Alert archive / Alaska / Storm Warnings in 2019

Storm Warning 1, NWS Fairbanks, AK

February 24, 2019

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this storm warning at Feb 24, 2019, 3:52 PM AKST. It was in force for 12 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 24, 2019, 3:52 PM AKST (00:52 UTC)
Expired
Feb 25, 2019, 3:40 AM AKST
In force
12 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

The text

As transmitted.

365 
FZAK51 PAFG 250052
CWFNSB

Coastal Waters Forecast for Arctic Alaska
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
352 PM AKST Sun Feb 24 2019

Arctic Alaska Coastal Waters out 100 NM

Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction
expected. Sea forecasts represent the average of the highest one-
third of the combined wind-wave and swell height.

PKZ298-251515-
352 PM AKST Sun Feb 24 2019

.SYNOPSIS FOR ARCTIC COAST...
A 970 mb low near Wrangel Island will move to 500 NM northwest of
Barrow as a 975 mb low by 3am Mon, to 500 NM north of Deadhorse by
3PM Mon, then continue northeast. A very strong low south of Adak
will move to the central Bering Sea by 3pm Mon, and to 300 NM west
of Anadyr by 3pm Tue. 


$$

PKZ225-251515-
Cape Thompson to Cape Beaufort-
352 PM AKST Sun Feb 24 2019

...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...S winds 50 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.MON...S winds 30 kt. Freezing fog. Snow.
.MON NIGHT...E winds 25 kt. Freezing fog and blowing snow. VSBY
1 NM or less. 
.TUE...SE winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.TUE NIGHT...SE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.WED...S winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.WED NIGHT...SE winds 30 kt. 
.THU...SE winds 35 kt. 
.FRI...S winds 25 kt.  

$$

PKZ230-251515-
Cape Beaufort to Point Franklin-
352 PM AKST Sun Feb 24 2019

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...

.TONIGHT...S winds 45 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.MON...SW winds 35 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.MON NIGHT...E winds 20 kt. Freezing fog. 
.TUE...E winds 20 kt. 
.TUE NIGHT...S winds 20 kt. 
.WED...S winds 25 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...S winds 15 kt. 
.THU...E winds 25 kt. 
.FRI...S winds 25 kt.  

$$

PKZ235-251515-
Point Franklin to Cape Halkett-
352 PM AKST Sun Feb 24 2019

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...

.TONIGHT...SW winds 35 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.MON...SW winds 35 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.MON NIGHT...W winds 15 kt. 
.TUE...E winds 20 kt. 
.TUE NIGHT...SE winds 15 kt. 
.WED...S winds 20 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...SW winds 10 kt. 
.THU...SE winds 25 kt. 
.FRI...SW winds 15 kt.  

$$

PKZ240-251515-
Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island-
352 PM AKST Sun Feb 24 2019

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY
MORNING...

.TONIGHT...SW winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.MON...SW winds 25 kt. 
.MON NIGHT...W winds 15 kt. 
.TUE...E winds 10 kt. 
.TUE NIGHT...SE winds 15 kt. 
.WED...S winds 15 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...SW winds 10 kt. 
.THU...E winds 20 kt. 
.FRI...SW winds 15 kt.  

$$

PKZ245-251515-
Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point-
352 PM AKST Sun Feb 24 2019

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY
MORNING...

.TONIGHT...SE winds 20 kt becoming W. 
.MON...W winds 20 kt. 
.MON NIGHT...W winds 15 kt. 
.TUE...E winds 10 kt. 
.TUE NIGHT...E winds 15 kt. 
.WED...SE winds 15 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...W winds 15 kt. 
.THU...E winds 15 kt. 
.FRI...W winds 15 kt.  

$$

Feb 19
1 follow-up statement
028 
FZAK51 PAFG 251240
CWFNSB

Coastal Waters Forecast for Arctic Alaska
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
340 AM AKST Mon Feb 25 2019

Arctic Alaska Coastal Waters out 100 NM

Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction
expected. Sea forecasts represent the average of the highest one-
third of the combined wind-wave and swell height.

PKZ298-260315-
340 AM AKST Mon Feb 25 2019

.SYNOPSIS FOR ARCTIC COAST...
A 975 mb low 500 NM northwest of Utqiagvik will move to 500 NM 
north of Deadhorse by late this afternoon and will then continue 
to the northeast. A 1021 mb ridge of high pressure will build over
the Chukchi Sea today and will spread east into the Beaufort Sea 
on Tuesday. A strong low will move north into the the central 
Bering Sea today and will be 300 NM west of Anadyr by Tuesday 
afternoon.

$$

PKZ225-260315-
Cape Thompson to Cape Beaufort-
340 AM AKST Mon Feb 25 2019

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING...

.TODAY...S winds 25 kt becoming E. Freezing fog. Snow.
.TONIGHT...SE winds 25 kt. Freezing fog. Snow.
.TUE...S winds 25 kt. Blowing snow and freezing fog. 
.TUE NIGHT...S winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. 
.WED...S winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. 
.WED NIGHT...SE winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. 
.THU...S winds 45 kt. 
.FRI...S winds 25 kt.  

$$

PKZ230-260315-
Cape Beaufort to Point Franklin-
340 AM AKST Mon Feb 25 2019

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON...

.TODAY...SW winds 30 kt decreasing to 15 kt. Freezing fog and
blowing snow. 
.TONIGHT...E winds 15 kt. Freezing fog. 
.TUE...SE winds 15 kt. 
.TUE NIGHT...S winds 15 kt. 
.WED...S winds 20 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...SE winds 20 kt. 
.THU...S winds 40 kt. 
.FRI...S winds 25 kt.  

$$

PKZ235-260315-
Point Franklin to Cape Halkett-
340 AM AKST Mon Feb 25 2019

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON...

