Heavy Snow and High Wind in Alaska, March 23 to 24, 2001

Name: Heavy Snow and High Wind in Alaska, March 23 to 24, 2001
Start: 2001-03-23T17:00
End: 2001-03-24T12:00
Location: Alaska

March 23 to 24, 2001 · NWS AFC · 2 events in 1 county or zone

presumably late Friday night/Saturday morning. Winds at the Kodiak ASOS gusted as high as 64 mph.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $125,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 980 mb low 150 miles southeast of Kodiak Island early Saturday, brought strong northeast winds and heavy precipitation to the Island Friday afternoon through early Saturday.Peak winds of 93 mph were reported at Zachor Bay Lodge (near Larsen Bay) sometime Friday and Saturday...presumably late Friday night/Saturday morning. Winds at the Kodiak ASOS gusted as high as 64 mph. Wind gusts at the Augustine C-Man were reported at 60+ mph from 8 am Saturday through noon the same day, peaking at 66 mph between 11 am and noon.Snowfall reached 11 inches in Kodiak before changing to rain Friday and Saturday. Close to 6 inches of snow was recorded in Kodiak Saturday morning, before snow changed to rain.Also, a new rainfall record for the date, and for a one day precipitation amount, was set. On Sunday, the Kodiak observing site recorded precipitation total of 2.57 inches.Reported damage from the storm included 4 power poles, which were snapped, in Kalsin Bay. Around Kodiak Friday night and early Saturday, 9 transformers blew, trees were reported downed in roadways and power was "up and down" all night. Vehicle accidents were attributed to slick roads and poor visibility. One tree fell on skylights in a roof of a house on Millbay Road.Ship reports along the south portion of the Kodiak Island waters provided reports of sustained winds in the 40 - 50 knot range (46 - 58 mph).This was a BIG event for Kodiak. Heavy snows and strong winds were likely the culprits in the power outages, snapping of power poles and downing of trees. Cold road surfaces and water on ice from the rains, contributed to the vehicle accidents...as well as poor visibilities (which were likely lower in many areas than ASOS reported values).

Event by event

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

High Wind, Kodiak Peninsula

When: March 23, 5:00 PM AST to March 24, 5:00 AM AST
Where: Kodiak Peninsula forecast zone
Measured: 81 kt (93 mph)
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heavy Snow, Kodiak Peninsula

When: March 23, 9:00 PM AST to March 24, 12:00 PM AST
Where: Kodiak Peninsula forecast zone
Property damage: $25,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

What these are

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

Every storm in Alaska in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, March 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: 5230779, 5230778.