Alert archive / Alaska / Blizzard Warnings in 2019
Blizzard Warning 7, NWS Fairbanks, AK
NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this blizzard warning at Feb 9, 2019, 9:50 AM AKST. It took effect at Feb 9, 2019, 5:00 PM AKST. It was in force for 10 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
- Feb 9, 2019, 9:50 AM AKST (18:50 UTC)
- In effect from
- Feb 9, 2019, 5:00 PM AKST
- Expired
- Feb 10, 2019, 3:25 AM AKST
- In force
- 10 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Fairbanks, AK
The text
As transmitted.
430 WWAK41 PAFG 091850 WSWNSB URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 950 AM AKST Sat Feb 9 2019 AKZ206-100900- /O.CAN.PAFG.BZ.W.0005.000000T0000Z-190210T1500Z/ /O.NEW.PAFG.BZ.W.0007.190210T0200Z-190210T1500Z/ Northeastern Brooks Range- Including Anaktuvuk Pass, Atigun Pass, Galbraith Lake, Sagwon, and Franklin Bluffs 950 AM AKST Sat Feb 9 2019 ...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM AKST SUNDAY... * WHAT...Blizzard conditions expected. Travel will be very difficult to impossible. * WHERE...Near in the northeastern Brooks Range. * WHEN...5 PM today to 6 AM Sunday. The strongest winds will occur late this evening. * 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 difficult. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. $$ AKZ204-092000- /O.CAN.PAFG.BZ.W.0005.000000T0000Z-190209T2100Z/ Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast- Including Kaktovik and Flaxman Island 950 AM AKST Sat Feb 9 2019 ...BLIZZARD WARNING IS CANCELLED... Conditions have improved. $$ AKZ205-100900- /O.EXT.PAFG.WW.Y.0033.000000T0000Z-190210T1500Z/ Northwestern Brooks Range- Including Singiluk and Umiat 950 AM AKST Sat Feb 9 2019 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST SUNDAY... * WHAT...Snow and blowing snow occurring. In addition, areas of poor visibility are expected. Additional snow accumulations of up to one inch, with localized amounts up to 5 inches, are expected. * WHERE...Near passes in the northwestern Brooks Range. * WHEN...Until 6 AM Sunday. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting as high as 45 mph will cause areas of 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. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. $$ AKZ201-100900- /O.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0033.190209T2100Z-190210T0900Z/ Western Arctic Coast- Including Wainwright, Atqasuk, Point Lay, and Cape Lisburne 950 AM AKST Sat Feb 9 2019 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT AKST TONIGHT... * WHAT...Blowing snow expected. Plan on areas of poor visibilities and slick roadways to create difficult travel conditions at times. Winds gusting as high as 40 mph will cause areas of blowing and drifting snow. * WHERE...Western Arctic Coast. * WHEN...Noon today to midnight. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting as high as 40 mph will cause areas of blowing and drifting snow. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Winter Weather Advisory for blowing snow means periods of blowing snow will cause travel difficulties. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. $$
2 follow-up statements
721 WWAK41 PAFG 100836 WSWNSB URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 1136 PM AKST Sat Feb 9 2019 AKZ201-100945- /O.CAN.PAFG.WW.Y.0033.000000T0000Z-190210T0900Z/ Western Arctic Coast- Including Wainwright, Atqasuk, Point Lay, and Cape Lisburne 1136 PM AKST Sat Feb 9 2019 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS CANCELLED... $$ AKZ206-101500- /O.CON.PAFG.BZ.W.0007.000000T0000Z-190210T1500Z/ Northeastern Brooks Range- Including Anaktuvuk Pass, Atigun Pass, Galbraith Lake, Sagwon, and Franklin Bluffs 1136 PM AKST Sat Feb 9 2019 ...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST SUNDAY... * WHAT...Blizzard conditions occurring. Travel will be very difficult to impossible. * WHERE...Northeastern Brooks Range. Strongest winds and poorest visibilities near passes. * WHEN...Until 6 AM Sunday. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting as high as 45 mph will cause whiteout conditions in blowing snow. Significant drifting of the snow is likely. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Blizzard Warning means severe winter weather conditions are expected or occurring. Falling and blowing snow with strong winds and poor visibilities are likely. This will lead to whiteout conditions, making travel extremely difficult. