Alert archive / Alaska / Blizzard Warnings in 2013

Blizzard Warning 20, NWS Fairbanks, AK

April 9, 2013

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this blizzard warning at Apr 9, 2013, 3:14 PM AKDT. It took effect at Apr 10, 2013, 12:00 PM AKDT. It was in force for 16 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
Apr 9, 2013, 3:14 PM AKDT (23:14 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 10, 2013, 12:00 PM AKDT
Expired
Apr 11, 2013, 4:03 AM AKDT
In force
16 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

The text

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

015 
WWAK41 PAFG 092314
WSWNSB

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
314 PM AKDT TUE APR 9 2013

AKZ204-101400-
/X.UPG.PAFG.BZ.A.0002.130410T0800Z-130412T1400Z/
/X.NEW.PAFG.BZ.W.0020.130410T2000Z-130413T0200Z/
EASTERN BEAUFORT SEA COAST-
INCLUDING...KAKTOVIK...FLAXMAN ISLAND
314 PM AKDT TUE APR 9 2013

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON WEDNESDAY TO 6 PM AKDT
FRIDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON WEDNESDAY TO 6 PM AKDT
FRIDAY. THE BLIZZARD WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

* VISIBILITY...NEAR ZERO IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

* WINDS...WEST 35 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MPH.

* SNOW...ABOUT 5 INCHES ACCUMULATION EXPECTED THROUGH
  WEDNESDAY NIGHT. ADDITIONAL SNOW FALL LIKELY THURSDAY AND
  THURSDAY NIGHT.

* TIMING...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN AROUND
  NOON WEDNESDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY. 

* IMPACTS...VISIBILITY WILL BE VERY POOR AND SNOW WILL 
  ACCUMULATE INTO DRIFTS. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS SHOULD BE 
  EXPECTED. TRAVEL AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES WILL BE EXTREMELY 
  DIFFICULT. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS IN
BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND VERY POOR VISIBILITIES ARE
OCCURRING OR EXPECTED.

&&

$$

AKZ206-101400-
/X.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0059.000000T0000Z-130410T1400Z/
NORTHEASTERN BROOKS RANGE-
INCLUDING...ANAKTUVUK PASS...ATIGUN PASS...GALBRAITH LAKE...
SAGWON...FRANKLIN BLUFFS
314 PM AKDT TUE APR 9 2013

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKDT
WEDNESDAY IN PASSES...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR BLOWING SNOW AND WIND CHILL REMAINS
IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKDT WEDNESDAY. 

* LOCATION...IN PASSES.

* VISIBILITY...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW REDUCING VISIBILITY TO ONE 
  HALF MILE OR LESS AT TIMES. 

* WIND CHILL TO 55 BELOW.

* TIMING...POOR VISIBILITY AND LOW WIND CHILL WILL CONTINUE
  THROUGH 6 AM AKDT WEDNESDAY.

* IMPACTS...EXPOSED FLESH WILL FREEZE IN A SHORT TIME RESULTING 
  IN FROSTBITE. TRAVEL AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITY WILL BE DIFFICULT. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY MEANS THAT ONE OR MORE WINTER WEATHER
HAZARDS ARE EXPECTED TO CAUSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES.

&&

$$
3 follow-up statements
591 
WWAK41 PAFG 101203
WSWNSB

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
403 AM AKDT WED APR 10 2013

AKZ206-101315-
/X.CAN.PAFG.WW.Y.0059.000000T0000Z-130410T1400Z/
NORTHEASTERN BROOKS RANGE-
INCLUDING...ANAKTUVUK PASS...ATIGUN PASS...GALBRAITH LAKE...
SAGWON...FRANKLIN BLUFFS
403 AM AKDT WED APR 10 2013

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS CANCELLED THE
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. 


$$

AKZ204-102100-
/X.CON.PAFG.BZ.W.0020.130410T2000Z-130413T0200Z/
EASTERN BEAUFORT SEA COAST-
INCLUDING...KAKTOVIK...FLAXMAN ISLAND
403 AM AKDT WED APR 10 2013

...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM
AKDT FRIDAY...

A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM AKDT
FRIDAY. 

* VISIBILITY...NEAR ZERO IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

* WINDS...WEST 35 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MPH.

* SNOW...ABOUT 5 INCHES ACCUMULATION EXPECTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY 
  NIGHT. ADDITIONAL SNOW FALL LIKELY THURSDAY AND THURSDAY 
  NIGHT. 

