Alaska, 2000

Blizzard and Extreme Cold in Alaska, February 20 to 26, 2000

February 20 to 26, 2000 · NWS AFG · 6 events in 3 counties and zones

The strong northeast winds which develop over northwest Alaska and the western Arctic of Alaska Feb. 19-21 continued as a small low developed in Kotzebue Sound on the morning of Feb.

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.

The strong northeast winds which develop over northwest Alaska and the western Arctic of Alaska Feb. 19-21 continued as a small low developed in Kotzebue Sound on the morning of Feb. 22. Though this low dissipated on Feb 24, the wind continued from Point Lay in the western Arctic of Alaska down to Saint Lawrence island from Feb. 23-26. High wind, blizzard conditions and extreme wind chill continued intermittently in these areas through Feb 26.Blizzard Conditions occurred at:Lower Kobuk Valley to Cape Lisburne: KivalinaExtreme Wind Chills occurred at:Arctic Slope Coastal: Point Lay -89F, wind 20 mph.Saint Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast: Tin City -91 F , winds 40 mph; Gambell -77 F, winds 35 mph.Lower Kobuk Valley to Cape Lisburne: Point Hope 22nd: -80F, winds 30 mph, 24th: -75 F, winds 25 mph; Kivalina -72F, winds 35 mph.High Winds occurred at:Saint Lawrence Island: Gambell AWOS: 24th: 41 mph sustained, gust 49 mph; 25th-26th: 49 mph sustained, gust 59 mph.

Event by event

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

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Arctic Slope Coastal

When
February 20, 6:35 PM AST to February 21, 7:15 AM AST
Where
Arctic Slope Coastal forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

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

When
February 21, 9:35 PM AST to February 22, 3:00 PM AST
Where
Lower Kobuk Valley-Northern Seward Peninsula forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

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

When
February 22, 4:00 AM AST to February 24, 3:15 PM AST
Where
St. Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Lower Kobuk Valley-Northern Seward Peninsula

When
February 22, 5:00 AM AST to 10:00 AM AST
Where
Lower Kobuk Valley-Northern Seward Peninsula forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

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

When
February 23, 4:35 PM AST to 8:35 PM AST
Where
Lower Kobuk Valley-Northern Seward Peninsula forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, St. Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast

When
February 23, 5:35 PM AST to February 26, 10:15 AM AST
Where
St. Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast forecast zone
Measured
51 kt (59 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.
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 2000Every state in 2000This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5135271, 5135273, 5135274, 5135272, 5135275, 5135276.