Alert archive / Alaska / Blizzard Warnings in 2007

Blizzard Warning 18, NWS Fairbanks, AK

November 23, 2007

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this blizzard warning at Nov 23, 2007, 4:59 AM AKST. It took effect at Nov 23, 2007, 9:59 AM AKST. It was in force for 8 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Nov 23, 2007, 4:59 AM AKST (13:59 UTC)
In effect from
Nov 23, 2007, 9:59 AM AKST
Expired
Nov 23, 2007, 5:59 PM AKST
In force
8 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WWAK41 PAFG 231859
WSWNSB

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
959 AM AST FRI NOV 23 2007

AKZ203-240300-
/X.NEW.PAFG.BZ.W.0018.071123T1859Z-071124T0900Z/
CENTRAL BEAUFORT SEA COAST-
INCLUDING...NUIQSUT...PRUDHOE BAY...ALPINE...DEADHORSE...KUPARUK
959 AM AST FRI NOV 23 2007

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT AST TONIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT AST TONIGHT. 

STRONG EAST WINDS OF 50 TO 60 MPH ARE OCCURRING ALONG THIS PORTION
OF THE ARCTIC COAST COMBINED WITH SOME FALLING SNOW. THIS WILL
REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO BELOW ONE QUARTER MILE IN SOME LOCATIONS.

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND
EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES WILL CAUSE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND
MAKE ANY TRAVEL OR OUTDOOR ACTIVITY HAZARDOUS.

$$

AKZ205-240300-
/X.NEW.PAFG.BZ.W.0018.071123T1859Z-071124T0300Z/
NORTHWESTERN BROOKS RANGE-
INCLUDING...SINGILUK...UMIAT
959 AM AST FRI NOV 23 2007

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM AST THIS AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM AST THIS AFTERNOON. 

STRONG EAST WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH ARE OCCURRING IN THE EASTERN
PORTION OF THE ARCTIC PLAIN. THESE WINDS COMBINED WITH SOME
FALLING SNOW ARE REDUCING VISIBILITIES TO BELOW ONE QUARTER MILE
IN SOME LOCATIONS THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON.

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND
EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES WILL CAUSE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND
MAKE ANY TRAVEL OR OUTDOOR ACTIVITY HAZARDOUS.

$$

AKZ206-240300-
/X.NEW.PAFG.BZ.W.0018.071123T1859Z-071124T0900Z/
NORTHEASTERN BROOKS RANGE-
INCLUDING...ANAKTUVUK PASS...ATIGUN PASS...GALBRAITH LAKE...
SAGWON...FRANKLIN BLUFFS
959 AM AST FRI NOV 23 2007

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT AST TONIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT AST TONIGHT. 

STRONG EAST WINDS OF 45 TO 55 MPH ARE OCCURRING ON THE ARCTIC
PLAIN. THESE WINDS COMBINED WITH SOME FALLING SNOW WILL REDUCE
VISIBILITIES TO BELOW ONE QUARTER MILE IN SOME LOCATIONS THROUGH
LATE THIS EVENING.

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND
EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES WILL CAUSE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND
MAKE ANY TRAVEL OR OUTDOOR ACTIVITY HAZARDOUS.

$$
1 follow-up statement
000 
WWAK41 PAFG 240259
WSWNSB

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
559 PM AST FRI NOV 23 2007

AKZ203-206-240400-
/X.CAN.PAFG.BZ.W.0018.000000T0000Z-071124T0900Z/
CENTRAL BEAUFORT SEA COAST-NORTHEASTERN BROOKS RANGE-
INCLUDING...NUIQSUT...PRUDHOE BAY...ALPINE...DEADHORSE...
KUPARUK...ANAKTUVUK PASS...ATIGUN PASS...GALBRAITH LAKE...
SAGWON...FRANKLIN BLUFFS
559 PM AST FRI NOV 23 2007

...BLIZZARD WARNING IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS CANCELED THE
BLIZZARD WARNING. 

SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE BUT VISIBILITY SHOULD REMAIN
ABOVE 1/2 OF A MILE TONIGHT AS WINDS SLOWLY DECREASE. 


$$

AKZ205-240400-
/X.CAN.PAFG.BZ.W.0018.000000T0000Z-071124T0300Z/
NORTHWESTERN BROOKS RANGE-
INCLUDING...SINGILUK...UMIAT
559 PM AST FRI NOV 23 2007

...BLIZZARD WARNING IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS CANCELED THE
BLIZZARD WARNING. 

SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE BUT VISIBILITY SHOULD REMAIN
ABOVE 1/2 OF A MILE TONIGHT AS WINDS SLOWLY DECREASE.

