Alaska, 2000

Blizzard and Ice Storm in Alaska, January 15 to 19, 2000

January 15 to 19, 2000 · NWS AFG · 9 events in 4 counties and zones

A frontal system over Kamchatka moved over the north Bering Sea on the 15th, with a low pressure center forming on the front over the Seward Peninsula early on the 16th. The complex weakened and drifted south to lie over Norton Sound on the evening of the 16th.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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 frontal system over Kamchatka moved over the north Bering Sea on the 15th, with a low pressure center forming on the front over the Seward Peninsula early on the 16th. The complex weakened and drifted south to lie over Norton Sound on the evening of the 16th. Between the 16th and 20th a series of frontal systems moved from the North Pacific across teh southwest interior of Alaska before dissipating along the central Brooks Range. These weather systems brought local blizzards and high winds to the west coast of Alaska, and heavy snows and freezing precipitation to Alaska's west coast and interior.Blizzard conditions occurred at:St. Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast: Savoonga: 15th; Gambell 17th; 18th-19th.Southern Seward Peninsula and Eastern Norton Sound: Golovin 15th-16thTanana Valley: Healy 18thHigh Wind occurred at:St. Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast: Gambell AWOS 17th and 18th-19th: gust 53 mphHeavy Snow occurred at (24 hour amounts):Southern Seward Peninsula and Eastern Norton Sound: Koyuk 16th 10.0".Lower Yukon Valley: Ruby 17th: 10.0" and 18th 7.0"Tanana Valley: Eielson AFB 18th: 7.1" NWS climo site (fai ap#2) 18th: 8.6" Ester Dome: 17th: 6.7"; 18th: 6.3" Upper Gilmore Trail 18th: 10.7" Keystone Ridge 18th: 9.9" Haystack Mountain 18th: 6.6" Minchumina 18th: 11.0" Becker Ridge 18th: 8.8" Kobe Hill 17th: 8.1"; 18th: 9.3"; 19th 6.3". Healy 17th: 6.0"; 18th: 8.0" Ft. Knox Mine 18th: 6.0" Two Rivers 18th: 8.2" McKinley Park 18th: 6.2" North Pole 18th: 7.5" Gilmore Creek 18th: 7.2" Chena Ridge 18th: 11.4" Fox 18th: 8.0" Moose Creek 18th: 7.8" W Chena Ridge 18th: 8.8" Anderson 18th: 7.0" College 5NW 18th: 6.1" College Observatory 18th: 6.0" Goldstream 18th: 8.3" Salcha 17th: 7.0 "; 18th: 8.0 "Freezing Precipitation occurred at:Tanana Valley: Minchumina Lake reported Glaze on the morning of the 18th; Healy reported freezing Rain on Parks Highway in remarks section of observation sent at 2148 on the 18th.Lower Yukon Valley: Minchumina Lake reported glaze on morning of 18th, it's likely freezing rain falle over Kuskokwim Mountains at times during the period. Southern Seward Peninsula and Eastern Norton Sound: Unalakleet. reported freezing drizzle.

Event by event

3 heavy snow, 3 blizzard, 2 ice storm, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Southern Seward Peninsula-Eastern Norton Sound

When
January 15, 9:00 AM AST to January 16, 9:00 AM AST
Where
Southern Seward Peninsula-Eastern Norton Sound forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Blizzard, St. Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast

When
January 15, 11:35 AM AST to January 18, 6:15 PM AST
Where
St. Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Southern Seward Peninsula-Eastern Norton Sound

When
January 15, 6:00 PM AST to January 16, 2:00 AM AST
Where
Southern Seward Peninsula-Eastern Norton Sound forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, Lower Yukon Valley

When
January 16, 9:00 AM AST to January 18, 9:00 AM AST
Where
Lower Yukon Valley forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heavy Snow, Tanana Valley

When
January 16, 7:00 PM AST to January 18, 3:00 PM AST
Where
Tanana Valley forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, St. Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast

When
January 17, 11:35 AM AST to January 19, 2:00 AM AST
Where
St. Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast forecast zone
Measured
46 kt (53 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Ice Storm, Lower Yukon Valley

When
January 17, 6:00 PM AST to January 18, 6:00 PM AST
Where
Lower Yukon Valley forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Ice Storm, Tanana Valley

When
January 17, 6:00 PM AST to January 18, 11:00 PM AST
Where
Tanana Valley forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Blizzard, Tanana Valley

When
January 18, 9:00 AM AST to 11:00 AM AST
Where
Tanana Valley forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
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.
Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

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, January 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: 5127878, 5127876, 5127877, 5127879, 5127880, 5127881, 5127883, 5127884, 5127882.