Alert archive / Alaska / Wind Chill Advisories in 2020

Wind Chill Advisory 2, NWS Fairbanks, AK

January 3, 2020

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this wind chill advisory at Jan 3, 2020, 12:50 PM AKST. It was in force for 29 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jan 3, 2020, 12:50 PM AKST (21:50 UTC)
Expired
Jan 4, 2020, 5:41 PM AKST
In force
29 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

The text

As transmitted.

013 
WWAK41 PAFG 032150
WSWNSB

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
1250 PM AKST Fri Jan 3 2020


AKZ201-041500-
/O.NEW.PAFG.WC.Y.0002.200103T2150Z-200104T1500Z/
Western Arctic Coast-
Including Wainwright, Atqasuk, Point Lay, and Cape Lisburne
1250 PM AKST Fri Jan 3 2020

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST SATURDAY...

* WHAT...Very cold wind chills expected. The cold wind chills will
  cause frostbite in as little as 10 minutes to exposed skin.
  Expect wind chills to around 50 below zero.

* WHERE...Western Arctic Coast.

* WHEN...Now to 6 AM Saturday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Low wind chill values will continue through
  the night but will begin to moderate Saturday morning as winds 
  diminish.

* PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Wind Chill Advisory means that cold air and sustained wind
speeds of 15 mph or more will create low wind chills. Frost bite
and hypothermia can occur if precautions are not taken.

$$

AKZ206-041500-
/O.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0147.000000T0000Z-200105T1500Z/
Northeastern Brooks Range-
Including Anaktuvuk Pass, Atigun Pass, Galbraith Lake, Sagwon, 
and Franklin Bluffs
1250 PM AKST Fri Jan 3 2020

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

* WHAT...Very cold wind chills to 50 below occuring. The cold 
  wind chills will cause frostbite in as little as 10 minutes to 
  exposed skin. North winds gusting to 30 mph.

* WHERE...In passes of the Northeastern Brooks Range.

* WHEN...Until 6 AM Sunday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...North winds gusting to 30 mph will cause 
  drifting snow and wind chills to 50 below in passes through 
  Sunday morning.

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.

$$
3 follow-up statements
178 
WWAK41 PAFG 041348
WSWNSB

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
448 AM AKST Sat Jan 4 2020

AKZ201-050100-
/O.EXT.PAFG.WC.Y.0002.000000T0000Z-200105T0300Z/
Western Arctic Coast-
Including Wainwright, Atqasuk, Point Lay, and Cape Lisburne
448 AM AKST Sat Jan 4 2020

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM AKST THIS
EVENING...

* WHAT...Very cold wind chills to 55 below occuring. The cold wind
  chills will cause frostbite in as little as 10 minutes to
  exposed skin. 

* WHERE...Western Arctic Coast from Point Lay west.

* WHEN...Now to 6 PM this evening.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Wind Chill Advisory means that cold air and sustained wind
speeds of 15 mph or more will create low wind chills. Frost bite
and hypothermia can occur if precautions are not taken.

$$

AKZ206-050100-
/O.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0147.000000T0000Z-200105T1500Z/
Northeastern Brooks Range-
Including Anaktuvuk Pass, Atigun Pass, Galbraith Lake, Sagwon, 
and Franklin Bluffs
448 AM AKST Sat Jan 4 2020

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

* WHAT...Very cold wind chills to 55 below occuring. North winds
  gusting to 30 mph causing drifting snow. 

* WHERE...in Passes of the Northeastern Brooks Range.

* WHEN...Until 6 AM Sunday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...North winds 15 mph gusting to 30 mph will
  continue in passes through tonight. This will cause wind chills
  to 55 below and drifting snow in passes through early Sunday
  morning. Winds will decrease Sunday morning and conditions will
  improve then. 

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.

$$
339 
WWAK41 PAFG 041950
WSWNSB

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
1050 AM AKST Sat Jan 4 2020


AKZ206-050300-
/O.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0147.000000T0000Z-200105T1500Z/
Northeastern Brooks Range-
Including Anaktuvuk Pass, Atigun Pass, Galbraith Lake, Sagwon, 
and Franklin Bluffs
1050 AM AKST Sat Jan 4 2020

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

* WHAT...Very cold wind chills to 55 below occuring. North winds 
  gusting to 30 mph causing drifting snow.

* WHERE...in Passes of the Northeastern Brooks Range.

* WHEN...Until 6 AM Sunday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...North winds 15 mph gusting to 30 mph will 
  continue in passes through tonight. This will cause wind 
  chills to 55 below and drifting snow in passes through early 
  Sunday morning. Winds will decrease Sunday morning and 
  conditions will improve then.

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.

$$

AKZ201-050300-
/O.CON.PAFG.WC.Y.0002.000000T0000Z-200105T0300Z/
Western Arctic Coast-
Including Wainwright, Atqasuk, Point Lay, and Cape Lisburne
1050 AM AKST Sat Jan 4 2020

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM AKST THIS
EVENING...

* WHAT...Very cold wind chills to 55 below occuring. The cold 
  wind chills will cause frostbite in as little as 10 minutes to 
  exposed skin.

* WHERE...Western Arctic Coast from Point Lay west.

* WHEN...Now to 6 PM this evening.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Wind Chill Advisory means that cold air and sustained wind
speeds of 15 mph or more will create low wind chills. Frost bite
and hypothermia can occur if precautions are not taken.

$$
672 
WWAK41 PAFG 050241
WSWNSB

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
541 PM AKST Sat Jan 4 2020

AKZ201-050345-
/O.CAN.PAFG.WC.Y.0002.000000T0000Z-200105T0300Z/
Western Arctic Coast-
Including Wainwright, Atqasuk, Point Lay, and Cape Lisburne
541 PM AKST Sat Jan 4 2020

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS CANCELLED...

