Alert archive / Alaska / Blizzard Warnings in 2010

Blizzard Warning 15, NWS Fairbanks, AK

December 18, 2010

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this blizzard warning at Dec 18, 2010, 9:11 AM AKST. It took effect at Dec 18, 2010, 10:59 AM AKST. It was in force for 31 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
Dec 18, 2010, 9:11 AM AKST (18:11 UTC)
In effect from
Dec 18, 2010, 10:59 AM AKST
Expired
Dec 19, 2010, 6:00 PM AKST
In force
31 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

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 Dec 18, 5:17 AM AKST, 3 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 18, 5:17 AM AKST, 3 hours 54 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
517 AM AKST SAT DEC 18 2010

.DISCUSSION...
MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT THROUGH ABOUT 36 HOURS. AFTER THIS TIME
FRAME THE MODELS BEGIN TO DIVERGE...PARTICULARLY WITH THE GFS
DROPPING THE SURFACE LOW FURTHER SOUTH THAN THE NAM OVER THE ARCTIC
COAST.

THE PERSISTENT RIDGE OVER THE BERING SEA AND WEST COAST WILL
REMAIN QUASI STATIONERY THROUGH AT LEAST 240 HOURS. THE LONG WAVE
TROUGH WILL REMAIN OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTION OF THE
STATE THROUGH THE SAME TIME FRAME. HOWEVER...IT DOES APPEAR THAT
SEVERAL SHORT WAVES WILL POP OVER THE RIDGE AND KNOCK IT
DOWN...ONLY TO HAVE THE RIDGE REBUILD AGAIN.

TODAY...A DECENT SHORT WAVE TROUGH WILL PUSH OVER THE RIDGE AND
BRING SNOWFALL AND WINDS TO MANY PORTIONS OF THE WEST COAST. THE
HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE EASTERN INTERIOR WILL COMBINE WITH THE LOW
APPROACHING FROM RUSSIA TO CAUSE A DECENT PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER
MANY PORTIONS OF THE WEST COAST AND WESTERN ARCTIC COAST. THIS
WILL INCREASE THE WINDS AND SPUR ON BLOWING SNOW WHICH WILL
COMBINE WITH FALLING SNOW TO GREATLY RESTRICT VISIBILITIES.

MEANWHILE COLD SURFACE TEMPERATURES OVER THE EASTERN INTERIOR ARE
THE RESULT OF A PREVIOUSLY COLD AIR MASS OVER THE AREA AND LACK OF
ANY SUN TO HAVE MUCH OF ANY DIURNAL EFFECT. ONCE CLOUD COVER IS
ABLE TO MAKE IT FAR ENOUGH EASTWARD...PARTICULARLY OVER ZONE
220...THE TEMPERATURES WILL REBOUND SOMEWHAT AND WILL LIKELY STAY
LESS COLD.

THE ARCTIC COAST WILL SEE WINDS INCREASE TODAY WITH WARM ADVECTION
PUSHING EASTWARD OVER THE AREA. THIS WILL BRING SOME SNOWFALL OVER
THE WESTERN ARCTIC COAST AND FLURRIES ELSEWHERE.

THE WEST COAST WILL SEE THE SNOWFALL TAPERING OFF BY LATE SUNDAY
AND DECREASING CLOUDS BEHIND THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY.

THE INTERIOR WILL REMAIN FAIRLY COLD BUT SOME SNOWFALL MAKE IT
EASTWARD WITH THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH AND MAY COMBINE WITH SOME
OVERRUNNING FOR SOME ENHANCED SNOWFALL MONDAY AND TUESDAY.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ201-AKZ207-AKZ209-AKZ211-AKZ213.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ210.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230-
PKZ235-PKZ240.
&&

CF DEC 10

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 17, 5:48 PM AKSTWinter Weather AdvisoryAFG3 hr
Dec 18, 3:12 AM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG9 hr
Dec 18, 3:13 AM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG47 hr
Dec 18, 3:27 AM AKSTWinter Weather AdvisoryAFG47 hr
Dec 18, 3:32 AM AKSTWinter Weather AdvisoryAFG12 hr
Dec 18, 12:18 PM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG24 hr
Dec 18, 12:37 PM AKSTGale WarningAFG26 hr

Nearby

Blizzard Warnings in Alaska, 2010Every blizzard warning in 2010

Sources

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