Alert archive / Alaska / Blizzard Warnings in 2018

Blizzard Warning 19, NWS Fairbanks, AK

March 9, 2018

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this blizzard warning at Mar 9, 2018, 12:18 PM AKST. It was in force for 26 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
Mar 9, 2018, 12:18 PM AKST (21:18 UTC)
Expired
Mar 10, 2018, 1:57 PM AKST
In force
26 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

The text

As transmitted.

894 
WWAK42 PAFG 092118
WSWWCZ

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
1218 PM AKST Fri Mar 9 2018


AKZ207-101500-
/O.UPG.PAFG.WW.Y.0052.000000T0000Z-180310T2100Z/
/O.NEW.PAFG.BZ.W.0019.180309T2118Z-180310T2100Z/
Chukchi Sea Coast-
Including Point Hope, Shishmaref, Kivalina, and Espenberg
1218 PM AKST Fri Mar 9 2018

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKST SATURDAY...

* WHAT...Blizzard conditions occurring. Travel will be very
  dangerous to impossible. 

* WHERE...Chukchi Sea Coast from Kivalina north. 

* WHEN...Until noon Saturday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting as high as 50 mph will cause
  whiteout conditions in blowing snow. Significant drifting of 
  the snow is likely.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Blizzard Warning means severe winter weather conditions are
expected or occurring. Falling and blowing snow with strong winds
and poor visibilities are likely. This will lead to whiteout
conditions, making travel extremely dangerous.

$$

AKZ213-101500-
/O.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0052.000000T0000Z-180310T1500Z/
St Lawrence Island and Bering Strait Coast-
Including Gambell, Savoonga, Brevig Mission, Teller, Wales, 
and Diomede
1218 PM AKST Fri Mar 9 2018

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST
SATURDAY...

* WHAT...Snow and blowing snow, and areas of poor visibility 
  with visibility one half mile or less at times. Difficult 
  travel conditions are expected. Additional snow accumulations 
  of 1 to 2 inches are expected.

* WHERE...St Lawrence Island and Bering Strait Coast.

* WHEN...Until 6 AM Saturday. Strong winds and areas of low 
  visibility are occurring now. These conditions will continue 
  off and on through early Saturday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...North winds gusting as high as 60 mph 
  will cause areas very low visibility along with blowing and 
  drifting snow.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Weather Advisory for snow and blowing snow means periods
of snow and blowing snow will cause travel difficulties.

$$

AKZ214-101500-
/O.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0052.000000T0000Z-180310T1500Z/
Yukon Delta-
Including Mountain Village, Emmonak, Alakanuk, Kotlik, 
Pilot Station, St Marys, Scammon Bay, Marshall, Nunam Iqua, 
and Pitkas Point
1218 PM AKST Fri Mar 9 2018

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST
SATURDAY...

* WHAT...Blowing snow expected. Plan on areas of poor 
  visibilities to create difficult travel conditions at times.

* WHERE...Along the Yukon Delta Coast.

* WHEN...Until 6 AM Saturday. Strong winds and areas of low 
  visibility are occurring now. These conditions will continue 
  off and on through early Saturday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...North winds gusting as high as 45 mph 
  will cause areas low visibility along with blowing and 
  drifting snow.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Weather Advisory for blowing snow means periods of
blowing snow will cause travel difficulties.

$$
3 follow-up statements
569 
WWAK42 PAFG 101134
WSWWCZ

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
234 AM AKST Sat Mar 10 2018



AKZ214-101245-
/O.CAN.PAFG.WW.Y.0052.000000T0000Z-180310T1500Z/
Yukon Delta-
Including Mountain Village, Emmonak, Alakanuk, Kotlik, 
Pilot Station, St Marys, Scammon Bay, Marshall, Nunam Iqua, 
and Pitkas Point
234 AM AKST Sat Mar 10 2018

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS CANCELLED...


$$

AKZ207-102100-
/O.CON.PAFG.BZ.W.0019.000000T0000Z-180310T2100Z/
Chukchi Sea Coast-
Including Point Hope, Shishmaref, Kivalina, and Espenberg
234 AM AKST Sat Mar 10 2018

...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKST TODAY...

* WHAT...Blizzard conditions occurring. Travel will be very 
  dangerous to impossible.

* WHERE...Chukchi Sea Coast from Kivalina north.

* WHEN...Until noon Saturday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting as high as 45 mph will cause
  whiteout conditions in blowing snow. Significant drifting of 
  the snow is likely.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Blizzard Warning means severe winter weather conditions are
expected or occurring. Falling and blowing snow with strong winds
and poor visibilities are likely. This will lead to whiteout
conditions, making travel extremely dangerous.

$$

AKZ213-102100-
/O.EXT.PAFG.WW.Y.0052.000000T0000Z-180310T2100Z/
St Lawrence Island and Bering Strait Coast-
Including Gambell, Savoonga, Brevig Mission, Teller, Wales, 
and Diomede
234 AM AKST Sat Mar 10 2018

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKST TODAY...

* WHAT...Snow and blowing snow, and areas of poor visibility with
  visibility one half mile or less at times. Difficult travel
  conditions are expected. Snow accumulation up to one inch.

* WHERE...Bering Strait Coast.

