Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, February 2 to 3, 2000

Name: Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, February 2 to 3, 2000
Start: 2000-02-02T12:00
End: 2000-02-03T18:00
Location: Alaska

February 2 to 3, 2000 · NWS AFC · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

An 'arctic type' low, moved out of the north central Pacific Wednesday, deepening to a 973 mb center around Saint George Island early Thursday. A moderate cold front trailed south from the center.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 AFC wrote it up.

An 'arctic type' low, moved out of the north central Pacific Wednesday, deepening to a 973 mb center around Saint George Island early Thursday. A moderate cold front trailed south from the center. By Thursday afternoon, the low was located 200 miles northwest of Saint Matthew Island where it had weakened to 984 mbs. The front had begun to weaken significantly...extending from the low to just west of Nunivak Island to Sand Point.Brisk south to southeast winds were observed along the eastern Aleutians, the western Alaska Peninsula and the Pribilofs.Peak winds of 61 mph were recorded at the Dutch Harbor airport late Wednesday and early Thursday.Along the western Alaska Peninsula, gusts of 60 mph were recorded at Cold Bay early Thursday just before 3 am. Across the Pribilofs, strong southeast wind gusts late Wednesday peaked at 67 mph at Saint George early Thursday just before 2 am.Portions of the southwest Alaskan coast were also impacted by significant winds Thursday, although gusts there remained just below 60 mph. Loose snow contributed to scattered blizzard conditions from Togiak westward and along the immediate Kuskokwim Delta coast.

Event by event

3 high wind, 2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Aleutian Islands

When: February 2, 12:00 PM AST to 11:59 PM AST
Where: Aleutian Islands forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Pribilof Islands

When: February 2, 6:00 PM AST to February 3, 6:00 AM AST
Where: Pribilof Islands forecast zone
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Western Alaska Peninsula

When: February 3, 12:00 AM AST to 12:00 PM AST
Where: Western Alaska Peninsula forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Bristol Bay Coastal

When: February 3, 12:00 AM AST to 12:00 PM AST
Where: Bristol Bay Coastal forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Kuskokwim Delta

When: February 3, 6:00 AM AST to 6:00 PM AST
Where: Kuskokwim Delta forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alaska in 2000 Every state in 2000 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, February 2000

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: 5127604, 5127605, 5127606, 5127607, 5127608.