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this blizzard warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Fairbanks, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this blizzard warning went out at Nov 23, 12:54 AM AKST, 4 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 23, 12:54 AM AKST, 4 hours 5 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
554 AM AST FRI NOV 23 2007

.DISCUSSION...
HIGH ENERGY AMPLIFIED PATTERN CONTINUES ACROSS THE REGION...AND THIS
LOOKS TO CONTINUE FOR A WHILE. MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE BY THE END OF THE
WEEKEND IS THE RETROGRESSION/FORMATION OF RIDGE ALOFT OVER THE
NORTHERN INTERIOR. THIS CHANGE SHOULD RESULT IN MORE OF THE STORM
ACTION IN THE BERING SEA.

PRESENTLY...RIDGE STRETCHING FROM 81N/135W SWD TO OFF THE OREGON
COAST...WITH TROUGH ALOFT NEARING KODIAK ISLAND ALREADY KNOCKING
DOWN HEIGHTS OVER THE STATE. THIS IS ONLY TEMPORARY..WITH RIDGE
REBUILDING BEFORE THE WEEKEND IS DONE. AT THE SURFACE...994 MB LOW
NEAR PABE MOVG NORTHWARD. 1034 MB HIGH 600 NM NORTH OF PRUDHOE BAY
WITH RIDGE SEWD INTO MACKENZIE VALLEY. 1009 MB HIGH OVER CHUKOTSK
PENINSULA WITH RIDGE SOUTH TO JUST WEST OF NUNIVAK ISLAND.

MODELS IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT INTO SAT...BUT INCREASING
DIVERGENCE THEREAFTER. ALL MODELS HAVING TERRIBLE PROBLEMS WITH
THE HIGH ENERGY AND ONGOING RETROGRESSION OF THE RIDGE...SO NO
CONFIDENCE IN DETAILS BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. HOWEVER...LONG RANGE OUTLOOK
CONTINUES TO SHOW RIDGE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS CENTERED OVER
MAINLAND ALASKA...WITH 500 MB HEIGHTS NOW FORECAST TO APPROACH 300
METER ABOVE NORMAL WEEKS 1 AND 2. WOW. MORE RECORD HIGH TEMPS WILL
FALL IF THIS FORECAST VERIFIES...ESPECIALLY WEST OF 150W.

NORTH SLOPE...MODELS HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT STRONG EASTERLIES NOW
UNDERWAY EAST OF BARROW...AND WILL LIKELY WEAKEN WINDS TOO FAST.
WITH HIGH ANCHORED NE OF THE SLOPE...ZONES 203 AND 204 COULD GO
INTO THE WEEKEND WITH AT LEAST ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS. ADDITIONALLY...
ANY SNOWFALL LIKELY TO PRODUCE AN INSTANT BLIZ...SO WE WILL HAVE TO
WATCH THIS.

WEST COAST...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORIES CONTINUED FOR INLAND
ZONES...BUT THERE IS NOT A LOT OF PRECIP LEFT AT THIS POINT.
OTHERWISE COMPARATIVELY QUIET IN THE SHORT TERM. COULD GET QUITE
STORMY BEYOND DAY FOUR IF RIDGE SETS UP ALONG ABOUT 150W AS GFS
FORECASTS...WITH STRONG DEEP SOUTHERLY FLOW...THOUGH AT LEAST S OF
THE BERING STRAIT PRECIP WOULD LIKELY BE ALL RAIN.

INTERIOR...ADVISORY WINDS ALASKA RANGE ZONES SHOULD DROP OFF
SIGNIFICANTLY BY NOON. FALLING HEIGHTS WORKING ON PRETTY DRY LOW
LEVEL AIR...BUT AT SOME AREAS OF SNOW SEEM LIKELY NEXT 24 HOURS.
CURRENT DRY LOW LEVEL SHOULD ALLOW WHATEVER PRECIP THERE IS TO BE
SNOW...THO BRIEF RAIN POSSIBLE AS PRECIP STARTS.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ223-AKZ225-AKZ226.

FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FOR AKZ215-AKZ216-AKZ217.

HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ210-PKZ220.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ240-PKZ245.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ220.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ225-PKZ230-PKZ235.
&&

RT NOV 07

The office that day

Everything else NWS Fairbanks, AK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 23, 12:09 AM AKSTHigh Wind WarningAFG52 hr
Nov 23, 1:28 AM AKSTFreezing Rain AdvisoryAFG13 hr
Nov 23, 2:29 AM AKSTStorm WarningAFG20 hr

Nearby

Blizzard Warnings in Alaska, 2007Every blizzard warning in 2007

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.