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. $$ AKZ205-101500- /O.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0033.000000T0000Z-190210T1500Z/ Northwestern Brooks Range- Including Singiluk and Umiat 1136 PM AKST Sat Feb 9 2019 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST SUNDAY... * WHAT...Snow and blowing snow occurring. Plan on slippery road conditions. In addition, areas of poor visibility are expected. Additional snow accumulations of up to one inch are expected. * WHERE...Northwestern Brooks Range. * WHEN...Until 6 AM Sunday. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting as high as 50 mph will cause areas of 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. $$
167 WWAK41 PAFG 101225 WSWNSB URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 325 AM AKST Sun Feb 10 2019 AKZ206-101330- /O.CAN.PAFG.BZ.W.0007.000000T0000Z-190210T1500Z/ Northeastern Brooks Range- Including Anaktuvuk Pass, Atigun Pass, Galbraith Lake, Sagwon, and Franklin Bluffs 325 AM AKST Sun Feb 10 2019 ...BLIZZARD WARNING IS CANCELLED... $$ AKZ205-101330- /O.CAN.PAFG.WW.Y.0033.000000T0000Z-190210T1500Z/ Northwestern Brooks Range- Including Singiluk and Umiat 325 AM AKST Sun Feb 10 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 Feb 9, 5:54 AM AKST, 3 hours 56 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 9, 5:54 AM AKST, 3 hours 56 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 554 AM AKST Sat Feb 9 2019 .DISCUSSION... The active weather pattern continues through early next week as a series of weather fronts move across northern Alaska, bringing periods of heavy snow, mixed precipitation, and gusty winds. Aloft, at 500 mb, a shortwave axis stretches across Mackenzie Bay to Eagle to Northway this morning, flattening the ridge, resulting in two ridge axis, one stretching across the Northwest Territories, the Yukon Territory, and southeast Alaska, and the other from Kenai to McGrath to Deering to Point Hope to Wrangel Island. A second more subtle shortwave is stretched across the Y-K Delta. As the eastern shortwave slides east today, the ridge axis will move east as well, to be centered from the central Beaufort Sea coast south to Venetie to Dot Lake to Cordova this afternoon as the ridge amplifies across the state. The western shortwave will lift northeast across the state stretching from Point Hope to Kotzebue to Tanana to Healy by this afternoon. Tonight, the ridge axis will continues eastward to be stretched along the Alcan border by Sunday morning, with a sharp shortwave stretching from the Gulf of Anadyr across the central Bering Sea to just east of the Pribilofs to Port Heiden. Sunday afternoon, the ridge axis will be east of the Alcan border, with a closed high developing over the Yukon Territory, while the shortwave moves east northeast to be stretched across the Chukotsk Peninsula to Diomede to Emmonak to Bethel to a low situated in the Gulf of Alaska southeast of Kodiak. The closed high will weaken and be stretched from Banks Island southwest to Mackenzie Bay to Eagle to McCarthy by Monday morning, while the shortwave continues to track east northeast to be located from Point Lay to Hughes to Tanana to Lake Minchumina to Anchorage. Behind the shortwave, ridging once again begins to builds in across the West Coast, while yet another low moves into the western Bering Sea. As this low in the western Bering Sea moves northeastward Monday, the associated shortwave will slide across the West Coast and Western Interior, pushing the ridge axis eastward across the state. Surface...A weather front extending from Banks Island southwest along the Arctic Coast early this morning will move to the east northeast towards Mackenzie Bay by mid morning. High pressure behind the front will quickly move eastward across the Beaufort Sea today, as a 984 mb low moves north of Wrangel Island. A lee side trough will develop north of the Brooks Range today and linger into Sunday. A 960 mb low in the Western Bering Sea will move north today weakening to a 974 mb low near the Chukotsk Peninsula this afternoon and a 992 mb low over the Chukotsk Peninsula Sunday morning. A trough of low pressure stretching from near Nunivak Island to the Pribilofs this afternoon, with a closed center of 1005 mb, will move north tonight to be a 996 mb low over the western Seward