Alert archive / Alaska / Blizzard Warnings in 2022

Blizzard Warning 20, NWS Fairbanks, AK

December 30, 2022

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this blizzard warning at Dec 30, 2022, 5:35 AM AKST. It took effect at Dec 30, 2022, 6:00 AM AKST. It was in force for 22 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
Dec 30, 2022, 5:35 AM AKST (14:35 UTC)
In effect from
Dec 30, 2022, 6:00 AM AKST
Expired
Dec 31, 2022, 3:52 AM AKST
In force
22 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

The text

As transmitted.

956 
WWAK42 PAFG 301435
WSWWCZ

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
535 AM AKST Fri Dec 30 2022

AKZ213-310000-
/O.NEW.PAFG.BZ.W.0020.221230T1500Z-230102T0000Z/
St Lawrence Island and Bering Strait Coast-
Including Gambell, Savoonga, Brevig Mission, Teller, Wales, 
and Diomede
535 AM AKST Fri Dec 30 2022

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM AKST SUNDAY...

* WHAT...Blizzard conditions expected. Winds gusting 45 to
  55 mph.

* WHERE...Bering Strait Coast including Wales.

* WHEN...Until 3 PM AKST Sunday.

* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. Areas of blowing snow
  will reduce visibility to one quarter mile or less at times.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS....The strongest winds and worst conditions
  will occur Saturday night into Sunday.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Blizzard Warning means severe winter weather conditions are
expected or occurring. Blowing snow with strong winds and poor 
visibilities are likely. This will lead to whiteout conditions, 
making travel extremely difficult. 

&&

$$
2 follow-up statements
722 
WWAK42 PAFG 302242
WSWWCZ

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
142 PM AKST Fri Dec 30 2022

AKZ213-311500-
/O.CON.PAFG.BZ.W.0020.000000T0000Z-230102T0000Z/
St Lawrence Island and Bering Strait Coast-
Including Gambell, Savoonga, Brevig Mission, Teller, Wales, 
and Diomede
142 PM AKST Fri Dec 30 2022

...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM AKST SUNDAY...

* WHAT...Blizzard conditions ongoing. Winds gusting 45 to 55 mph.

* WHERE...Bering Strait Coast including Wales.

* WHEN...Until 3 PM AKST Sunday.

* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. Areas of blowing 
  snow will reduce visibility to one quarter mile or less at 
  times.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The strongest winds and worst conditions 
  will occur Saturday night into Sunday.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Blizzard Warning means severe winter weather conditions are
expected or occurring. Blowing snow with strong winds and poor
visibilities are likely. This will lead to whiteout conditions,
making travel extremely difficult.

&&

$$
308 
WWAK42 PAFG 311252
WSWWCZ

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
352 AM AKST Sat Dec 31 2022

AKZ213-010200-
/O.CAN.PAFG.BZ.W.0020.000000T0000Z-230102T0000Z/
/O.NEW.PAFG.WW.Y.0114.221231T1252Z-230102T0000Z/
St Lawrence Island and Bering Strait Coast-
Including Gambell, Savoonga, Brevig Mission, Teller, Wales, 
and Diomede
352 AM AKST Sat Dec 31 2022

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM AKST SUNDAY...
...BLIZZARD WARNING IS CANCELLED...

* WHAT...Blowing snow occuring with visibility reduced to one 
  half mile or less at times. Northeast winds gusting as high as 
  55 mph expected.

* WHERE...The Bering Strait Coast including Wales.

* WHEN...Until 3 PM AKST Sunday.

* IMPACTS...Areas of blowing snow will significantly reduce the
  visibility. 

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...The strongest winds and worst conditions
  will occur tonight into early Sunday.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Use caution while traveling, especially in open areas. 

