Alert archive / Alaska / Blizzard Watches in 2016

Blizzard Watch 2, NWS Fairbanks, AK

February 23, 2016

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.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 23, 3:40 PM AKSTHigh Wind WarningAFG35 hr
Feb 23, 3:40 PM AKSTWind AdvisoryAFG52 hr
Feb 23, 5:24 PM AKSTWind AdvisoryAFG27 hr
Feb 24, 3:45 AM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG48 hr
Feb 24, 2:35 PM AKSTBlizzard WarningAFG38 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.