Alert archive / Alaska / Winter Storm Warnings in 2013

Winter Storm Warning 22, NWS Fairbanks, AK

December 5, 2013

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this winter storm warning at Dec 5, 2013, 4:21 AM AKST. It took effect at Dec 5, 2013, 9:00 AM AKST. It was in force for 60 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 5, 2013, 4:21 AM AKST (13:21 UTC)
In effect from
Dec 5, 2013, 9:00 AM AKST
Expired
Dec 7, 2013, 8:46 PM AKST
In force
60 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this winter storm 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 winter storm warning went out at Dec 4, 5:15 PM AKST, 11 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 4, 5:15 PM AKST, 11 hours 6 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
515 PM AKST WED DEC 4 2013

.SYNOPSIS...
ALOFT...
A VERY STRONG RIDGE ALOFT OVER MAINLAND ALASKA WILL PERSIST INTO
THE WEEKEND. SEVERAL SHORT WAVE TROUGHS MAKING THEIR WAY NORTH
OVER THE BERING SEA THIS WEEK WILL CAUSE THE RIDGE TO FLATTEN
SLIGHTLY AND PUSH PRECIPITATION INLAND. GIVEN THE VERY HIGH
HEIGHTS WITH THIS RIDGE MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE IN THE
FORM OF RAIN ALONG THE WEST COAST AND FREEZING RAIN IN THE
INTERIOR.

SURFACE...
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE EASTERN INTERIOR WILL WEAKEN THU
NIGHT. THIS WILL CAUSE SOME DOWN VALLEY WINDS IN THE EASTERN
INTERIOR.

A WARM FRONT FROM GAMBELL TO BETHEL WILL MOVE THE BERING
STRAIT TO MCGRATH BY 3AM THU...TO KOTZEBUE TO DENALI BY 3PM
THU...TO POINT LAY TO FAIRBANKS BY 3AM FRI AND TO WAINWRIGHT TO
EAGLE BY 3PM FRI. THERE IS 1-2 INCHES OF SNOW AHEAD OF THE FRONT
CHANGING TO FREEZING RAIN ALONG THE FRONT. COULD SEE UP TO .10 OF
AN INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION FROM THE FREEZING RAIN OVER THE WEST
COAST...WITH .10-.25 INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION IN THE INTERIOR.
AT THIS TIME IT LOOKS LIKE THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS OF ICE WILL BE
NORTH OF FAIRBANKS. FREEZING RAIN WILL CHANGE TO RAIN SOUTH OF
THE FRONT ALONG THE WEST COAST WHERE THE COLD SURFACE AIR MIXES
OUT WITH UP TO .25 INCH OF LIQUID RAIN. CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION
DECREASES AS THE FRONT MOVES EAST DUE TO THE STRENGTH OF THE
SUBSIDENCE FROM THE STRONG RIDGE ALOFT. HAVE ISSUED WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORIES WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR THE FREEZING RAIN.

A COLD FRONT IN THE BERING SEA WILL MOVE TO THE EASTERN BERING SEA
FRI AND ALONG THE WEST COAST OF ALASKA SAT. RAIN WILL CHANGE BACK
TO SNOW ALONG AND WEST OF THIS FRONT.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
MODELS SHOWED SIMILAR SOLUTIONS AT 500 MB. THE NAM MOVES
PRECIPITATION EAST INTO THE INTERIOR QUICKER THAN THE GFS BUT
AMOUNTS AND PRECIPITATION TYPES WERE SIMILAR. FOR TIMING WENT
WITH A BLEND BETWEEN THE NAM AND GFS.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ICE STORM WARNING FOR AKZ210-AKZ216.

WINTER STORM WATCH FOR AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ209-AKZ217-AKZ218-AKZ219-
AKZ220-AKZ221-AKZ222.

FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FOR AKZ211-AKZ212-AKZ213-AKZ214-AKZ215.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ201-AKZ205-AKZ227.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ210.

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

JB DEC 13

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 4, 3:03 PM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG12 hr
Dec 4, 3:03 PM AKSTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFG12 hr
Dec 4, 3:18 PM AKSTWinter Storm WatchAFG13 hr
Dec 4, 3:18 PM AKSTWinter Weather AdvisoryAFG43 hr
Dec 5, 3:50 AM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG24 hr
Dec 5, 3:50 AM AKSTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFG24 hr
Dec 5, 4:55 AM AKSTWinter Storm WarningAFG67 hr
Dec 5, 5:56 AM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG22 hr
Dec 5, 2:57 PM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG13 hr

Nearby

Winter Storm Warnings in Alaska, 2013Every winter storm 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.