.TODAY...SW winds 30 kt. Freezing fog and blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM
or less. 
.TONIGHT...E winds 15 kt. 
.TUE...E winds 15 kt. 
.TUE NIGHT...SE winds 15 kt. 
.WED...S winds 15 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...S winds 20 kt. 
.THU...S winds 25 kt. 
.FRI...SW winds 25 kt.  

$$

PKZ240-260315-
Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island-
340 AM AKST Mon Feb 25 2019

.TODAY...SW winds 20 kt. 
.TONIGHT...SW winds 15 kt. 
.TUE...E winds 10 kt. 
.TUE NIGHT...SE winds 15 kt. 
.WED...S winds 15 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...S winds 10 kt. 
.THU...SE winds 15 kt. 
.FRI...SW winds 15 kt.  

$$

PKZ245-260315-
Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point-
340 AM AKST Mon Feb 25 2019

.TODAY...SW winds 15 kt. 
.TONIGHT...W winds 10 kt. 
.TUE...E winds 10 kt. 
.TUE NIGHT...E winds 15 kt. 
.WED...E winds 15 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...SE winds 10 kt. 
.THU...SE winds 15 kt. 
.FRI...SW winds 10 kt.  

$$

Feb 19

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this storm 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 storm warning went out at Feb 24, 5:26 AM AKST, 10 hours 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 24, 5:26 AM AKST, 10 hours 26 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
526 AM AKST Sun Feb 24 2019

.DISCUSSION...
The active weather pattern will continue today for the west coast
as the next in a series of fronts brings strong winds, snow,
blowing snow and, in some cases, freezing rain. This is our main
forecast challenge of the day. Elsewhere, a strong ridge over the
Interior will persist through much of the week helping to keep
the weather quiet.

Central and Eastern Interior: A high amplitude ridge will persist
over the Interior through much of the upcoming week. Today the
Interior will be mostly clear early today, although there will be
some high level clouds. Clouds will thicken up this late today
into tonight, primarily in areas north and west of Fairbanks, as
the remnants of a front that is currently over the Bering Sea
moves east into the area. This front will also bring some chances
for snowfall to areas north and west of Tanana this evening into
late tonight. Snow accumulations will be light, with at most a
half of an inch expected. Cloud cover will thin out again on
Monday. Currently, we are expecting the ridge to keep the area
free of measurable precipitation Monday through the end of the
work week. Southerly gap winds with gusts to 40 mph are possible
at times this morning in the Alaska Range. We will see a general
warming trend for the Interior through Tuesday. Current forecast
guidance looks a bit too warm for the low temperatures the next
couple of nights in valley locations, where strong temperature
inversions are expected to develop after sunset.

West Coast and Western Interior: A front will move over the west
coast today bringing strong winds, snow, blowing snow and, at
times, freezing rain (the best chances for freezing rain will be
south of Unalakleet). The heaviest snow today is expected in the
preferred upslope regions north of Nome. The front will move into
the western Interior this evening, where it will fall apart rather
quickly. A number of warnings and advisories remain in effect in
anticipation of the strong winds and precipitation today.
Conditions along the coast should improve dramatically this
evening after the front moves out of the area. This improvement
will be short lived as the next round of precipitation will push
north into the Yukon Delta tonight and will spread north along the
coast on Monday. The system on Monday does not look as windy as
the system today and looks to bring another round of heavy
snowfall to the southern Seward Peninsula. The unsettled pattern
will continue through at least the end of the work week with
several additional rounds of heavy snow, strong winds and periods
of freezing rain expected.

North Slope and Brooks Range: A front will move east across the
Arctic coast today. The main impact as the front moves through
will be will be the winds. Wind gusts up to 40 mph are possible
from Utqiagvik west as the front moves through. The there is a
lot of lot of warm air this morning on the western Arctic coast
with some stations above freezing. As the front moves through the
temperatures are expected to drop. There isn't much in the way of
precipitation expected north of the Brooks Range with the front;
however we do have some chance PoPs in the grids for a mixture of
snow and freezing rain from Utqiagvik west. I did opt to issue a
Winter Weather Advisory for zone 201 for the potential for blowing
snow as the winds pick up today. This is mainly for areas to the
east of Point Lay where the temperatures are a bit cooler. The
pressure gradient will tighten up again today in the Brooks Range.
This will cause southerly gap winds with gusts up to 40 mph. The
strongest winds are expected to the west of the Dalton Highway.
The gap winds will cause blowing snow reducing the visibility to
one half mile or less at times.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...Strong southerly winds are
expected across the Eastern Bering Sea and the West Coast of
Alaska through this afternoon. Expect sea levels to rise up to 3
feet above normal in most areas today. This may cause water to
seep into low lying areas along the coast, such as along rivers
and sloughs. At this time no flooding is expected, but travelers
should be aware of water moving onto sea ice and river ice near
the coast. Sea levels should subside this evening.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Winter Storm Warning for AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ213.

Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ201-AKZ206-AKZ211-AKZ214.

Gale Warning for PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230.

Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ200-PKZ235-PKZ240.
&&

FEB 19

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 24, 3:12 PM AKSTWinter Storm WatchAFG12 hr
Feb 24, 3:52 PM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG12 hr
Feb 24, 3:52 PM AKSTGale WarningAFG12 hr
Feb 24, 3:56 PM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG46 hr
Feb 25, 3:03 AM AKSTWinter Storm WarningAFG4 days
Feb 25, 3:40 AM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG35 hr
Feb 25, 3:48 AM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG34 hr
Feb 25, 3:48 AM AKSTGale WarningAFG24 hr

Nearby

Storm Warnings in Alaska, 2019Every storm 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.