Alert archive / Alaska / Blizzard Warnings in 2019
Blizzard Warning 1, NWS Fairbanks, AK
NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this blizzard warning at Dec 31, 2018, 3:04 PM AKST. It was in force for 13 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 31, 2018, 3:04 PM AKST (00:04 UTC)
- Expired
- Jan 1, 2019, 3:39 AM AKST
- In force
- 13 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Fairbanks, AK
The text
As transmitted.
690 WWAK41 PAFG 010004 WSWNSB URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 304 PM AKST Mon Dec 31 2018 AKZ201-010900- /O.UPG.PAFG.WW.Y.0125.000000T0000Z-190101T1500Z/ /O.NEW.PAFG.BZ.W.0001.190101T0004Z-190101T1500Z/ Western Arctic Coast- Including Wainwright, Atqasuk, Point Lay, and Cape Lisburne 304 PM AKST Mon Dec 31 2018 ...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST TUESDAY... * WHAT...Blizzard conditions occurring. Travel will be very dangerous to impossible. * WHERE...Point Lay and west. * WHEN...Until 6 AM Tuesday. * 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. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. $$ AKZ203-010900- /O.EXT.PAFG.WW.Y.0125.000000T0000Z-190101T0900Z/ Central Beaufort Sea Coast- Including Nuiqsut, Prudhoe Bay, Alpine, Deadhorse, and Kuparuk 304 PM AKST Mon Dec 31 2018 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT AKST TONIGHT... * WHAT...Blowing snow occurring. Plan on areas of poor visibilities and difficult travel conditions at times. * WHERE...Central Beaufort Sea Coast. * WHEN...Until midnight. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting as high as 40 mph will cause areas of blowing and drifting snow reducing the visibility to one half mile or less at times. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Winter Weather Advisory for blowing snow means periods of blowing snow will cause travel difficulties. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. $$ AKZ204-010900- /O.EXT.PAFG.WW.Y.0125.000000T0000Z-190101T0900Z/ Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast- Including Kaktovik and Flaxman Island 304 PM AKST Mon Dec 31 2018 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT AKST TONIGHT... * WHAT...Blowing snow occurring. Plan on areas of poor visibilities and difficult travel conditions at times. * WHERE...Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast. * WHEN...Until midnight. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting as high as 35 mph will cause areas of blowing and drifting snow reducing the visibility to one half mile or less at times. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Winter Weather Advisory for blowing snow means that visibilities will be limited due to strong winds blowing snow around. Use caution when traveling, especially in open areas. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. $$ AKZ202-010900- /O.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0125.000000T0000Z-190101T1500Z/ Northern Arctic Coast- Including Utqiagvik, Alaktak, Pitt Point, and Nulavik 304 PM AKST Mon Dec 31 2018 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST TUESDAY... * WHAT...Snow and blowing snow occurring. Plan on areas of poor visibilities and difficult travel conditions at times. Additional snow accumulations of up to one inch are expected. * WHERE...Northern Arctic Coast. * WHEN...Until 6 AM Tuesday. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting as high as 35 mph will cause areas of blowing and drifting snow reducing the visibility to one half mile or less at times. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Winter Weather Advisory for snow and blowing snow means periods of snow and blowing snow will cause travel difficulties. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. $$ AKZ206-010900- /O.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0125.000000T0000Z-190101T1500Z/ Northeastern Brooks Range- Including Anaktuvuk Pass, Atigun Pass, Galbraith Lake, Sagwon, and Franklin Bluffs 304 PM AKST Mon Dec 31 2018 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST TUESDAY... * WHAT...Snow and blowing snow occurring. Plan on areas of poor visibilities and difficult travel conditions at times. Additional snow accumulations of up to one inch, with localized amounts up to 5 inches, are expected. * WHERE...Northeastern Brooks Range passes. * WHEN...Until 6 AM Tuesday. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting as high as 30 mph will cause areas of blowing and drifting snow reducing the visibility to one half mile or less at times. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Winter Weather Advisory for snow and blowing snow means periods of snow and blowing snow will cause travel difficulties. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. $$
2 follow-up statements
