Alert archive / Alaska / Winter Storm Watches in 2021

Winter Storm Watch 19, NWS Fairbanks, AK

September 20, 2021

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this winter storm watch at Sep 20, 2021, 2:17 PM AKDT. It took effect at Sep 21, 2021, 12:00 PM AKDT. It was in force for .

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 20, 2021, 2:17 PM AKDT (22:17 UTC)
In effect from
Sep 21, 2021, 12:00 PM AKDT
Expired
Sep 21, 2021, 5:06 AM AKDT
In force
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

The text

As transmitted.

337 
WWAK42 PAFG 202217
WSWWCZ

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
217 PM AKDT Mon Sep 20 2021

AKZ214-211400-
/O.NEW.PAFG.WS.A.0019.210921T2000Z-210922T1400Z/
Yukon Delta-
Including Mountain Village, Emmonak, Alakanuk, Kotlik, 
Pilot Station, St Marys, Scammon Bay, Marshall, Nunam Iqua, 
and Pitkas Point
217 PM AKDT Mon Sep 20 2021

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
LATE TUESDAY NIGHT...

* WHAT...Heavy snow possible. Plan on difficult travel conditions.
  Total snow accumulations of 4 to 6 inches, with localized 
  amounts up to 8 inches, are possible.

* WHERE...Yukon Delta.

* WHEN...From Tuesday afternoon through late Tuesday night.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Significant reductions in visibility are
  possible due to heavy snow and blowing snow.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Winter Storm Watch means there is potential for significant
snow, sleet or ice accumulations that may impact travel. Continue
to monitor the latest forecasts.

$$
1 follow-up statement
623 
WWAK42 PAFG 211306
WSWWCZ

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
506 AM AKDT Tue Sep 21 2021

AKZ214-211415-
/O.CAN.PAFG.WS.A.0019.210921T2000Z-210922T1400Z/
Yukon Delta-
Including Mountain Village, Emmonak, Alakanuk, Kotlik, 
Pilot Station, St Marys, Scammon Bay, Marshall, Nunam Iqua, 
and Pitkas Point
506 AM AKDT Tue Sep 21 2021

...WINTER STORM WATCH IS CANCELLED...

$$

AKZ215-220400-
/O.NEW.PAFG.WW.Y.0089.210922T0000Z-210922T1600Z/
Lower Yukon Valley-
Including Russian Mission, Grayling, Holy Cross, Shageluk, Anvik,
and Flat
506 AM AKDT Tue Sep 21 2021

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
8 AM AKDT WEDNESDAY...

* WHAT...Wet snow expected. Total wet snow accumulations of up to
  5 inches, are expected.

* WHERE...West of Anvik and east of Russian Mission. A mix of rain
  and snow elsewhere.

* WHEN...4 PM today to 8 AM Wednesday.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Look for reduced visibilities at times.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Winter Weather Advisory for Snow: Visibility may be greatly 
reduced. Travel and outdoor activities will be difficult.

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this winter storm watch 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 winter storm watch went out at Sep 20, 2:07 PM AKDT, 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 20, 2:07 PM AKDT, 10 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
207 PM AKDT Mon Sep 20 2021

.SYNOPSIS...
The first significant snowfall of the season over the Eastern
Interior is underway. Fairbanks received measurable snow this
morning with a few tenths around town. Heavier snow is occurring
from Eielson AFB east and along the Alaska Range. This heavy snow
will spread to the Alcan border by this evening. Winter Storm
Warnings and Advisories remain in effect for the Interior from
Denali east to the Upper Tanana Valley and the Fortymile region.
Snow squalls will continue over the North Slope and NW Arctic
coast. A front approaching southwest Alaska will bring a chance
for significant snow to the lower Yukon Valley on Tuesday night.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
All models initialized well and are in general agreement with the
main synoptic features for the next few days. An upper level low
over the Arctic Coast has come into phase with a 2nd upper in the
Gulf of Alaska, resulting in a longwave trough that persists over
mainland Alaska the next couple of days. The combination of
moisture being pumped northward into the Eastern Interior and
unseasonably cold air spilling south from the Arctic is bringing
widespread snowfall over that area into Tuesday night. The trend
is for this to end by Wednesday. Further north, vigorous cold,
onshore flow over the open water continues to produce heavy snow
showers along the North Slope and Arctic Coast. As the main upper
low drifts northeast into Wednesday the onshore flow will
gradually diminish. The last remaining feature of interest a
tightly wound up low that skirts along the Arctic frontal
boundary in the Bering Sea. This low moves southeast past St.
Lawrence Island late tonight, then into the Yukon Delta Tuesday
afternoon. Models are coming into line with with track of the low
and possibility for a narrow footprint of heavy snow in the Lower
Yukon Valley.

