Blizzard and Extreme Cold in Alaska, February 24 to 26, 2001

Name: Blizzard and Extreme Cold in Alaska, February 24 to 26, 2001
Start: 2001-02-24T12:00
End: 2001-02-26T04:00
Location: Alaska

February 24 to 26, 2001 · NWS AFG · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A slowly increasing strong pressure gradient across northern Alaska produced local wind chills, blizzards, and high winds.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 slowly increasing strong pressure gradient across northern Alaska produced local wind chills, blizzards, and high winds. Strong High pressure remained over the Arctic Ocean with Low pressure over the Aleutian Islands and south Bering Sea.Extreme Wind Chills reported at:Zone 207 - Kivalina -71F; Point Hope -70 FZone 217 - Makpik Creek Remote Automated Weather Station (RAWS) -73Blizzard conditions reported at:Zone 218 - Chandalar LakeHigh Winds reported at:Zone 225 - Healy: gust 52 mph

Event by event

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

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Upper Kobuk and Noatak Vlys

When: February 24, 12:00 PM AST to February 26, 4:00 AM AST
Where: Upper Kobuk and Noatak Vlys forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, S. Slopes of Ern Brooks Range

When: February 24, 8:50 PM AST to 9:50 PM AST
Where: S. Slopes of Ern Brooks Range forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Chukchi Sea Coast

When: February 25, 8:35 AM AST to 9:30 PM AST
Where: Chukchi Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Denali

When: February 25, 9:46 PM AST to February 26, 2:19 AM AST
Where: Denali forecast zone
Measured: 45 kt (52 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

Every storm in Alaska in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, February 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: 5235264, 5235265, 5235263, 5235266.