507 WWAK41 PAFG 010449 WSWNSB URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 749 PM AKST Mon Dec 31 2018 AKZ203-204-010600- /O.CAN.PAFG.WW.Y.0125.000000T0000Z-190101T0900Z/ Central Beaufort Sea Coast-Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast- Including Nuiqsut, Prudhoe Bay, Alpine, Deadhorse, Kuparuk, Kaktovik, and Flaxman Island 749 PM AKST Mon Dec 31 2018 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS CANCELLED... Conditions have improved across the affected area. $$ AKZ201-011500- /O.CON.PAFG.BZ.W.0001.000000T0000Z-190101T1500Z/ Western Arctic Coast- Including Wainwright, Atqasuk, Point Lay, and Cape Lisburne 749 PM AKST Mon Dec 31 2018 ...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST TUESDAY... * WHAT...Blizzard conditions occurring. * WHERE...Point Lay and west. * WHEN...Until 6 AM Tuesday. * 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. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. $$ AKZ202-011500- /O.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0125.000000T0000Z-190101T1500Z/ Northern Arctic Coast- Including Utqiagvik, Alaktak, Pitt Point, and Nulavik 749 PM AKST Mon Dec 31 2018 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST TUESDAY... * WHAT...Snow and blowing snow occurring. Plan on areas of poor visibilities and difficult travel conditions at times. Additional snow accumulations of up to one inch are expected. * WHERE...Northern Arctic Coast. * WHEN...Until 6 AM Tuesday. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting as high as 35 mph will cause areas of blowing and drifting snow reducing the visibility to one half mile or less at times. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Winter Weather Advisory for snow and blowing snow means periods of snow and blowing snow will cause travel difficulties. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. $$ AKZ206-011500- /O.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0125.000000T0000Z-190101T1500Z/ Northeastern Brooks Range- Including Anaktuvuk Pass, Atigun Pass, Galbraith Lake, Sagwon, and Franklin Bluffs 749 PM AKST Mon Dec 31 2018 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST TUESDAY... * WHAT...Snow and blowing snow occurring. Plan on areas of poor visibilities and difficult travel conditions at times. Additional snow accumulations of up to one inch, with localized amounts up to 5 inches, are expected. * WHERE...Northeastern Brooks Range passes. * WHEN...Until 6 AM Tuesday. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting as high as 30 mph will cause areas of blowing and drifting snow reducing the visibility to one half mile or less at times. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Winter Weather Advisory for snow and blowing snow means periods of snow and blowing snow will cause travel difficulties. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. $$
618 WWAK41 PAFG 011239 WSWNSB URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 339 AM AKST Tue Jan 1 2019 AKZ201-011345- /O.CAN.PAFG.BZ.W.0001.000000T0000Z-190101T1500Z/ Western Arctic Coast- Including Wainwright, Atqasuk, Point Lay, and Cape Lisburne 339 AM AKST Tue Jan 1 2019 ...BLIZZARD WARNING IS CANCELLED... $$ AKZ202-206-011345- /O.CAN.PAFG.WW.Y.0125.000000T0000Z-190101T1500Z/ Northern Arctic Coast-Northeastern Brooks Range- Including Utqiagvik, Alaktak, Pitt Point, Nulavik, Anaktuvuk Pass, Atigun Pass, Galbraith Lake, Sagwon, and Franklin Bluffs 339 AM AKST Tue Jan 1 2019 ...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 Dec 31, 4:31 AM AKST, 10 hours 33 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 31, 4:31 AM AKST, 10 hours 33 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 431 AM AKST Mon Dec 31 2018 .DISCUSSION... Synopsis...A very active weather pattern will continue through most of the week. A deep low pressure system will move up the West Coast today and tonight bringing heavy snow, strong winds, and blowing snow, and warmer temperatures to most of the forecast area. A second deep low pressure system will move to the area Tuesday night and Wednesday bringing more snow, strong winds, and blowing snow. Winter Weather Warnings and Advisories, and High Wind Warnings have been posted for most locations from the Alaska Range north and many will continue to at least Tuesday. See below for more details. Models...The 31/00Z solutions initialized well against the local 31/06Z surface analysis as far as location and strength of the major systems in the area. Models continue to be in agreement for the first 48 hours or so, then diverge significantly. Will be using a mostly NAM solution for the precipitation, with CONSMOS for the winds with the exception of areas above 1500 feet which will be mainly NAM to account for stronger winds. Aloft...At 500 hpa...The long wave trough contines to lie over the Dateline with several lows moving north and south near it. Ridging continues over the Northeast Pacific, British Columbia, The Yukon Territory, then northwest across the state this morning. A 498 dam low over Bethel will move northwest over the Bering Strait as it weakens and merges with the primary 490 dam low that is just west of the Gulf of Anadyr. A ridge axis that lies from Eagle to Anaktuvuk Pass to Wales will move north of the Arctic Coast late this morning and will lie from Banks Island to Wrangel Island by Tuesday morning. A 485 dam low in the Northern Beaufort Sea will move north. A 495 dam low is developing over the Central Aleutians this morning and will move over the Pribilof Islands by Tuesday morning at 498 dam, while ridging from the Yukon Terriotory will push back across the state with the axis lying from Dawson to Nenana to Unalakleet. As ridging moves north over the Arctic troughing will develop over the Brooks Range and