Central and Eastern Interior...
The highest impact weather the next couple days will be from the
Delta Junction area eastward with snowfall. We did not make any
changes to the ongoing Winter Storm Warnings. For the Eastern AK
Range, AK highway, and Taylor Hwy corridors for 4-8" of snow, with
higher amounts in Isabel Pass along the Richardson to 6-11".
Strong north winds to 50 mph are also expected along the southern
corridor of Isabel Pass, but snow will also be somewhat lighter
there, so there will be some blowing snow, but not expecting major
blowing snow/drifting snow. Otherwise, partly to mostly cloudy
skies and below normal temperatures are expected over the
remainder of the area.

West Coast and Western Interior...
Northwest flow and snow showers along the Chuckhi Sea Coast will
diminish some on Tuesday as the flow turns more northern, although
some showers will linger along the northern Seward Peninsula. Low
pressure passing over St. Lawrence island on Tuesday will bring
gusty winds and a few inches of snow to the island. As the low
moves into the Lower Yukon Valley Tuesday afternoon, 4-6" of snow
and possibly higher amounts are possible over a narrow band from
Emmonak to Russian Mission. The western Interior will otherwise be
dry and cool with some clouds.

North Slope and Brooks Range...
Strong northwest winds and snow squalls will continue into Tuesday
and and diminish some on Wednesday. Visibility will be up and
down especially along the coast from Prudhoe Bay west with the
heavy snow showers. These winds will also bring elevated surf from
Utqiagvik to Point Hope through Tuesday morning. Further inland
and along the Brooks Range, where there are breaks in the clouds,
temperatures will be quite chilly for September. Morning lows in
the lower teens and single digits are likely from Anaktuvuk Pass
to Toolik Lake.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...the tight low mentioned
above moving into southwest Alaska will bring strong north winds
to the Yukon Delta coast on Wednesday. The winds will be
generally parallel to the coast no immediate concerns with
erosion.

Extended Forecast Days 4-7...
A cold arctic high will be in place over mainland Alaska with
another low moving into the Gulf of Alaska on Thursday. Expect
temperatures to continue to be cool for late September. Models
continue to hint at a chance for another snow event for the
Interior Friday and Saturday, but the track of the gulf low as it
lifts north is still highly uncertain among the three major
global models.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
None.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Winter Storm Warning for AKZ223-AKZ224-AKZ226.

Winter Storm Watch for AKZ214

Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ225.

Small Craft Advisory for PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230-
PKZ235-PKZ240-PKZ245.
&&

SEP 21

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 20, 11:20 AM AKDT, 2 hours 57 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1120 AM AKDT MON SEP 20 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1119 AM     SNOW             3 NNW SALCHA            64.52N 146.99W
09/20/2021  M1.3 INCH        FAIRBANKS NORTH STAAK   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER MEASURED 1.3 INCHES OF SNOW SO FAR
            THIS MORNING.

&&
Special weather statement, Sep 20, 11:48 AM AKDT, 2 hours 29 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
1148 AM AKDT Mon Sep 20 2021

AKZ201-202-211800-
Western Arctic Coast-Northern Arctic Coast-
Including Wainwright, Atqasuk, Point Lay, Cape Lisburne,
Utqiagvik, Alaktak, Pitt Point, and Nulavik
1148 AM AKDT Mon Sep 20 2021

...Elevated Surf through Tuesday morning along the Chukchi Sea
Coast...

West to northwest winds from 25 to 40 mph will persist along the
Chukchi Sea Coast from Point Hope to Utqiagvik. This will result
in increased water levels of 1 to 1.5 feet above the normal high
tide line through Tuesday morning.

Residents should secure items away from the beach as wave action
could wash to the top of the beach.
Local storm report, Sep 20, 1:15 PM AKDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
115 PM AKDT MON SEP 20 2021

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1130 AM     SNOW             1 NNW EIELSON AFB       64.69N 147.11W
09/20/2021  M1.5 INCH        FAIRBANKS NORTH STAAK   OTHER FEDERAL

            EIELSON AFB WEATHER OBSERVER REPORTED 1.5
            INCHES OF SNOW SO FAR TODAY (AS OF 11:30
            AM). ONE INCH FELL IN THE HOUR BETWEEN 10
            AND 11AM.

&&

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 20, 4:54 AM AKDTWinter Weather AdvisoryAFG24 hr
Sep 20, 2:45 PM AKDTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFG64 hr

Nearby

Winter Storm Watches in Alaska, 2021Every winter storm watch 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.