

In Anchorage, Alaska, heavy snow is expected through Thursday morning, the National Weather Service (NWS) in Anchorage said. The highest snow accumulation is expected in the Valdez area, where up to 18 inches of snow is possible, the office said.

In the Yukon Valley and Yukon Delta areas, wind gusts of up to 55 mph are expected, as well as near blizzard conditions that could make it difficult for travel, the NWS in Fairbanks said.

In Colorado, the NWS in Grand Junction is expecting snow accumulation of up to 12 inches in Telluride, while the NWS in Boulder is expecting up to 8 inches of snow in the Vail area.

On Tuesday, Walden, Colorado, logged the coldest spot record for the day in the state when temperatures dropped to 11F (-11.6C).

Officials in Oregon are expecting only moderate snow accumulation in the state Wednesday, but they have encouraged residents to drive slowly as snow may still cover roads.

The following winter-related warnings and alerts have been issued for these states:

Winter Weather Advisories in Alaska effective through 4 p.m. Wednesday:

• Northeast Prince William Sound
• Yukon Delta
• Lower Yukon Valley

Winter Weather Advisory in Alaska effective through 10 p.m. Wednesday:

• Susitna Valley

Winter Weather Advisory in Alaska effective through 5 a.m. Thursday:

• Haines Borough and Klukwan

Winter Storm Warning in Alaska effective through 10 a.m. Thursday:

• Municipality of Skagway

Winter Weather Advisories in Colorado effective from midnight Wednesday through midnight Thursday:

• Northern Sangre de Cristo Mountains – above 11,000 feet
• La Garita Mountains - also Upper Rio Grande Valley and Eastern San Juan Mountains below 10,000 feet
• Eastern Sawatch Mountains above 11,000 feet – also Western Mosquito Range and East Lake County above 11,000 feet
• Roan and Tavaputs Plateaus

Winter Weather Advisories in Colorado effective from midnight Wednesday through 6 a.m. Friday:

• Elkhead and Park Mountains – also Gore and Elk Mountains, Central Mountain Valleys, West Elk Mountains and Sawatch Mountains
• Flat Tops – also Grand Mesa, Battlement Mesa, Uncompahgre Plateau and Dallas Divide
• Northwestern San Juan Mountains

Winter Storm Warnings in Colorado effective from 6 p.m. Wednesday through midnight Thursday:

• Eastern San Juan Mountains – above 10,000 feet
• Southwest San Juan Mountains

Winter Weather Advisories in Oregon effective through 5 p.m. Wednesday:

• Siskiyou Mountains – also Southern Oregon Cascades and South Central Oregon Cascades
• Cascades in Lane County

Freeze Watch in Oregon effective through 9 a.m. Thursday:

• Eastern Columbia River Gorge – also Foothills of Northern Blue Mountains, Foothills of Southern Blue Mountains, Lower Columbia Basin and North Central Oregon

Winter Weather Advisory in Montana effective from 3 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday:

• Eastern Pondera – also Eastern Teton, Eastern Toole and Liberty, Southern High Plains, Southern Rocky Mountain Front, Upper Blackfoot and MacDonald Pass

Winter Storm Warning in Montana effective from 3 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday:

• West Glacier Region

Winter Weather Advisory in Arizona effective from 5 p.m. Wednesday through 5 p.m. Thursday:

• Kaibab Plateau

Winter Weather Advisory in Arizona effective from 11 p.m. Wednesday through 11 p.m. Thursday:

• Black Mesa Area

Winter Weather Advisory in Arizona effective from Thursday morning through 5 a.m. Friday:

• White Mountains – also Chuska Mountains and Defiance Plateau

Winter Weather Advisory in Washington effective through 8 a.m. Wednesday:

• Northeast Blue Mountains

Freeze Warning in Washington effective through 9 a.m. Wednesday:

• Kittitas Valley – also Yakima Valley

Winter Weather Advisory in Nevada effective through 8 p.m. Wednesday:

• Greater Lake Tahoe Area

Winter Weather Advisory in Nevada effective through 11 a.m. Thursday:

• Lincoln County

Winter Weather Advisories in Utah effective from noon Wednesday through midnight Thursday:

• Eastern Uinta Mountains
• La Sal and Abajo Mountains
• Southwest Utah – also Eastern Juab County, Millard County and Western Millard County
• Bryce Canyon Country – also Upper Sevier River Valleys

Winter Storm Warning in Utah effective from noon Wednesday through midnight Thursday:

• Southern Mountains