Alert archive / Alaska / Wind Chill Advisories in 2021

Wind Chill Advisory 31, NWS Fairbanks, AK

March 10, 2021

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this wind chill advisory at Mar 10, 2021, 4:37 AM AKST. It took effect at Mar 11, 2021, 12:00 AM AKST. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 10, 2021, 4:37 AM AKST (13:37 UTC)
In effect from
Mar 11, 2021, 12:00 AM AKST
Expired
Mar 11, 2021, 4:08 AM AKST
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

The text

As transmitted.

279 
WWAK41 PAFG 101337
WSWNSB

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
437 AM AKST Wed Mar 10 2021

AKZ206-110200-
/O.NEW.PAFG.WC.Y.0031.210311T0900Z-210311T2100Z/
Northeastern Brooks Range-
Including Anaktuvuk Pass, Atigun Pass, Galbraith Lake, Sagwon, 
and Franklin Bluffs
437 AM AKST Wed Mar 10 2021

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOON
AKST THURSDAY...

* 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 as cold as 50 below zero.

* WHERE...Near Passes.

* WHEN....Midnight to noon Thursday.

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.

$$

AKZ204-110200-
/O.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0048.210311T0600Z-210312T0600Z/
Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast-
Including Kaktovik and Flaxman Island
437 AM AKST Wed Mar 10 2021

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS
EVENING TO 9 PM AKST THURSDAY...

* WHAT...Snow and blowing snow expected. Plan on difficult 
  travel conditions. Total snow accumulations of up to one inch 
  are expected. Visibility of one half mile or less at times. 
  Winds gusting to 45 mph.

* WHERE...Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast.

* WHEN...9 PM Wednesday to 9 PM Thursday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting to 45 mph will develop 
  Wednesday night and 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.

$$
2 follow-up statements
223 
WWAK41 PAFG 110010
WSWNSB

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
310 PM AKST Wed Mar 10 2021

AKZ204-111745-
/O.UPG.PAFG.WW.Y.0048.210311T0600Z-210312T0600Z/
/O.NEW.PAFG.BZ.W.0014.210311T0010Z-210312T0300Z/
Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast-
Including Kaktovik and Flaxman Island
310 PM AKST Wed Mar 10 2021

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM AKST THURSDAY...

* WHAT...Blizzard conditions occurring. Travel will be very
  difficult. Snow accumulations of 2 to 3 are expected. Winds will
  increase to 40 to 50 mph late tonight and remain strong into
  Thursday. 

* WHERE...Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast.

* WHEN...Until 6 PM Thursday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds will increase to west 40 to 50 mph
  late tonight and remain strong into Thursday. This 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. 

$$

AKZ206-111745-
/O.EXT.PAFG.WC.Y.0031.210311T0900Z-210312T0900Z/
Northeastern Brooks Range-
Including Anaktuvuk Pass, Atigun Pass, Galbraith Lake, Sagwon, 
and Franklin Bluffs
310 PM AKST Wed Mar 10 2021

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO
MIDNIGHT AKST THURSDAY NIGHT...

* WHAT...Very cold wind chills to 50 below expected. Blowing snow
  will cause reduced visibility in passes. 

* WHERE...Near Passes.

* WHEN....Midnight tonight until midnight Thursday night. 

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...North winds will gust to 30 mph through
  passes from late tonight through Thursday night. This will cause
  very cold wind chills to 50 below and reduce visibility in
  blowing snow. The cold wind chills will cause frostbite in as
  little as 10 minutes to exposed skin. 

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.

$$
375 
WWAK41 PAFG 111308
WSWNSB

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
408 AM AKST Thu Mar 11 2021

AKZ204-111415-
/O.CAN.PAFG.BZ.W.0014.000000T0000Z-210312T0300Z/
Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast-
Including Kaktovik and Flaxman Island
408 AM AKST Thu Mar 11 2021

...BLIZZARD WARNING IS CANCELLED...


$$

AKZ206-111415-
/O.CAN.PAFG.WC.Y.0031.000000T0000Z-210312T0900Z/
Northeastern Brooks Range-
Including Anaktuvuk Pass, Atigun Pass, Galbraith Lake, Sagwon, 
and Franklin Bluffs
408 AM AKST Thu Mar 11 2021

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS CANCELLED...

$$

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 Mar 9, 4:06 PM AKST, 12 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 9, 4:06 PM AKST, 12 hours 31 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
406 PM AKST Tue Mar 9 2021

.SYNOPSIS...
A 1004 mb low 100 NM north of Utqiagvik will move north tonight.
An occluded front stretching from that low to Barter Island to
Denali will move to Old Crow to Denali by 3am Wed, to Inuvik to a
1004 mb low near Ft Yukon to Denali by 3pm Wed, then as a 1005 mb
low near Inuvik by 3am Thu with the front from Inuvik to Isabell
Pass. This is causing snow, blowing snow and southwest winds
gusting to 30 mph with brief low visibility from Utqiagvik east
that will taper off by this evening. Light snow is occuring along
the front south of the Brooks Range. West winds gusting to 40 mph
and blowing snow will develop near Barter Island Wed night as the
low develops near Inuvik.

