The Alaska Dispatch today (30 Dec 2011) had an article about this year’s early winter weather:  Wacky Start to Alaska Winter

And the National Weather Service in Valdez AK reported on the record December snowfall in Valdez:

 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VALDEZ AK
737 PM AKST THU DEC 29 2011
…IT WAS A VERY WHITE CHRISTMAS AND THEN SOME…
VALDEZ HAS BROKEN THE RECORD FOR SNOWFALL FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER WITH OVER 144 INCHES AS OF THIS AFTERNOON..AND WE HAVE 2 FULL DAYS TO ADD TO THE RECORD. THE OLD RECORD WAS 137.1 INCHES SET IN 1991.