* TIMING...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BEGIN AROUND NOON 
  WEDNESDAY AND CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY. 

* IMPACTS...VISIBILITY WILL BE VERY POOR AND SNOW WILL 
  ACCUMULATE INTO DRIFTS. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS SHOULD BE 
  EXPECTED. TRAVEL AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES WILL BE EXTREMELY 
  DIFFICULT. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS IN
BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND VERY POOR VISIBILITIES ARE
OCCURRING OR EXPECTED.

&&

$$
484 
WWAK41 PAFG 102045
WSWNSB

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1245 PM AKDT WED APR 10 2013

AKZ204-111400-
/X.EXT.PAFG.BZ.W.0020.000000T0000Z-130412T2000Z/
EASTERN BEAUFORT SEA COAST-
INCLUDING...KAKTOVIK...FLAXMAN ISLAND
1245 PM AKDT WED APR 10 2013

...BLIZZARD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKDT FRIDAY...

THE BLIZZARD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKDT FRIDAY. 

* VISIBILITY...NEAR ZERO IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

* WINDS...WEST 35 TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 60 MPH.

* TIMING...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH
  NOON FRIDAY.

* IMPACTS...VISIBILITY WILL BE VERY POOR AND SNOW WILL 
  ACCUMULATE INTO DRIFTS. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS SHOULD BE 
  EXPECTED. TRAVEL AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES WILL BE EXTREMELY 
  DIFFICULT. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS IN
BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND VERY POOR VISIBILITIES ARE
OCCURRING OR EXPECTED.

&&

$$
319 
WWAK41 PAFG 111203
WSWNSB

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
403 AM AKDT THU APR 11 2013

AKZ204-120100-
/X.CAN.PAFG.BZ.W.0020.000000T0000Z-130412T2000Z/
/X.NEW.PAFG.BZ.W.0022.130411T1203Z-130412T2000Z/
EASTERN BEAUFORT SEA COAST-
INCLUDING...KAKTOVIK...FLAXMAN ISLAND
403 AM AKDT THU APR 11 2013

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKDT FRIDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKDT FRIDAY. 

* VISIBILITY...NEAR ZERO IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

* WINDS...WEST TO 50 MPH WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 65 MPH.

* TIMING...BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH 
  NOON FRIDAY. 

* IMPACTS...VISIBILITY WILL BE VERY POOR AND SNOW WILL 
  ACCUMULATE INTO DRIFTS. WHITEOUT CONDITIONS SHOULD BE 
  EXPECTED. TRAVEL AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES WILL BE EXTREMELY 
  DIFFICULT. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS IN
BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND VERY POOR VISIBILITIES ARE
OCCURRING OR EXPECTED.

&&

$$

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 Apr 9, 10:20 AM AKDT, 4 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 9, 10:20 AM AKDT, 4 hours 54 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1020 AM AKDT TUE APR 9 2013

.DISCUSSION...
AN UNSEASONABLY VERY COLD AND DEEP UPPER LOW CENTER CONTINUES
TO BE THE CONTROLLING FEATURE FOR WEATHER OVER THE NORTHERN
ALASKA. THE LOW CENTER IS CURRENTLY OVER THE UPPER KUSKOKWIM
VALLEY. CURRENT MODEL SOLUTIONS CALL FOR THE UPPER LOW TO MOVE
EASTWARD AND SPLIT INTO TWO CENTERS BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON...THE
NORTHERN CENTER JUST SOUTH OF THE NICHOLSON PENINSULA IN CANADA
AND THE SOUTHWESTERN CENTER NEAR PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND. BY
THURSDAY AFTERNOON THE NORTHERN CENTER WILL BE NEAR BANKS ISLAND
AND THE SOUTHERN CENTER WILL MOVE TO THE ALASKA PANHANDLE. CURRENT
GFS/ECMWF MODEL RUNS INDICATE ANOTHER UPPER LOW CENTER MOVING
SOUTHEASTWARD OUT OF THE ARCTIC...ARRIVING ON THE NORTHWEST ALASKA
COAST BY SATURDAY MORNING AND DIVING INTO THE EASTERN INTERIOR BY
SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THIS WILL PROLONG THE DURATION OF THE
UNSEASONABLY VERY COLD AIRMASS OVER THE FORECAST AREA.

