Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, April 10 to 11, 2001

Name: Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, April 10 to 11, 2001
Start: 2001-04-10T06:00
End: 2001-04-11T11:53
Location: Alaska

April 10 to 11, 2001 · NWS AFC · 6 events in 5 counties and zones

A moderate low and its occluded front moved into the western Gulf of Alaska Tuesday afternoon. This resulted in channeled winds through Portage Valley and gusty winds along the Anchorage Hillside.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $20,000
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 AFC wrote it up.

A moderate low and its occluded front moved into the western Gulf of Alaska Tuesday afternoon. This resulted in channeled winds through Portage Valley and gusty winds along the Anchorage Hillside. Easterly winds reached 60 + mph around 6 pm Tuesday, then peaked at 73 mph twice between midnight and 2 am Wednesday at Portage. Alyeska Mountain winds at mid and top levels were reported gusting to 80 mph. Wind gusts peaked at 68 mph along the Upper Hillside of Anchorage around 2 pm Tuesday, however gusts of 97 mph were recorded in Bear Valley at 11:05 pm Tuesday (gusts still 80-93 mph at report time of 8:25 am Wednesday).Strong north and northwest wind around the back side of this low produced blizzards across the Kuskokwim Delta and the Alaska Peninsula. Spotter reports from King Cove reported a peak wind at an incredible 120 mph at 8:14 pm Tuesday, with additional reports of gusts at 107 mph.Northwest winds peaked at 73 mph across the Eastern Aleutians at Dutch Harbor, reaching 73 mph.

Event by event

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

High Wind, Eastern Aleutians

When: April 10, 6:00 AM AST to 6:30 PM AST
Where: Eastern Aleutians forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek

When: April 10, 11:30 AM AST to April 11, 11:30 AM AST
Where: Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek forecast zone
Measured: 84 kt (97 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Alaska Peninsula

When: April 10, 12:30 PM AST to April 11, 6:00 AM AST
Where: Alaska Peninsula forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Wrn P.W. Snd & Kenai Mtns

When: April 10, 6:00 PM AST to April 11, 10:00 AM AST
Where: Wrn P.W. Snd & Kenai Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 69 kt (79 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Alaska Peninsula

When: April 10, 8:00 PM AST to April 11, 11:00 AM AST
Where: Alaska Peninsula forecast zone
Measured: 104 kt (120 mph)
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Kuskokwim Delta

When: April 11, 4:53 AM AST to 11:53 AM 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 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, April 2001

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: 5236154, 5236151, 5236155, 5236150, 5236153, 5236152.