Alaska, 1998

Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, February 22 to 25, 1998

February 22 to 25, 1998 · NWS AFG · 6 events in 3 counties and zones

A persistant moderate pressure gradient over Western Alaska produced a variety of extreme winter weather - several periods of low wind chills over the Bering Strait (Tin City ranged from -70F to -80F - Gambell observations not available), and also over Zone 3 at Point Hope (-70F to -84F) and Shishmaref ( -70F yo -74F), and Zone 1 at Point Lay (-85F to -90F). Also Blizzard condition occurred at…

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS AFG wrote it up.

A persistant moderate pressure gradient over Western Alaska produced a variety of extreme winter weather - several periods of low wind chills over the Bering Strait (Tin City ranged from -70F to -80F - Gambell observations not available), and also over Zone 3 at Point Hope (-70F to -84F) and Shishmaref ( -70F yo -74F), and Zone 1 at Point Lay (-85F to -90F). Also Blizzard condition occurred at Point Lay at the end of this time when clouds and snow moved in, along with strong winds at Point Lay with highest sustained winds at 40 kt and gust to 44 kt.

Event by event

4 cold/wind chill, 1 blizzard, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, St. Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast

When
February 22, 7:00 AM AST to February 24, 11:00 PM AST
Where
St. Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast forecast zone

Cold/Wind Chill, Lower Kobuk Valley-Northern Seward Peninsula

When
February 23, 6:00 AM AST to February 24, 6:00 AM AST
Where
Lower Kobuk Valley-Northern Seward Peninsula forecast zone

Cold/Wind Chill, St. Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast

When
February 24, 1:00 AM AST to February 25, 11:00 PM AST
Where
St. Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast forecast zone

Cold/Wind Chill, Arctic Slope Coastal

When
February 24, 7:00 AM AST to February 25, 4:00 AM AST
Where
Arctic Slope Coastal forecast zone

Blizzard, Arctic Slope Coastal

When
February 24, 11:00 AM AST to February 25, 4:00 PM AST
Where
Arctic Slope Coastal forecast zone

High Wind, Arctic Slope Coastal

When
February 25, 3:00 AM AST to 8:00 AM AST
Where
Arctic Slope Coastal forecast zone
Measured
44 kt (51 mph)

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.
Blizzard
Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Alaska in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, February 1998

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5630445, 5630447, 5630446, 5630448, 5630449, 5630450.