Alert archive / Alaska / Blizzard Warnings in 2009

Blizzard Warning 1, NWS Fairbanks, AK

January 21, 2009

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this blizzard warning at Jan 21, 2009, 7:15 PM 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: Jan 21, 2009, 7:15 PM AKST (04:15 UTC)
Expired: Jan 22, 2009, 2:49 AM AKST
In force: 8 hr
Issued by: NWS Fairbanks, AK

The text

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

000 
WWAK42 PAFG 220415
WSWWCZ

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
715 PM AKST WED JAN 21 2009

AKZ207-221500-
/X.NEW.PAFG.BZ.W.0001.090122T0415Z-090122T1500Z/
CHUKCHI SEA COAST-
INCLUDING...POINT HOPE...SHISHMAREF...KIVALINA...ESPENBERG
715 PM AKST WED JAN 21 2009

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST THURSDAY FROM
CAPE KRUSENSTERN NORTH...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST THURSDAY. 

A SOUTHEAST WIND OF 30 TO 50 MPH WITH LOCAL GUSTS TO 70 MPH 
WILL PRODUCE SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW THE REMAINDER
OF THE NIGHT. THE VISIBILITY WILL BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE
QUARTER MILE...WITH WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES. THE STRONG WIND
WILL ALSO HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF CAUSING PROPERTY DAMAGE.

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 
WWAK42 PAFG 221149
WSWWCZ

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
249 AM AKST THU JAN 22 2009

AKZ207-221300-
/X.CAN.PAFG.BZ.W.0001.000000T0000Z-090122T1500Z/
CHUKCHI SEA COAST-
INCLUDING...POINT HOPE...SHISHMAREF...KIVALINA...ESPENBERG
249 AM AKST THU JAN 22 2009

...BLIZZARD WARNING IS CANCELLED...

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

$$

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 Jan 21, 3:29 PM AKST, 3 hours 46 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 21, 3:29 PM AKST, 3 hours 46 minutes before

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
329 PM AKST WED JAN 21 2009

.DISCUSSION...
THE MAIN FEATURE OVER THE CWA IS A LARGE 1058MB HIGH PRESSURE
SYSTEM OVER NORTHEASTERN ALASKA. A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS WORKING
ITS WAY INTO THE BERING SEA AND TIGHTENING THE PRESSURE
GRADIENT...BRINGING WIND SPEEDS UP TO ADVISORY LEVEL OVER MUCH OF
THE STATE. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN THE BERING SEA WILL AFFECT THE WESTERN
COASTAL ZONES AND MAY CAUSE SOME AREAS OF LOW VISIBILITY IN
BLOWING SNOW. NO ADVISORIES FOR BLOWING SNOW AT THIS TIME
HOWEVER...AS SNOW ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED TO BE SMALL AND SHOWERS
ARE EXPECTED TO BE BRIEF...BUT WITH WIDESPREAD 40+ MPH WIND GUSTS
...ANY SNOW THAT FALLS WILL BE IMMEDIATELY LOFTED BY THE WIND.

AS THE HIGH RETREATS OFF INTO CANADA OVERNIGHT...WIND SPEEDS ARE
EXPECTED TO BACK OFF SOMEWHAT ALONG THE WEST COAST FROM SOUTH TO
NORTH. WINDS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED OVER HIGHER ELEVATIONS OVER THE
INTERIOR AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE STATE. BY THURSDAY...THE HIGH
PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BE WELL INTO CANADA AND WILL TAKE MOST OF THE
COLDER AIR WITH IT.

BY EARLY NEXT WEEK THE MAJORITY OF THE MODELS AND ENSEMBLES BUILD A
RIDGE ACROSS THE BERING SEA WITH A DOWNSTREAM TROUGH ACROSS MUCH OF
THE MAINLAND.  DETAILS CONTINUE TO VARY FROM RUN TO RUN...BUT THIS
SET UP WILL HAVE THE POTENTIAL OF BRINGING VERY COLD AIR BACK INTO
NORTHERN AK.  THE OPERATIONAL GFS DEVELOPS A YAKUTAT LOW BY LATE IN
THE WEEK...WITH THE PATTERN EVERY BIT AS COLD AS THE COLD SNAP OF
LATE DECEMBER INTO THE FIRST 11 DAYS OF THE MONTH.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR AKZ203-AKZ204.

WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ215-AKZ216-AKZ217-AKZ219-AKZ221.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ230-PKZ235-PKZ240-PKZ245.
&&

JAN 09

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jan 22, 1:54 AM AKST	Brisk Wind Advisory	AFG		35 hr
Jan 22, 2:00 AM AKST	Brisk Wind Advisory	AFG		5 days

Nearby

Blizzard Warnings in Alaska, 2009 Every blizzard warning in 2009

Sources

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