Alert archive / Alaska / Blizzard Watches in 2016
Blizzard Watch 2, NWS Fairbanks, AK
NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this blizzard watch at Feb 23, 2016, 9:34 PM AKST. It took effect at Feb 24, 2016, 9:00 PM AKST. It was in force for .
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Feb 23, 2016, 9:34 PM AKST (06:34 UTC)
- In effect from
- Feb 24, 2016, 9:00 PM AKST
- Expired
- Feb 24, 2016, 2:35 PM AKST
- In force
- Issued by
- NWS Fairbanks, AK
The text
As transmitted.
477 WWAK42 PAFG 240634 WSWWCZ URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK 934 PM AKST TUE FEB 23 2016 AKZ213-241445- /O.NEW.PAFG.BZ.A.0002.160225T0600Z-160226T1500Z/ ST LAWRENCE ISLAND AND BERING STRAIT COAST- INCLUDING...GAMBELL...SAVOONGA...BREVIG MISSION...TELLER... WALES...DIOMEDE 934 PM AKST TUE FEB 23 2016 ...BLIZZARD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. * VISIBILITY...ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS. * WINDS...NORTHEAST 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH. * SNOW...WITH 2 TO 3 INCHES ACCUMULATION. * TIMING...WINDS AND BLOWING SNOW WILL INCREASE WEDNESDAY EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY. FALLING SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. THE LOWEST VISIBILITY IS EXPECTED TO BE FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. * IMPACTS...A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND VERY POOR VISIBILITIES. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND VERY POOR VISIBILITIES. && $$
2 follow-up statements
072 WWAK42 PAFG 241354 WSWWCZ URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK 454 AM AKST WED FEB 24 2016 AKZ213-250000- /O.CON.PAFG.BZ.A.0002.160225T0600Z-160226T1500Z/ ST LAWRENCE ISLAND AND BERING STRAIT COAST- INCLUDING...GAMBELL...SAVOONGA...BREVIG MISSION...TELLER... WALES...DIOMEDE 454 AM AKST WED FEB 24 2016 ...BLIZZARD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT... * VISIBILITY...ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS. * WINDS...NORTHEAST 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH. * SNOW...WITH 2 TO 3 INCHES ACCUMULATION. * TIMING...WINDS AND BLOWING SNOW WILL INCREASE WEDNESDAY EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY. FALLING SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. THE LOWEST VISIBILITY IS EXPECTED TO BE FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. * IMPACTS...A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND VERY POOR VISIBILITIES. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND VERY POOR VISIBILITIES. && $$
351 WWAK42 PAFG 242335 WSWWCZ URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK 235 PM AKST WED FEB 24 2016 AKZ213-251400- /O.UPG.PAFG.BZ.A.0002.160225T0600Z-160226T1500Z/ /O.NEW.PAFG.BZ.W.0008.160225T0600Z-160226T1500Z/ ST LAWRENCE ISLAND AND BERING STRAIT COAST- INCLUDING...GAMBELL...SAVOONGA...BREVIG MISSION...TELLER... WALES...DIOMEDE 235 PM AKST WED FEB 24 2016 ...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM AKST FRIDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 6 AM AKST FRIDAY. THE BLIZZARD WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. * VISIBILITY...ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS. * WINDS...NORTHEAST 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 MPH. * SNOW...WITH 2 TO 3 INCHES ACCUMULATION. * TIMING...WINDS AND BLOWING SNOW WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY. FALLING SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. THE LOWEST VISIBILITY IS EXPECTED TO BE FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT. * IMPACTS...VISIBILITY WILL BE GREATLY REDUCED AND SNOW WILL ACCUMULATE INTO DRIFTS. TRAVEL AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES WILL BE 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 