Heavy Snow and High Wind in Alaska, February 1, 2000

By early Tuesday, the extremely intense 940 mb storm that moved from the north Pacific to the Island of Amchitka Monday afternoon, was located 180 miles north of Adak as at least a 935 mb storm. The front associated with this storm arced toward the Pribilofs and then trailed southward through Umnak Island at 3 am Tuesday. Strong south and southeasterly winds extended out 240 miles in advance of the front and extended out close to 300 miles across the south semicircle of the low.By 3 pm Tuesday, the low had 'taken up residence' in the central Bering Sea as a 940 mb, slowly weakening storm. The front, which had moved a considerable distance away from the low, lay in an arc 60 mile northwest of Saint Matthew Island to Hooper Bay to Egegik, then south southwest through Sand Point to a deepening frontal low 480 miles south of Adak.Winds were strong along the 'back side' of the low. Northwest wind gusts at Shemya reached 82 mph at 3 am Tuesday...with winds gusting above 60 mph for most of the rest of the day. Strong westerly winds, which began Monday at the Adak automated site, peaked between 60 and 65 mph many times Tuesday. Ship reports in the area indicated sustained winds around 60 mph...with higher gusts. Winds were accompanied at both sites with heavy snow and blizzard conditions.Southeast wind gusts at or above 60 mph began across the Pribilofs Monday evening, peaking at 79 mph at Saint Paul Island very early Tuesday. At Saint George, reports were missing until late Wednesday...however winds at this site usually exceed those at Saint Paul. Strong winds were accompanied by blizzard conditions in snow and blowing snow.Along the Alaska Peninsula, southerly winds at Cold Bay peaked at 71 mph just prior to frontal passage at 7 am Tuesday. Wind gusts at Sand Point peaked at 69 mph at 9am...a few hours later...as the front moved into that area. In the Anchorage and western Prince William Sound area...heavy snow was reported at several locations. Around Seward, 6 inches of snow fell in town...about double that amount just north of town..Whittier recorded 17 inches of snow from midnight to 9:30 am.Upper Anchorage hillside snowfall reached close to 1 foot overnight.