Alert archive / Alaska / Blizzard Warnings in 2025
Blizzard Warning 28, NWS Fairbanks, AK
NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this blizzard warning at May 5, 2025, 7:08 PM AKDT for North Slope Borough, Alaska. It was in force for 10 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
- May 5, 2025, 7:08 PM AKDT (03:08 UTC)
- Expired
- May 6, 2025, 5:14 AM AKDT
- In force
- 10 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Fairbanks, AK
County North Slope Borough, AK
The nearest sounding before it
Point Barrow, (PBRW), launched 00:00Z, 3.1 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
- 882 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 26 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 135 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 104 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted.
958 WWAK41 PAFG 060308 WSWNSB URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 708 PM AKDT Mon May 5 2025 AKZ804-808-061800- /O.NEW.PAFG.BZ.W.0028.250506T0308Z-250506T1800Z/ Central Beaufort Sea Coast-Central Arctic Plains- Including the cities of Sagwon, Deadhorse, Nuiqsut, Alpine, Kuparuk, the Dalton Highway north of MP 387, Franklin Bluffs, the Dalton Highway from MP 322 to MP 387, and Prudhoe Bay 708 PM AKDT Mon May 5 2025 ...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM AKDT TUESDAY... * WHAT...Blizzard conditions. Winds gusting as high as 55 mph. * WHERE...Dalton Highway between Mile Marker 350 and Mile Marker 410 * WHEN...Until 10 AM AKDT Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility to a quarter mile or less at times. Large snow drifts may form. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Travel should be restricted to emergencies only. If you must travel, have a winter survival kit with you. If you get stranded, stay with your vehicle. The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can be obtained by calling 5 1 1. && $$
1 follow-up statement
241 WWAK41 PAFG 061314 WSWNSB URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 514 AM AKDT Tue May 6 2025 AKZ804-808-061415- /O.CAN.PAFG.BZ.W.0028.000000T0000Z-250506T1800Z/ Central Beaufort Sea Coast-Central Arctic Plains- Including Nuiqsut, Prudhoe Bay, Alpine, Deadhorse, Kuparuk, the Dalton Highway north of MP 387, Sagwon, Franklin Bluffs, and the Dalton Highway from MP 322 to MP 387 514 AM AKDT Tue May 6 2025 ...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM AKDT TUESDAY... $$
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 May 5, 3:29 PM AKDT, 3 hours 39 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 5, 3:29 PM AKDT, 3 hours 39 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
329 PM AKDT Mon May 5 2025
.SYNOPSIS...Breezy conditions across the Interior will abate this
evening with Wind Advisories set to expire, though strong east
winds, fog, and blowing snow will continue across the Arctic Coast
with visibility reduced to one quarter mile or less in spots.
Scattered showers continue across the Interior this evening and
through Wednesday, with increasing shower coverage over terrain
and south to the Alaska Range. The West Coast remains fairly dry.
&&
.KEY WEATHER MESSAGES...
Central and Eastern Interior...
- Northeast wind gusts to 35 mph in Fairbanks North Star Borough
and 45 mph in the higher terrain of the Interior will ease this
evening with Wind Advisories set to expire.
- Scattered showers across the Central and Eastern Interior this
afternoon and evening. Isolated to scattered showers possible
through Wednesday, with more likely shower activity over the
higher terrain of the AK Range and White Mtns.
- Isolated thunderstorms possible Tuesday along the Alaska Range
and east of Salcha, and Wednesday east of Dot Lake.
West Coast and Western Interior...
- Blustery north winds of 25 to 40 mph for coastal areas through
Monday. Otherwise, the coast is mostly dry with shower chances
over the Interior.
- Breezy conditions across the Interior ease late Monday evening.
North Slope and Brooks Range..
- East winds bringing stratus, light snow, fog and blowing snow
through Tuesday. Visibility will be down to less than 1 mile at
times, mostly due to fog, but the amount of blowable snow is
low and for now, we will maintain an SPS.
- Brooks Range remains relatively quiet but will be breezy Tuesday
with northeast wind gusts to 30 mph.
&&
.FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION...A 990 mb low in the Gulf of
Alaska south of Kodiak and a 1033 mb high north of Utqiagvik in
the Arctic has a strong NE gradient set up across the state. This
is bringing strong NE winds across most of the Interior this
afternoon, but both features will weaken tonight and winds are
expected to drop. Will plan to allow Wind Advisories to expire at
their current end times. The low in the Gulf of Alaska is also
rotating moisture into the Interior from the east and will
continue to through the week. Aside from weakening features, there
will be very little change in the overall pattern through the
week.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...Widespread breezy to windy conditions abate later
this evening with a quiet period of fire weather conditions to
follow. Thunderstorms will be very isolated on Tuesday mostly
along the Alaska Range and east of Salcha, then just east of Dot
Lake on Wednesday. Continued southeasterly flow will bring shower
activity to most snow free areas from the White Mountains south
through Thursday. Relative humidity will bottom out between 35%
and 50% for the rest of the week with high temperatures in the
50s.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...The Yukon River breakup front has reached 4 miles
downstream of Circle as of 1PM Monday. The breakup front is set
to reach stronger ice Monday afternoon. If an ice jam occurs,
minor to moderate flooding is possible. The top of the ice run
made it past Circle early this afternoon, with just light ice
observed upstream. The breakup front is expected to reach Ft.
Yukon early Tuesday morning with the possibility of ice jamming
occuring downstream, just above 6 mile island.
Visit http://www.weather.gov/aprfc for the latest river updates.
&&
.EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7...It appears that weak high pressure aloft
will persist over the Chukchi Sea and extend south into W Alaska
late week through the weekend. Models have backed off on a front
trying to move into the Southwest Coast until Monday or Tuesday
now, with it also being further south. Besides showers over the
Interior, it looks fairly dry and seasonal across the Mainland for
the extended.
Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Wind Advisory for AKZ832-834.
Flood Watch for AKZ833.
Wind Advisory for AKZ838>846.
PK...Small Craft Advisory for PKZ801.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ802-811-856.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ803-807.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ804>806-816-852.
Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ806-812-854.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ812.
Gale Warning for PKZ813-859.
Gale Warning for PKZ814-860-861.
Gale Warning for PKZ815.
Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ816.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ817-857.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ850-853.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ851.
Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ851.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ854.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ858.
&&
ChriestIn the hours before
Special weather statement, May 5, 1:42 PM AKDT, 5 hours 26 minutes before
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 142 PM AKDT Mon May 5 2025 AKZ803>805-061500- Northern Arctic Coast-Central Beaufort Sea Coast- Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast- Including Utqiagvik, Nuiqsut, Prudhoe Bay, Alpine, Deadhorse, Kuparuk, the Dalton Highway north of MP 387, Kaktovik, Flaxman Island, and Point Thomson 142 PM AKDT Mon May 5 2025 ...Gale Force Easterly Winds, Fog, and Blowing Snow... East winds persist through Tuesday with gusts peaking near 55 mph this afternoon along the Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast and near 40 mph at Utqiagvik. This will result in blowing snow which will bring visibility below 1 mile at times. Locally dense fog is also present along the coast and will persist through Tuesday.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Fairbanks, AK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 6, 3:45 AM AKDT | Brisk Wind Advisory | AFG | 12 hr | |
| May 6, 3:46 AM AKDT | Brisk Wind Advisory | AFG | 12 hr | |
| May 6, 3:48 PM AKDT | Brisk Wind Advisory | AFG | 24 hr |
Nearby
Blizzard Warnings in Alaska, 2025Every blizzard warning in 2025
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.