Alert archive / Alaska / Blizzard Warnings in 2024
Blizzard Warning 37, NWS Fairbanks, AK
NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this blizzard warning at Dec 3, 2024, 2:15 AM AKST for North Slope Borough, Alaska. It took effect at Dec 3, 2024, 2:49 PM AKST. It was in force for 24 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 3, 2024, 2:15 AM AKST (11:15 UTC)
- In effect from
- Dec 3, 2024, 2:49 PM AKST
- Expired
- Dec 4, 2024, 2:55 PM AKST
- In force
- 24 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Fairbanks, AK
County North Slope Borough, AK
The nearest sounding before it
Point Barrow, (PBRW), launched 00:00Z, 11.3 hours before the alert went out and 288 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 0 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- No buoyant parcel
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 601 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 10 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 22 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 55 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
926 WWAK41 PAFG 031115 WSWNSB URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 215 AM AKST Tue Dec 3 2024 AKZ805-040300- /O.UPG.PAFG.WS.A.0051.241204T0000Z-241205T0300Z/ /O.NEW.PAFG.BZ.W.0037.241204T0000Z-241205T0300Z/ Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast- Including Kaktovik, Flaxman Island, and Point Thomson 215 AM AKST Tue Dec 3 2024 ...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 PM AKST WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Blizzard conditions expected. Winds gusting as high as 50 mph. * WHERE...Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast. * WHEN...From 3 PM this afternoon to 6 PM AKST Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Plan on slippery road conditions. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. The dangerously cold wind chills as low as 45 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. 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. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. && $$ AKZ804-040300- /O.NEW.PAFG.WW.Y.0133.241204T0000Z-241205T0300Z/ Central Beaufort Sea Coast- Including Nuiqsut, Prudhoe Bay, Alpine, Deadhorse, Kuparuk, and the Dalton Highway north of MP 387 215 AM AKST Tue Dec 3 2024 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 PM AKST WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Blowing snow expected. Visibilities one half mile at times. Winds could gust to 30 mph. * WHERE...Deadhorse east. * WHEN...From 3 PM this afternoon to 6 PM AKST Wednesday. * IMPACTS...The dangerously cold wind chills as low as 45 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. && $$
4 follow-up statements
748 WWAK41 PAFG 032349 WSWNSB URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 249 PM AKST Tue Dec 3 2024 AKZ805-041600- /O.EXT.PAFG.BZ.W.0037.241203T2349Z-241205T0300Z/ Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast- Including Kaktovik, Flaxman Island, and Point Thomson 249 PM AKST Tue Dec 3 2024 ...BLIZZARD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM AKST WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Blizzard conditions expected. Winds gusting as high as 50 mph. * WHERE...Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast. * WHEN...Until 6 PM AKST Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Areas of blowing snow will significantly reduce visibility. The dangerously cold wind chills as low as 45 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. 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. && $$ AKZ804-041600- /O.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0133.241204T0000Z-241205T0300Z/ Central Beaufort Sea Coast- Including Nuiqsut, Prudhoe Bay, Alpine, Deadhorse, Kuparuk, and the Dalton Highway north of MP 387 249 PM AKST Tue Dec 3 2024 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM AKST WEDNESDAY... * WHAT...Blowing snow expected. Visibilities one half mile at times. Winds could gust to 30 mph. * WHERE...Deadhorse east. * WHEN...Until 6 PM AKST Wednesday. * IMPACTS...The dangerously cold wind chills as low as 45 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. && $$
