Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, November 12 to 13, 2000

Name: Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, November 12 to 13, 2000
Start: 2000-11-12T09:00
End: 2000-11-13T18:00
Location: Alaska

November 12 to 13, 2000 · NWS AFG · 5 events in 4 counties and zones

A powerful storm crossed the Aleutian Islands just west of Adak on the 12th. Circulation around this system, which reached 949 millibars, reached St.

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 AFG wrote it up.

A powerful storm crossed the Aleutian Islands just west of Adak on the 12th. Circulation around this system, which reached 949 millibars, reached St. Lawrence Island at Midnight on the night of the 12th. This circulation then reached the western Arctic Coast later on the morning of the 13th, causing blizzard conditions through early afternoon at Wainwright. Heavy Snow occurred at Kaltag and Nulato by the morning of the 13th. The circulation also produced strong winds through the Alaska Range reaching Delta Junction in the Tanana Valley.High Winds occurred at:Zone 9: Gambell AWOS 55 mph sustained, gust 62 mph.Zone 7: Delta Junction ASOS gust 52 mph.Zone 1: Likely at Point Lay (AWOS not reporting but Surface Analysis pressure gradient supported winds over 50 mph).Heavy Snow occurred at:Zone 8: Nulato Cooperative Observer - 9.0 inches; Kaltag Cooperative Observer - 8.0 inches.

Event by event

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

Heavy Snow, Lower Yukon Valley

When: November 12, 9:00 AM AST to November 13, 9:00 AM AST
Where: Lower Yukon Valley forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, St. Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast

When: November 13, 12:00 AM AST to 2:35 AM AST
Where: St. Lawrence Island-Bering Strait Coast forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Arctic Slope Coastal

When: November 13, 9:00 AM AST to 3:00 PM AST
Where: Arctic Slope Coastal forecast zone
Measured: 44 kt (51 mph)
Reported by: UNKNOWN

Blizzard, Arctic Slope Coastal

When: November 13, 2:10 PM AST to 5:00 PM AST
Where: Arctic Slope Coastal forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Tanana Valley

When: November 13, 5:00 PM AST to 6:00 PM AST
Where: Tanana Valley forecast zone
Measured: 45 kt (52 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
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, November 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: 5166952, 5166949, 5166951, 5166953, 5166950.