move over the Arctic Coast tonight and the nearshore waters on Tuesday. A 503 dam low will develop south of the Alaska Peninsula this evening and move over King Salmon Tuesday morning at 492 dam with a strong shortwave extending east over the Gulf of Alaska Coast. The low will move over Sleetmute Tuesday afternoon and the shortwave will move over the Alaska Range, and by Tuesday evening the low will be over the Middle Yukon Valley, and the shortwave will extend east over Livengood and Chalkyitsik. At 850 hpa...A few pockets of temperatures around 0C, but generally the forecast area remains in the -2C to -10C range through Tuesday night. Some colder air will start being pulled into the West Coast and Western Interior Wednesday with some -20C temperatures moving over the Lower Yukon Delta. Surface...A 996 mb low in the north east Arctic will continue to move north. Weak high pressure across the Arctic will slide north, as a 962 mb low near Bethel this morning moves to Shishmaref this afternoon at 969 mb, and Point Hope tonight at 974 mb. The associated occludded front will be over the south slopes of the Alaska Range this morning and moves into the interior by this afternoon, and to the Brooks Range this evening. A 963 mb low near Adak will move to the Pribilof Islands at 969 mb as a low in the North Pacific moves to 200 nm south of Sand Point this afternoon, and to King Salmon by Tuesday morning at 955 mb. High pressure will build west over the interior to the Western Interior behind the front late this evening, and slides north over the south slopes of the Brooks Range by Tuesday morning. A weather front will move to the south slopes of the Alaska Range Tuesday morning and move into the Interior in the afternoon. As the fronts move to the Alaska and Brooks Ranges tight pressure gradients will develop with strong gusty south winds developing. The low over King Salmon will move northeast over the Central Interior by early Wednesday morning at 974 mb. Arctic Coast and Brooks Range...Fairly strong northeast to east winds continue to develop across the area with gusts to around 25 mph. Blowing snow developing that will reduce visibility to less than one mile at times in most locations today. Snow will move north into the area this afternoon and evening and winds near the Brooks Range passes will increase with gusts around 40 mph. Blowing and drifting snow will create difficult driving conditions on the Dalton Highway. Temperatures will rise 5 to 10 degrees the next 24 hours with highs in the single digits above Tuesday. West Coast and Western Interior...Some heavy snow in the Middle Yukon Valley and north to the Upper Kobuk and Central Brooks Range. Heaviest amounts will be east of Ambler with up to 12 inches. Around the Middle Yukon Valley 2 to 5 inches is expected, and up to 4 inches in the coastal areas. Winds will be swinging around the dial as the low moves up the west coast and will go from northeast to east to southeast to southwest by the end of the day. Winds will increase to 20 to 25 mph gusting to 35 mph near the low, with 15 to 25 mph winds further from the low. Temperatures warming into the upper 20s and 30s from the Seward Peninsula south, and into the 20s north of Buckland. Central and Eastern Interior...Strong Chinook setting up will bring winds gusting into the 70 mph range near Alaska Range Passes. Strong winds gusting to around 50 mph in the Delta Junction area this afternoon and gusts to 40 mph near Tanacross and the Robertson River this afternoon. Strong winds gusting to 35 to 45 mph over the summits in the Interior will produce blowing snow that will reduce visibility at times to one half mile. Winds diminish some this afternoon, but another strong front will move north across the Alaska Range tonight producing a second Chinook winds event and protential for more blowing snow. Temperatures are near their highs for today and will be steady or fall the remainder of the day. Expect temperatures to react similarly Tuesday with the high temperature in the morning and steady or cooling temperatures the remainder of the day as the winds diminish. Heavy snow will develop north of Fairbanks as the front reorganizes and 6 to 10 inches of snow along the south slopes of the Brooks Range west of Chandalar Lake, including areas from the Koyukuk River north. 3 to 6 inches of snow will fall in the Ray Mountains, with 1 to 3 inches of snow in the White Mountains. && Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None. && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory for AKZ223-AKZ224. High Wind Warning for AKZ225-AKZ226-AKZ227. Winter Storm Warning for AKZ211-AKZ212-AKZ213-AKZ214-AKZ215- AKZ216-AKZ217-AKZ218-AKZ219. Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ201-AKZ202-AKZ203-AKZ204-AKZ206- AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ220-AKZ221-AKZ222. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225- PKZ230-PKZ235-PKZ240-PKZ245. && SDB DEC 18
The office that day
Everything else NWS Fairbanks, AK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 4:00 AM AKST | Brisk Wind Advisory | AFG | 10 hr | |
| Jan 1, 2:11 PM AKST | Brisk Wind Advisory | AFG | 4 days |
Nearby
Blizzard Warnings in Alaska, 2019Every blizzard warning in 2019
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.