474 WWAK41 PAFG 041111 WSWNSB URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 211 AM AKST Wed Dec 4 2024 AKZ805-050200- /O.CON.PAFG.BZ.W.0037.000000T0000Z-241205T0300Z/ Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast- Including Kaktovik, Flaxman Island, and Point Thomson 211 AM AKST Wed Dec 4 2024 ...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM AKST THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Blizzard conditions expected. Winds gusting as high as 50 mph. * WHERE...Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast. * WHEN...Until 6 PM AKST Wednesday. * IMPACTS...Areas of blowing snow will significantly reduce visibility. The dangerously cold wind chills as low as 45 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. 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. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. && $$ AKZ804-050200- /O.CON.PAFG.WW.Y.0133.000000T0000Z-241205T0300Z/ Central Beaufort Sea Coast- Including Nuiqsut, Prudhoe Bay, Alpine, Deadhorse, Kuparuk, and the Dalton Highway north of MP 387 211 AM AKST Wed Dec 4 2024 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM AKST THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Blowing snow expected. Visibilities one half mile at times. Winds could gust to 30 mph. * WHERE...Deadhorse east. * WHEN...Until 6 PM AKST Wednesday. * IMPACTS...The dangerously cold wind chills as low as 45 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Slow down and use caution while traveling. The latest road conditions can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. && $$
882 WWAK41 PAFG 041802 WSWNSB URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 902 AM AKST Wed Dec 4 2024 AKZ804-041915- /O.CAN.PAFG.WW.Y.0133.000000T0000Z-241205T0300Z/ Central Beaufort Sea Coast- Including Nuiqsut, Prudhoe Bay, Alpine, Deadhorse, Kuparuk, and the Dalton Highway north of MP 387 902 AM AKST Wed Dec 4 2024 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS CANCELLED... Conditions have improved. $$ AKZ805-050300- /O.CON.PAFG.BZ.W.0037.000000T0000Z-241205T0300Z/ Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast- Including Kaktovik, Flaxman Island, and Point Thomson 902 AM AKST Wed Dec 4 2024 ...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 PM AKST THIS EVENING... * WHAT...Blizzard conditions. Winds gusting as high as 50 mph. * WHERE...Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast. * WHEN...Until 6 PM AKST this evening. * IMPACTS...Areas of blowing snow will significantly reduce visibility. The dangerously cold wind chills as low as 45 below zero could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A Blizzard Warning means severe winter weather conditions are expected or occurring. Falling and blowing snow with strong winds and poor visibilities are likely. This will lead to whiteout conditions, making travel extremely difficult. && $$
098 WWAK41 PAFG 042355 WSWNSB URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 255 PM AKST Wed Dec 4 2024 AKZ805-050100- /O.CAN.PAFG.BZ.W.0037.000000T0000Z-241205T0300Z/ Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast- Including Kaktovik, Flaxman Island, and Point Thomson 255 PM AKST Wed Dec 4 2024 ...BLIZZARD WARNING IS CANCELLED... Conditions have improved. $$
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 2, 2:46 PM AKST, 11 hours 29 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 2, 2:46 PM AKST, 11 hours 29 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
246 PM AKST Mon Dec 2 2024
.SYNOPSIS...Mostly quiet and calm weather is in place across
Northern Alaska. Northeast winds across high terrain in the
northern Interior including Dalton Highway Summits has a Winter
Weather Advisory for blowing snow in effect there. A Winter Storm
Watch for Blizzard Conditions is in effect for Kaktovik as east
winds increase across the eastern Arctic Coast Tuesday night. A
shortwave and associated warm front will lift north over the
Alaska Range bringing strong south winds through Alaska Range
Passes, light snow, and a very slight chance of mixed
precipitation southwest of Fairbanks on Tuesday night and
Wednesday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Key Weather Impacts by Region:
Central and Eastern Interior...
- Clear and cold again Tuesday morning. Temperatures begin to
moderate over the Interior by Wednesday.
- Tanana Valley Jet winds will re-intensify Tuesday afternoon and
Wednesday with gusts to 40 mph.
- Northeast winds continue over the summits of the Interior, in
particular along the Dalton, Elliott, and Steese Highways.
Expect gusts around 35 to 40 mph. These winds will cause areas
of blowing and drifting snow, reducing visibility below a mile
at times. Gusty winds will continue into Tuesday.
- Southerly flow will begin to set up for the Interior late on
Tuesday. This will bring warmer temperatures for the southern
Interior along with gusts around 40 mph for Windy Pass and 65
mph for Isabel Pass. A Wind Advisory has been issued for the
Eastern Alaska Range north of Trims Camp.
