Gale Warning 52, NWS Fairbanks, AK

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
333 PM AKST Fri Feb 20 2026

.SYNOPSIS...
A significant multi-day winter storm is expected to impact most
of Northern Alaska Saturday through Wednesday. Snow begins along
the West Coast and North Slope late Friday into Saturday which
leads to periods of blizzard conditions through the Bering Strait,
along the Chukchi Sea Coast, the Baldwin Peninsula, and the
Western Arctic Coast as strong winds overlap with falling snow.
Heavy snow drapes across the North Slope and Western Interior
Saturday into Sunday. Heavy snow reaches the Central Interior
including the Fairbanks North Star Borough by mid-day Sunday.
Multiple days of snowfall are expected for most locations with
this event. Winds weaken Sunday into Monday improving blizzard
conditions, but snowfall continues in the Interior through Tuesday
and into Wednesday for the Western Alaska Range. Warming
temperatures throughout this storm will lead to periods of rain
along the Lower Yukon River which will likely freeze on the
ground. Colder and drier conditions are expected to return late
next week following this storm.

&&

.KEY WEATHER MESSAGES...
Central and Eastern Interior...
- Relatively clear and calm conditions across the Interior Friday
  and Saturday under high pressure. Overnight valley temperatures
  drop into the -30 to -40 range across the Interior Friday night.

- A significant multi-day winter storm approaches the Interior
  Sunday morning bringing considerable snowfall Sunday through
  Tuesday to the Central Interior including the Fairbanks North
  Star Borough and the Western Alaska Range. Snowfall totals for
  the event of 8 to 16 inches possible. Winter Storm Watches have
  been issued.

- Temperatures warm into the double digits above 0 with the heavy
  snowfall. Temperatures then cool Wednesday through the end of
  next week following the storm with lows falling well into the
  double digits below 0.

West Coast and Western Interior...
- A significant multi-day winter storm approaches the West Coast
  Friday afternoon through Friday night bringing considerable
  snowfall Friday night through Sunday night to the West Coast and
  Western Interior, particularly from the Seward Peninsula north.
  10 to 20 inches of snow are possible for the Western Brooks
  Range through Kotzebue and the Noatak Valley. Winter Storm
  Warnings and Winter Storm Watches have been issued.

- Strong southerly winds through the Bering Strait and
  southeasterly winds along the Chukchi Sea Coast could cause
  periods of blizzard conditions late Friday through early Sunday.
  Blizzard Warnings have been issued.

- Temperatures warming into the low to mid 30s from the Seward
  Peninsula south Saturday and Sunday will cause much of the
  precipitation along the Lower Yukon, Yukon Delta, and St.
  Lawrence Island to fall as rain. Some rain and wintry mix is
  expected for the Seward Peninsula as well Sunday. Rain could
  freeze on contact with cold surfaces on the ground causing
  slippery conditions. A Winter Storm Watches have been issued
  for potential ice accumulations from this rain.

- Temperatures cool rapidly Monday into Tuesday as Arctic air from
  Siberia moves over the region. Temperatures fall below 0 by
  Tuesday and into the teens and 20s below 0 by Wednesday for most
  places.

North Slope and Brooks Range..
- A significant multi-day winter storm approaches the western
  North Slope Friday night into Saturday bringing heavy snow and
  periods of blizzard conditions across the North Slope Saturday
  through early Monday. 6 to 10 inches of total snow expected West
  of Point Barrow and 6 to 9 inches total expected east of Point
  Barrow. Greater totals of 10 to 16 inches possible for the
  Eastern Brooks Range, primarily east of the Dalton Highway.
  Winter Storm Warnings have been issued.

- Gusty southerly winds are expected as this storm passes Friday
  night into Saturday, particularly at Point Hope where gusts up
  to 70 mph are possible. Blizzard conditions are expected and a
  Blizzard Warning has been issued. Winds shift southwesterly
  Saturday night into Sunday along the Arctic Coast and then
  westerly along the eastern Arctic Coast late Sunday into Monday.
  Periods of blizzard conditions are possible along the Arctic
  Coast Sunday through Monday, particularly east of Prudhoe Bay.

- Temperatures warm significantly into the teens and 20s above 0
  across the North Slope as this storm passes through the area
  Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures then cool Monday into Tuesday
  back into the double digits below 0.

&&

.FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION...
For Friday through Monday.
At the start of the forecast period Friday, a strong 584 decameter
ridge of high pressure extends from the North Pacific into the
Bering Sea. Relatively calm conditions Friday can be attributed to
this feature. A strong shortwave low moving through the pattern
pulls considerable moisture into itself from as far south as
Hawaii around the Pacific high bringing significant snowfall to
the West Coast Saturday. A surface high under the ridge in the
1040s allows for a very strong pressure gradient along the West
Coast despite the weak surface low under the shortwave only being
around 1010 millibars. Strong winds along the West Coast are
therefore capable of creating periods of blizzard conditions as
the low moves from the Northwest Bering Sea to the Chukchi Sea and
across the Arctic Coast. Heavy snow moves inland as the ridge in
the North Pacific weakens. Due to continuous moisture transport
from the south and cold air from a strong Canadian high
significant multi-day snowfall is expected for the Central
Interior including the Fairbanks North Star Borough. However the
West Coast pulls in too much warm air and much of the
precipitation is expected to fall as rain, primarily south of the
Seward Peninsula, but some periods of rain/wintry mix is expected
for the Seward Peninsula as well.

On Monday a strong 1045 millibar surface high in eastern Siberia
begins to move east. This brings significantly colder and drier
air across the West Coast by Monday night and squeezes out the
remaining moisture trapped in the Interior Monday night through
Tuesday with some lingering snow showers possible into Wednesday
depending on how quickly this Siberian high takes over.

&&

.EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7...
For Monday through next Friday.
At the start of the extended forecast period late Monday, a high
pressure region moves out of Siberia over the West Coast and into
the Interior cutting off the moisture transport for this snow
event and squeezing out the remaining moisture that gets trapped
in the Interior. The winter storm impacts mostly end for the West
Coast by Tuesday, but will continue through Tuesday for the
Interior as the remaining moisture continues to fall as snow. High
pressure settles over Northern Alaska following this storm
allowing colder, drier, and clearer conditions to return late next
week.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Blizzard Warning for AKZ801.
     Winter Storm Warning for AKZ802-803-806-807.
     Winter Storm Watch for AKZ812-831.
     Winter Storm Warning for AKZ813-819.
     Blizzard Warning for AKZ814-815-817.
     Winter Storm Warning for AKZ816-818.
     Blizzard Warning for AKZ820-821.
     Winter Storm Warning for AKZ822-823.
     Winter Storm Watch for AKZ824-828-829.
     Winter Storm Watch for AKZ825-826-830.
     Winter Storm Warning for AKZ827.
     Winter Storm Warning for AKZ804-805-808>810.
     Winter Storm Watch for AKZ832-834.
     Winter Storm Watch for AKZ838>846.
     Winter Storm Watch for AKZ847.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ801-803-852.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ802.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ804.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ805-816-850-853.
     Gale Warning for PKZ806-807-817-856.
     Gale Warning for PKZ808.
     Gale Warning for PKZ809.
     Gale Warning for PKZ810-854.
     Storm Warning for PKZ811.
     Gale Warning for PKZ812-858.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ813-860.
     Gale Warning for PKZ851.
     Gale Warning for PKZ855.
     Storm Warning for PKZ857.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ859.
&&

Stokes