Kodiakans saw lightning Thursday evening as a Gulf of Alaska storm brought 59-mile per hour winds and heavy snow to this island community used to strong winds, but where thunder and lightning are almost unheard of.

The last thunderstorm recorded at Kodiak weather service office was June 26, 2004, National Weather Service spokesman Craig Eckert said.

People living on the U.S. Coast Guard Base south of town saw lightning. At least one homeowner living north of town in the Monashka Bay area also noticed the rare event.

The weather service recorded about 25 minutes of thunder and lightning beginning at 11:12 p.m. Thursday.

“That is so rare and to have it in December, it is noteworthy,” Eckert said.

The average number of days with thunderstorms per year in Kodiak is 0.1, Eckert said, adding that June is the most likely month for lightning.

June is the most likely month for lightning, Eckert said, and Kodiak’s average frequency of thunderstorms is just one-tenth of a day per year. Compare that to a more familiar statistic: Kodiak averages 14.2 days per year with visibility less than one-quarter mile.

That’s airplane-canceling, stay-off-the-roads weather, much like the storm that brought thunder and lightning last night.

The weather service’s blowing snow advisory was canceled this morning, Eckert said, but he expected snow to turn to rain this afternoon, and high winds to continue.

Kodiak Police Chief T.C. Kamai said there were no reports of serious accidents in the last 24 hours.

Kamai said Kodiakans tend to drive safely in blowing snow; but he cautioned drivers to be aware of icy conditions which will continue even after the winds calm.

Kamai said drivers should be careful around snow removal equipment and not attempt to pass plows and dumptrucks working to clear streets.

“They have had lots of instances where people were basically darting in between the two,” he said.

Those drivers are taking a dangerous risk.

“Stay 50 feet behind graders and try to not pass them,” Kamai said, adding it’s safer to take an alternate route or wait patiently behind the plow as it clears the road (see Page 2 for further traffic safety tips).

The heavy snow comes during the winter school break, and is accompanied by frequent sledding — Kamai cautions sledders to play safely.

“Never sled in an area near a roadway or parking lot and never sled into a roadway or parking lot,” he said.

The current storm has a low-pressure center over the Alaska Peninsula near Sand Point, the weather service reports.

The storm is expected to hold there and dissipate, Eckert said, but will be replaced this weekend by a storm that is currently over Southeast Alaska.

“It looks like (today’s storm) falls apart Thursday evening. It’s going to weaken and we will see a little break,” Eckert said.

Regarding snowfall, Kodiak is well on its way to a remarkable December. As of 12 a.m. today, the weather service has recorded 27.8 inches for the month, almost twice the normal December total of 15.6 inches.

December 1990 set the record for snowfall with 46 inches.

Mirror writer Scott Christiansen can be reached via e-mail at schristiansen@kodiakdailymirror.com.