Alaska, 2001

Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, April 2 to 4, 2001

April 2 to 4, 2001 · NWS AFG · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

A strong Low pressure center of 964 Mb moved northeast over the Bering Sea weakening to 980 Mb the evening of the 3rd near Nunivak Island. The associated weather front moved from the southwest Alaska coast on the afternoon of the 2nd to the Alaska-Canada Border on the afternoon of the 3rd.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
10

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 strong Low pressure center of 964 Mb moved northeast over the Bering Sea weakening to 980 Mb the evening of the 3rd near Nunivak Island. The associated weather front moved from the southwest Alaska coast on the afternoon of the 2nd to the Alaska-Canada Border on the afternoon of the 3rd. This system brought Blizzard conditions to the west coast of Alaska, Heavy Snow to some parts of Western Alaska, and High Winds through the Alaska Range.Blizzard Conditions were reported at:Zone 207: KivalinaZone 209: Selawik, KotzebueZone 210: Buckland, DeeringZone 211: NomeZone 213: SavoongaZone 214: Emmonak, Saint MarysHigh Winds reported at:Zone 223: Delta Junction ASOS: gust to 64 mph. Zone 225: Healy: gust to 63mph.Heavy Snow reported at:Zone 216: Cooperative Observers: Galena 7-10 inches; Nulato 10-12 inches; Kaltag 6 inches. Zone 208: Noatak Co-operative Observer: 6 inches morning of the 3rd.

Event by event

6 blizzard, 2 high wind, 2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Yukon Delta

When
April 2, 9:15 AM AST to 2:55 PM AST
Where
Yukon Delta forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When
April 2, 11:35 AM AST to 9:55 PM AST
Where
St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Srn Seward Peninsula Coast

When
April 2, 1:53 PM AST to 9:53 PM AST
Where
Srn Seward Peninsula Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Denali

When
April 2, 2:40 PM AST to 7:55 PM AST
Where
Denali forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys

When
April 2, 4:18 PM AST to April 3, 9:00 AM AST
Where
Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Blizzard, Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula

When
April 2, 6:14 PM AST to 9:53 PM AST
Where
Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley

When
April 2, 6:55 PM AST to April 4, 4:53 AM AST
Where
Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, Lower Kobuk & Noatak Valleys

When
April 2, 9:00 PM AST to April 3, 12:00 PM AST
Where
Lower Kobuk & Noatak Valleys forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Deltana and Tanana

When
April 2, 9:53 PM AST to April 3, 6:53 AM AST
Where
Deltana and Tanana forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Chukchi Sea Coast

When
April 2, 10:53 PM AST to April 3, 9:23 AM AST
Where
Chukchi Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

What these are

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.
Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Alaska in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5241222, 5241221, 5241220, 5241226, 5241229, 5241224, 5241223, 5241228, 5241225, 5241227.