Snow along the front will become more enhanced after late tonight
and Wed as a low in the Gulf of Alaska moves north, then deepens
over Prince William Sound on Wed. This low will feed moisture up
over the front late tonight through Wed night. The snow will
linger over the SE Interior into Thu and possibly Fri. Expect
2 and 4 inches of snow is expected in the areas south and east of
Livengood, including Fairbanks. Northwest winds of 10 to 20 mph
developing Wednesday night will bring blowing and drifting of the
snow.

More significant snow fall of near 4-8 inches will occur along
the Alaska Range. The Alaska Range Passes and Alaska Highway east
of Dot Lake will see North winds of 40 mph with low visibility in
blowing snow Wed PM through Fri AM.

A 1006 mb low 60 NM west of Point Hope will move to 100 NM
northwest of Utqiagvik as a 1001 mb low by 3am Wed, then continue
moving north. An Arctic Cold front stretching from this low south
to St Lawrence Island will move to Wainwright to the Yukon Delta
by 3am Wed, then move east to the ALCAN Border to Isabell Pass by
Wed night and east of the ALCAN Border on Thu. This front is
causing snow squalls along the West Coast,. with brief low vsby
in the Bering Strait, that will taper off this evening as the
front moves inland. Expect Southwest winds 15-25 mph with this
front that will taper off tonight as it moves inland. This front
will bring colder air with it, with temps falling to well below
normal west of the front. Winds will increase over the Ern
INterior Wed PM as the Arctic Front moves over that area, and the
Low in Price William sound pulls the Arctic Air southeast.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Models initialize well aloft and show similar solutions along
through the weekend. Models have similar solutions aloft and with
precipitation through the weekend.

At the surface at 18Z, models verify several MB too weak on the
low NW of Utqiagvik at 18Z, several MB too weak on the high over
the Copper River Basin. This is causing stronger winds than models
indicate over the North Slope this afternoon, through Alaska
Range passes this evening. Models also initialize 5-10 mb too weak
on the low in the southern Gulf of Alaska, and this will likely
cause stronger North winds through Alaska Range Passes Wed PM as
the feature will be deeper than models indicate Wed.

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

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ202-AKZ204-AKZ213-AKZ224-AKZ225-
AKZ226.

Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-
PKZ230-PKZ235-PKZ240-PKZ245.
&&

JB MAR 21

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Mar 10, 3:04 AM AKST, 1 hour 33 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
304 AM AKST Wed Mar 10 2021

AKZ220>223-101315-
Yukon Flats and Surrounding Uplands-Central Interior-
Middle Tanana Valley-Deltana and Tanana Flats-
Including Fort Yukon, Venetie, Central, Circle, Stevens Village,
Beaver, Chalkyitsik, Birch Creek, Circle Hot Springs,
Eagle Summit, Twelvemile Summit, Nenana, Anderson, Tanana, Minto,
Manley Hot Springs, Rampart, Lake Minchumina, Livengood,
Fairbanks, Fort Wainwright, Eielson AFB, Ester, North Pole,
Moose Creek, Two Rivers, Fox, Chatanika, Chena Hot Springs,
Sourdough Camp, Salcha, Delta Junction, Fort Greely,
Harding/Birch Lake, Dry Creek, Dot Lake, and Healy Lake
304 AM AKST Wed Mar 10 2021

...Snow Over The Interior Late Tonight through Thursday...
Night...

Snow will develop south and east of Livengood late tonight and
continue through Thursday. Between 2 and 6 inches of snow is
expected in the areas south and east of Livengood, including
Fairbanks. Northwest winds of 10 to 30 mph developing Wednesday
night will bring blowing and drifting of the snow.

More significant snow fall and stronger winds will occur along the
Alaska Range.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 9, 3:16 PM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG13 hr
Mar 9, 3:20 PM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG25 hr
Mar 10, 2:06 AM AKSTWinter Weather AdvisoryAFG7 hr
Mar 10, 3:56 AM AKSTGale WarningAFG24 hr
Mar 10, 4:33 AM AKSTWind Chill AdvisoryAFG32 hr

Nearby

Wind Chill Advisories in Alaska, 2021Every wind chill advisory in 2021

Sources

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