watch 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 watch went out at Feb 23, 3:46 PM AKST, 5 hours 48 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 23, 3:46 PM AKST, 5 hours 48 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK 346 PM AKST TUE FEB 23 2016 .DISCUSSION... THE DETERMINISTIC FORECAST MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT FOR ABOUT THE FIRST 48 HOURS OF THE FORECAST PERIOD. THE 12Z MODELS INITIALIZE WELL AGAINST OBSERVATIONS. SURFACE...A 1010 MB LOW 250 NM NW OF CAPE LISBURNE WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN IN PLACE THOUGH 9 AM WED. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE COVERS MOST OF THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN INTERIOR. THE AXIS OF THE RIDGE CURRENTLY EXTENDS FROM AMBLER TO CIRCLE TO EAGLE TO MAYO. THE RIDGE AXES WILL MOVE NORTH THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER NORTH OF MACKENZIE BAY WILL SLIDE THROUGH THE EAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. A 962 MB LOW 350 NM SE OF CHIGNIK WILL MOVE TO 250 NM S OF SAND POINT BY 9 AM WED AT 960 MB AND TO 225 NM SW OF BETHEL BY 9 AM THURSDAY AT 970 MB. ALOFT...AT 500 HPA A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN FIRMLY OVER THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE STATE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE RIDGE AXIS WILL SLIDE EAST A BIT DURING THE DAY ON THURSDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW PUSHES INTO BRISTOL BAY. CENTRAL AND EASTERN INTERIOR...THE BIGGEST STORY IN THE INTERIOR WILL BE THE WINDS WILL DEVELOP IN THE ALASKA RANGE WEDNESDAY MORNING. IN ISABEL PASS GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH WILL LIKELY BE SEEN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. FURTHER WEST IN ZONE 225 EXPECT GUSTS TO AROUND 60 MPH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. WINDS IN THE ALASKA RANGE WILL LIKELY DIE DOWN OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY...BUT WILL RAMP UP AGAIN THURSDAY MORNING. THE 18Z NAM IS BRINING A BIT OF LIGHT SNOW INTO THE FAR EASTERN INTERIOR ON THURSDAY...HOWEVER...THE OTHER MODELS ARE LESS CONFIDENT ABOUT THIS. ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE INTERIOR OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. WEST COAST AND WESTERN INTERIOR...SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE NORTH WEST COAST THIS EVENING AS A SFC LOW MOVES OFF TO THE NORTH. NOT ANTICIPATING ANY SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL TONIGHT. EXPECT PRECIPITATION TO PUSH INTO THE YUKON DELTA TOMORROW AS A SHORTWAVE MOVES UP THE PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE. THE PREDOMINANT PRECIPITATION TYPE FOR THIS PRECIPITATION WILL BE SNOW...ALTHOUGH SOME MIXED PRECIPITATION IS POSSIBLE IN ZONES212..214 AND 215 AT TIMES TOMORROW WHERE 850 HPA TEMPERATURES WILL BE ABOVE FREEZING. THE SHORTWAVE WILL QUICKLY MOVE NORTHWARD...THUS PRECIPITATION TOTALS WILL GENERALLY BE UNDER ONE INCH. ARCTIC COAST...EXPECT SOME LIGHT SNOW THIS EVENING AS THE LOW MOVES OFF TO THE NORTH...OTHERWISE NOT MUCH IN THE WAY OF PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ225. HIGH WIND WARNING FOR AKZ226. BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ220. && FEB 16
The office that day
Everything else NWS Fairbanks, AK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 23, 3:40 PM AKST | High Wind Warning | AFG | 35 hr | |
| Feb 23, 3:40 PM AKST | Wind Advisory | AFG | 52 hr | |
| Feb 23, 5:24 PM AKST | Wind Advisory | AFG | 27 hr | |
| Feb 24, 3:45 AM AKST | Brisk Wind Advisory | AFG | 48 hr | |
| Feb 24, 2:35 PM AKST | Blizzard Warning | AFG | 38 hr |
Nearby
Blizzard Watches in Alaska, 2016Every blizzard watch in 2016
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.