&&

$$

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 Dec 30, 3:32 AM AKST, 2 hours 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 30, 3:32 AM AKST, 2 hours 3 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
332 AM AKST Fri Dec 30 2022

.SYNOPSIS...Flurries and areas of light snow over the northern
Interior and North Slope will gradually dissipate through tonight
with clearing skies from the Brooks Range south. A few lingering
snow showers will persist along the west coast from the Bering
Strait south to the Yukon Delta. Gusty southeast winds 25-35 mph
will continue in the Delta Junction area. Along the west coast,
northerly winds 40-50 mph through the Bering Strait to St.
Lawrence Island and to the outer capes of the Yukon Delta will
increase on Saturday. Temperatures will gradually warm over the
weekend as southerly flow aloft develops.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Models are good agreement with the main features into the weekend. A
ridge of high pressure aloft extending from southwest Alaska to
the Yukon Territory will lift northeast to the eastern Arctic
Coast and Alcan border by Saturday night bringing decreasing
clouds. This is in response to a large area of low pressure moving
north to the Alaska Peninsula Saturday night. Gusty east to
northeast winds will develop across the forecast area as the
pressure gradient tightens. This pattern also sets up a longwave
trough over western Alaska and ridging over the British Columbia
and the Yukon Territory on Sunday. As a result, southerly flow and
warmer air will push north into mainland Alaska with considerable
warming on Sunday into Monday. A weather front associated with
the low will rotate into the western half of the Interior on
Sunday night and Monday. The eastern Interior will remain dry due
to the Alaska Range blocking precipitation.

Arctic Coast and Brooks Range...Generally cloudy with some
flurries and patchy fog into the weekend with clearing skies in
the Brooks Range. Winds mainly northeast to east at 5 to 15 mph
along the coast and light inland. The exception will Cape Lisburne
south where winds will be stronger with gusts 25 to 35 mph. Winds
will increase on Saturday night into Sunday but especially along
the Chukchi Sea coast. High temperatures today will range from
the single digits above to around 10 below. Low temperatures
tonight will range from around 20 below to the single digits
above.

West Coast and Western Interior...A mix of clouds. Lingering light
snow or flurries in the Upper Kobuk and western Brooks Range will
taper off through this evening with little to no accumulation.
Some snow showers will persist from the Bering Strait south to the
Yukon Delta. Winds variable to 10 mph inland, with mainly north
to northeast winds 35 to 50 mph from the Bering Strait south to
St. Lawrence Island and outer capes of the Yukon Delta. Winds will
increase in all areas on Saturday and continue into Sunday. This
will likely drop visibility to 1/2 mile or lower in blowing snow
through the Bering Strait. High temperatures today will range
from the single digits above to around 20 above. Low temperatures
tonight will range from around 10 below to near 10 above.

Central and Eastern Interior...A few lingering flurries over the
Yukon Flats and eastern Brooks Range will dissipate today. A
gradual clearing from the south today but some pesky stratus may
persist in the Yukon Flats into Saturday. The clearing skies over
the southern Interior has allowed a strong temperature inversion
to develop which will continue into Saturday. Valley temperatures
range from 5 to 20 below while temperatures in the hills are in
the teens and 20's above zero. The Tanana Valley jet will continue
to bring on and off gusty southeast winds 25-35 mph to the Delta
Junction area with winds increasing on Saturday night. East to
northeast winds will also increase across most areas on Saturday
night into Sunday with higher terrain and channeled areas seeing
gusts over 40 mph along the with blowing snow, such as the summits
of the Dalton, Elliott, and Steese Highways. The southerly flow
will bring chinook winds to Alaska Range passes by Sunday.

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

Extended forecast for days 4 to 7...Weak high pressure across the
mainland with a strong low in Bristol Bay Monday morning with a
front extending east across the Gulf of Alaska. An inverted trough
will develop in the vicinity of the Middle Yukon Valley with snow
developing Sunday night and sliding west over the coast Tuesday.
Strong north winds will continue just off the West Coast through
midweek. Slowly warming temperatures will continue into next week
with temperatures above climatological normals for early January.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...None.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ201-220.
     Gale Warning for PKZ210.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ225.
&&

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 30, 4:15 AM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG34 hr
Dec 30, 4:15 AM AKSTGale WarningAFG50 hr
Dec 30, 4:23 AM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG50 hr

Nearby

Blizzard Warnings in Alaska, 2022Every blizzard warning in 2022

Sources

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