* WHEN...Until noon today.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...North winds gusting as high as 45 mph will
  cause areas very low visibility along with blowing and drifting
  snow.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Weather Advisory for blowing snow means periods of
blowing snow will cause travel difficulties.

$$
143 
WWAK42 PAFG 102017
WSWWCZ

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
1117 AM AKST Sat Mar 10 2018


AKZ207-110000-
/O.EXT.PAFG.BZ.W.0019.000000T0000Z-180311T0000Z/
Chukchi Sea Coast-
Including Point Hope, Shishmaref, Kivalina, and Espenberg
1117 AM AKST Sat Mar 10 2018

...BLIZZARD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM AKST THIS
AFTERNOON...

* WHAT...Blizzard conditions occurring. Travel will be very 
  dangerous to impossible.

* WHERE...Chukchi Sea Coast from Kivalina north.

* WHEN...Until 3 PM today.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting as high as 45 mph will 
  cause whiteout conditions in blowing snow. Significant 
  drifting of the snow is likely.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Blizzard Warning means severe winter weather conditions are
expected or occurring. Falling and blowing snow with strong winds
and poor visibilities are likely. This will lead to whiteout
conditions, making travel extremely dangerous.

$$

AKZ213-110000-
/O.EXT.PAFG.WW.Y.0052.000000T0000Z-180311T0000Z/
St Lawrence Island and Bering Strait Coast-
Including Gambell, Savoonga, Brevig Mission, Teller, Wales, 
and Diomede
1117 AM AKST Sat Mar 10 2018

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM AKST THIS
AFTERNOON...

* WHAT...Snow and blowing snow, and areas of poor visibility 
  with visibility one half mile or less at times. Difficult 
  travel conditions are expected. Snow accumulation up to one 
  inch.

* WHERE...Bering Strait Coast.

* WHEN...Until 3 PM today.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...North winds gusting as high as 45 mph 
  will cause areas very low visibility along with blowing and 
  drifting snow.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Weather Advisory for blowing snow means periods of
blowing snow will cause travel difficulties.

$$
191 
WWAK42 PAFG 102257
WSWWCZ

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
157 PM AKST Sat Mar 10 2018


AKZ207-110000-
/O.CAN.PAFG.BZ.W.0019.000000T0000Z-180311T0000Z/
Chukchi Sea Coast-
Including Point Hope, Shishmaref, Kivalina, and Espenberg
157 PM AKST Sat Mar 10 2018

...BLIZZARD WARNING IS CANCELLED...



$$

AKZ213-110000-
/O.CAN.PAFG.WW.Y.0052.000000T0000Z-180311T0000Z/
St Lawrence Island and Bering Strait Coast-
Including Gambell, Savoonga, Brevig Mission, Teller, Wales, 
and Diomede
157 PM AKST Sat Mar 10 2018

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS CANCELLED...



$$

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 Mar 9, 4:36 AM AKST, 7 hours 42 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 9, 4:36 AM AKST, 7 hours 42 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion...CORRECTED
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
436 AM AKST Fri Mar 9 2018

.DISCUSSION...

Aloft...Models in good agreement through the weekend. A stacked
497 dam low near Kodiak will wobble around the Gulf of Alaska
through Sunday. Shortwaves rotating around the low will move over
mainland Alaska and bring periods of snow. A shortwave will move
over the Interior today and push to the north on Saturday. Weak
southerly flow will remain over the Interior through the weekend.
Flow aloft will become more southwesterly over the state early
next week.

Surface...A 977 mb low NW of Nunivak Island will move SE and be
150 NM NW of Sand Point Fri morning. A 969 mb low over Kodiak
Island will rotate east to be over Cook Inlet by Fri morning and
then move N inland and weaken. A strong pressure gradient will
persist along the Bering strait through Saturday morning. Weak
low pressure will persist over northern AK on Saturday.

West Coast and Western Interior...A strong pressure gradient
will persist along the west coast through Saturday morning.
Northerly winds gusting 30 to 40 mph with local gusts around
50 mph will cause areas of blowing and drifting snow through
Saturday morning. Snow showers and blowing snow, and areas of
poor visibility with near blizzard conditions are occurring.
Visibility will be less than one half mile at times. Winter wx
advisory is in effect for zones 207 and 213 through Saturday
morning. Another low and frontal boundary will move into the
western Bering Sea Sunday night into Monday.

Arctic Coast and Brooks Range...Northeasterly winds will continue
through the weekend. Low visibility and blowing snow for portions
of the western north slope this morning. Overall quiet weather
with low stratus and fog persisting into the weekend.

Interior...A shortwave moving up from the Gulf of Alaska will
bring a chance of snow for the southern interior this afternoon
into Saturday morning. Central interior could pick up 1 to 2
inches with this shortwave. Highs in the upper 20s to low 30s
will continue for the Interior through the weekend. Gusty winds
near Delta junction will persist through Saturday morning.
Southeasterly winds of 25 to 40 mph are occurring in that area.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ201-AKZ207-AKZ213.

Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ210.

Small Craft Advisory for PKZ210.

Gale Warning for PKZ220.

Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ200-PKZ225-PKZ230-PKZ235-PKZ240-
PKZ245.
&&

MAR 18

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 8, 3:39 PM AKSTWinter Weather AdvisoryAFG14 hr
Mar 9, 6:14 AM AKSTWinter Weather AdvisoryAFG4 hr
Mar 9, 12:05 PM AKSTWind AdvisoryAFG23 hr

Nearby

Blizzard Warnings in Alaska, 2018Every blizzard warning in 2018

Sources

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