West Coast and Western Interior...
- A warm front will swing across the area and bring a potential
for mixed precipitation Wednesday through Thursday.
Probabilities for freezing rain are 20% or less with little or
no ice accumulation expected. Snow amounts will be 1-3 inches.
North Slope and Brooks Range...
- Stronger winds gusting to 45 mph will pick up across the NE
Arctic Coast Tuesday evening into Wed. There could be local
ground blizzard conditions for Barter Island. A Winter Storm
Watch has been issued for the potential for Blizzard conditions.
Analysis and Forecast/Confidence Discussion...A 1029 mb high near
75 N north of Utqiagvik and a 987 mb low in the southern Bering
Sea has a 42 mb NE to SW pressure gradient set up across the
state. This is bringing NE winds across Dalton Highways Summits
and high terrain in the northern Interior. As the high migrates to
Mackenzie Bay and strengthens tomorrow night, east winds will pick
up across the eastern Arctic Coast, bringing potential blizzard
conditions to Kaktovik. High pressure persists in the Arctic
through the week. Opted to keep the Winter Storm Watch a Watch
rather than going with a Blizzard Warning or Winter Weather
Advisory due to remaining uncertainty in how strong the winds will
be and how low the visibility will reach. MOS guidance does not
agree on visibility at Kaktovik. Aloft at 500 mb, a 496 dam low
lies over St. Paul Island with ridging extending east over the
Mainland. A strong shortwave will move through the southerly flow
on Tuesday night and Wednesday with an associated surface warm
front. This will bring strong southerly gap winds through Alaska
Range Passes. Have issued a Wind Advisory for the Richardson
Highway/Delta River corridor north of Trims Camp and south of
Delta Junction. The warm front will bring light snow and a very
slight chance of mixed precipitation from Fairbanks southeast to
the Yukon Delta. Ensemble guidance indicates the chance for any
accumulating ice to be 20% or less for all areas and around 5% for
Fairbanks, so there is no plan to issue any advisory or warning
products for this event at this time.
Forecast confidence is average in the short term and below average
in the long term, though major storms are not expected. The
forecast today will be a blend of the NBM, ECMWF, and NAM with
some SREF added in for PoPs. No changes in the precipitation type
forecast from the overnight package, and minimal changes to the
winds. Increased winds through Alaska Range passes as guidance has
been trending upwards and issued that Wind Advisory. Maintained
just chance PoPs for Fairbanks on Tuesday night as the warm front
lifts north. High confidence that any precipitation with this warm
front will fall as snow as warm air doesn't move in until after
the precipitation.
Extended Forecast For Days 4 Through 7...The extended forecast
period looks quite quiet with generally light southerly flow
across the area. This should bring near normal temperatures,
occasional periods of strong south winds through Alaska Range
passes, and occasional shortwaves bringing light snowfall.
Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None.
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Wind Advisory for AKZ849.
Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ832.
Winter Storm Watch for AKZ805.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ802>807-811-812-852-857-858.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ813-859.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ814.
Gale Warning for PKZ815.
Gale Warning for PKZ816-817-851-854.
Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ816-851.
Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ817-850-853-854-856.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ850-853.
Gale Warning for PKZ856-861.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ860.
&&
CHRIESTThe office that day
Everything else NWS Fairbanks, AK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 3, 2:15 AM AKST | Winter Weather Advisory | AFG | North Slope | 31 hr |
| Dec 3, 2:57 AM AKST | Winter Weather Advisory | AFG | Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area | 41 hr |
| Dec 3, 2:58 AM AKST | Gale Warning | AFG | 35 hr | |
| Dec 3, 3:00 AM AKST | Brisk Wind Advisory | AFG | 4 days | |
| Dec 3, 3:00 AM AKST | Gale Warning | AFG | 59 hr |
Nearby
Blizzard Warnings in Alaska, 2024Every blizzard warning in 2024
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.