Stronger winds near Cape Lisburne will continue to diminish
overnight. Winds from Point lay to Wainwright have already 
diminished and not meeting wind chill advisory criteria. 

$$

AKZ206-051500-
/O.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0147.000000T0000Z-200105T1500Z/
Northeastern Brooks Range-
Including Anaktuvuk Pass, Atigun Pass, Galbraith Lake, Sagwon, 
and Franklin Bluffs
541 PM AKST Sat Jan 4 2020

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

* WHAT...Very cold wind chills to 55 below occuring. North winds 
  gusting to 30 mph causing drifting snow.

* WHERE...in Passes of the Northeastern Brooks Range.

* WHEN...Until 6 AM Sunday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...North winds 15 mph gusting to 30 mph will
  continue in passes through tonight and cause blowing and
  drifting snow. It will also cause wind chills to 55 below in
  passes through early Sunday morning. Winds will decrease Sunday
  morning with conditions improving. 

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.

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this wind chill advisory 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 wind chill advisory went out at Jan 3, 6:55 AM AKST, 5 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 3, 6:55 AM AKST, 5 hours 55 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
655 AM AKST Fri Jan 3 2020

.SYNOPSIS...
Highlights are:
North winds 30 to 40 mph through the passes and over the south
slopes of the Brooks Range, and between Point Hope and the Bering
Strait, along with winds chills of 40 to 50 below and blowing and
drifting snow, will persist through early Sunday. Temperatures
near normal over most of Northern Alaska will drop through the
weekend to well below normal by next week.

Aloft...
The long wave pattern consists of a deep long wave trough
stretching from the Canadian Archipelago southwest across Alaska
and over the Gulf of Alaska, and a strong ridge stretching from
the the Western Bering north over NE Russia and into the Arctic
Ocean to the north. This pattern is expected to persist through
the weekend, then progress with the ridge pushing east over
mainland Alaska by the middle of next week. The long wave trough
will cause mostly cloudy conditions to persist through the
weekend over most of the area south of the Brooks Range, with near
normal temperatures falling below normal this weekend. There are
partly cloudy areas over all of Northern Alaska now, with much
colder temperatures developing in these areas. Can expect surface
temps of zero to 15 below in cloudy areas, and between 20 and 40
below in the clear areas. Due to clouds cycling through the long
wave trough, temperatures will be highly variable depending on
the changing cloud cover.

A short wave trough from Dawson north will move top Tok to Old
Crow by 3pm Fri, to Denali to Atigun Pass by 3am Sat, and then
dissipating. Expect low to mid level clouds and light snow or
flurries along this trough, with some clearing and cooling to the
east of the trough.

A second short wave moving over the southern Yukon Territory on
Sat and over the SE Interior Sat PM and Sun. Will see another
band of clouds and light snow or flurries with this trough.

Surface....
High pressure north of the Arctic Coast of Alaska will weaken
slowly through Sun. A low pressure trough in the high Arctic will
move south over the Western Arctic Coast of Alaska Sat PM and then
persist into Sun. This will bring stratus and flurries/fog to the
Western Arctic Coast on Sat/Sun.

A weather front stretching from the Yukon Delta to Eagle will move
to Nome to Old Crow by 3am Sat, to St Lawrence Island to Old Crow
by 3pm Sat, and then dissipate. Light snow and flurries will
persist along this front through Sat. This trough, combined with
the high pressure and cold air over the North Slope, are causing
north winds to 30 to 40 mph through Brooks Range Passes, along
south Slopes of the Brooks Range, that will persist through Sat
and then slowly decrease through Sun. These winds, combined with
cold temps are causing wind chills of 40-50 below in these areas
that will persist through 6am Sun. Can expect blowing snow through
passes in these areas through Sat night as well.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Models Initialize well aloft at 00Z, and show similar solutions
through Sun. Some differences in moisture fields are present, and
leads us to believe that partly to mostly cloudy conditions will
be highly variable and difficult to forecast over Interior Alaska
through this weekend. On the precip fields, models are similar and
we will use a blend of the GFS, ECMF and NAM precip fields.

850 mb temperatures range from -15C over the the southern Interior
to -30 over the North Slopes of the Brooks Range and over the
Yukon Territory. Temperatures will change little along the West
Coast and Western Interior, but will cool to -25 to -30 over the
Eastern Interior by Sun.

At the surface, models verify well at 06Z, but the gradient over
the Northern Interior is slightly stronger than models indicate.
For this reason we will boost winds 3-5 kt over the Southern
Brooks Range from what models indicate and keeps these slightly
stronger winds through Sat night.

Bottom line is we will use a blend of models for precipitation and
clouds, and boost winds over the southern Brooks Range through Sat
night.

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

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Wind Chill Advisory for AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ217.

Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ206-AKZ218.

Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ210.

Gale Warning for PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225.
&&

JB JAN 20

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 3, 5:29 AM AKSTGale WarningAFG8 hr
Jan 3, 5:40 AM AKSTHeavy Freezing Spray WarningAFG8 hr
Jan 3, 12:46 PM AKSTWind Chill AdvisoryAFG53 hr
Jan 3, 1:42 PM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG39 hr
Jan 3, 1:44 PM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG24 hr

Nearby

Wind Chill Advisories in Alaska, 2020Every wind chill advisory in 2020

Sources

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