A 975 MB LOW CENTERED OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHEAST INTERIOR NEAR
THE ALCAN BORDER IS PROGGED TO MOVE TO NEAR MAYO THIS EVENING
FILLING TO AROUND 978 MB...WHILE A SECONDARY 983 MB CENTER
DEVELOPS SOUTHWEST OF GREAT BEAR LAKE. THIS NEW LOW WILL BECOME
THE SURVIVING CENTER AND MOVE TO NEAR SOUTHERN BANKS ISLAND BY
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS A 986 MB LOW. STRONG WEST WINDS WILL
DEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN ARCTIC COAST BY NOON WEDNESDAY AS
THE PRESSURE GRADIENT INCREASES ACROSS THE EASTERN ARCTIC
COAST. THE EASTERN ARCTIC COAST WILL EXPERIENCE A LONG PERIOD
OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS BEGINNING AROUND NOON WEDNESDAY AND
CONTINUING THROUGH FRIDAY.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES FOR SNOW WILL CONTINUE IN MOST EASTERN
INTERIOR ZONES. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO TAPER OFF IN ZONE 225 BY THIS
EVENING AND IN ZONE 226 BY AROUND MIDNIGHT. ADVISORIES IN THE
OTHER EASTERN INTERIOR ZONES THROUGH 6 AM WEDNESDAY. BRISK WINDS
WITH LOW WIND CHILL AND POOR VISIBILITY IN BLOWING SNOW IN ZONE
206 PASSES ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT.

IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD...BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY TO
CONTINUE OVER MOST OF NORTHERN ALASKA INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT
WEEK. THE ECMWF AND GFS ENSEMBLE MEANS SHOW AN ESSENTIALLY SIMILAR
STORY WITH A RIDGE POSITION OVER THE BERING SEA AND A TROUGH AXIS
ALONG OR JUST EAST OF THE ALCAN BORDER...RESULTING IN A NORTH TO
NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT OVER MOST OF THE NORTHERN ALASKA MAINLAND.

THE LATEST NCEP/CPC ENSEMBLE MEAN EXTENDED TEMPERATURE FORECAST
CALLS FOR TEMPERATURES AVERAGING BELOW NORMAL FOR ALMOST ALL OF
THE NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST AREA THROUGH THE END OF THE MONTH.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
NONE.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
NO RIPENING OF THE SNOWPACK OR SOFTENING OF RIVER ICE IS EXPECTED
THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...MEAN TEMPERATURES IN THE FORECAST AREA
WILL REMAIN WELL BELOW FREEZING...DAYTIME MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES
REACHING FREEZING AT BEST...BUT WILL BE BELOW FREEZING IN MOST
AREAS ON MOST OR ALL DAYS DURING THE NEXT WEEK.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ204.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ206-AKZ218-AKZ219-AKZ220-AKZ221-
AKZ222-AKZ223-AKZ224-AKZ225-AKZ226.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ245.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ245.
&&

RF APR 13

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 9, 1:32 PM AKDT, 1 hour 42 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
132 PM AKDT TUE APR 09 2013

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0600 AM     HEAVY SNOW       7 NW FAIRBANKS          64.91N 147.82W
04/09/2013  M3.8 INCH                           AK   CO-OP OBSERVER

            GOLDSTREAM CREEK COOPERATIVE OBSERVER 24 HOUR REPORT

0700 AM     HEAVY SNOW       EAGLE                   64.78N 141.20W
04/09/2013  M4.0 INCH                           AK   CO-OP OBSERVER

            EAGLE COOPERATIVE OBSERVER 24 HOUR REPORT

0800 AM     HEAVY SNOW       FORT YUKON              66.57N 145.26W
04/09/2013  M3.0 INCH                           AK   CO-OP OBSERVER

            FORT YUKON COOPERATIVE OBSERVER 24 HOUR REPORT

0900 AM     HEAVY SNOW       COLLEGE                 64.87N 147.82W
04/09/2013  M3.0 INCH                           AK   CO-OP OBSERVER

            COLLEGE OBSERVATORY 24 HOUR REPORT

&&

JMALINGO

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 9, 2:49 AM AKDTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG49 hr
Apr 9, 2:50 AM AKDTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG49 hr
Apr 9, 2:16 PM AKDTGale WarningAFG72 hr

Nearby

Blizzard Warnings in Alaska, 2013Every blizzard warning in 2013

Sources

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