Peninsula by Sunday morning, quickly moving northeast to be north of Wainwright by Sunday afternoon. A weather front over the eastern Bering Sea this morning will stretch from the Chukchi Sea south to the Seward Peninsula and the Y-K Delta by this afternoon and will slowly move eastward. A 960 mb low will move into the western Bering Sea Sunday night weakening to 972 mb by Monday afternoon as it approaches St Lawrence Island. Models...00Z model suite initialized well against the 00Z RAOBS and the 00Z and 06Z surface obs and remains in fairly good agreement with the overall synoptic pattern into early next week. North Slope and Brooks Range: Weather front is pushing across the eastern Arctic Coast this morning bringing gusty winds, blowing snow, and snow to zones 203 and 204. Winds will diminish this morning as high pressure builds in behind it and the upgraded blizzard warnings should be able to be able to be dropped for zone 203 at 6 am and for zone 204 possibly by mid morning. The high pressure will slide east quickly today with a lee side trough developing north of the Brooks Range this morning, tightening the pressure gradient across the Brooks Range with strong southerly gap winds developing in passes. The strong winds combined with periods of falling snow will result in areas of blowing snow and reduced visibilities. A kink in the pressure gradient will develop west of Point Lay this morning, bringing increased winds and areas of blowing snow from Point Lay west today. Issued a Winter Weather Advisory for blowing snow for zone 201. A weather front will move east across the North Slope Sunday afternoon and night. West Coast and Western Interior: The next weather front is approaching the West Coast this morning and will move into the Western Interior tonight into Sunday. The front will be slow to move and will bring another round of heavy snow, strong winds, and blowing snow, as well as mixed precipitation (primarily from the Seward Peninsula and south). A number of new warnings and advisories were issued this morning. There will be a brief lull in activity Sunday night, as this front moves eastward across the Interior, and the next system moves onshore the West Coast Monday. The system on Monday will bring another round of snow, blowing snow, and very strong winds to St Lawrence Island and the area south of the Bering Strait. Central and Eastern Interior: Precipitation has largely ended across the Central and Eastern Interior this morning, with areas of fog and low ceilings lingering. Ahead of the next front approaching the Interior, southerly gap winds develop in the Alaska Range passes tonight and continue into Sunday afternoon, with winds briefly approaching advisory level Sunday morning in zone 226. Additional chances of snow for the region Sunday into Monday with the approach and passage of the next front. Heaviest snowfall will occur west of Bettles. Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...A strong low in the Bering Sea will bring very strong southwesterly winds to south of the Bering Strait Monday night. Ice in Norton Sound will prevent the development of large waves; however, this system will still cause elevated water levels along the coast of Norton Sound, especially from Unalakleet north (although exactly how high the water will get is uncertain at the moment). In addition the winds may push some ice onto the shore. We will continue to monitor this system through the weekend. && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning for AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ211- AKZ212-AKZ213-AKZ215-AKZ216-AKZ217. Blizzard Warning for AKZ203-AKZ204-AKZ206. Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ201-AKZ205-AKZ214. Gale Warning for PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230-PKZ245. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ200-PKZ235-PKZ240. && FEB 19
The office that day
Everything else NWS Fairbanks, AK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 9, 3:15 AM AKST | Winter Weather Advisory | AFG | 24 hr | |
| Feb 9, 3:31 AM AKST | Gale Warning | AFG | 25 hr | |
| Feb 9, 3:38 AM AKST | Gale Warning | AFG | 24 hr | |
| Feb 9, 7:27 AM AKST | Dense Fog Advisory | AFG | 4 hr | |
| Feb 9, 11:38 AM AKST | Wind Advisory | AFG | 25 hr | |
| Feb 9, 2:50 PM AKST | Brisk Wind Advisory | AFG | 37 hr |
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.