Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, April 16 to 18, 2002

Name: Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, April 16 to 18, 2002
Start: 2002-04-16T07:30
End: 2002-04-18T00:15
Location: Alaska

April 16 to 18, 2002 · NWS AFG · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

The warm front portion of the frontal system produced heavy snow over western and northern Alaska, and strong winds through Windy Pass of the central Alaska Range. While Blizzard conditions occurred over St.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 2
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 982 mb low pressure system and associated frontal system moved from the Pribilof Islands northeast across Norton Sound on the morning of the 17th, across northwest Alaska the night of the 17th, and offshore of the eastern Arctic Coast on the morning of the 18th.The warm front portion of the frontal system produced heavy snow over western and northern Alaska, and strong winds through Windy Pass of the central Alaska Range. While Blizzard conditions occurred over St. Lawrence Island, 2 direct injuries occurred: a 74-year old man man became stranded while riding his snowmobile; he dug and snow cave for shelter and had supplies to last him the several days until rescuers found him. He was in good health but suffered from dehydration. During the Search and Rescue effort for this man, six of the rescuers loist radio contact and failed to return to their base of operations. Four of them returned on the night of the 16th, and the other two were found the morning of the 17th. One of these men suffered from frostbite on his hands and feet. Blizzard conditions occurred at:Zone 207 - Point HopeZone 209 - Kotzebue, SelawikZone 210 - Buckland, Deering;Zone 211 - Nome, Golovin;Zone 212 - Unalakleet;Zone 213 - Savoonga, Tin CIty where wind gusts reached 51 knots (59mph);Zone 214 - EmmonakHeavy snow occurred at:Zone 216 - Kaltag - the Co-op observer reported 6 inches of new snow in the 24 hours ending at 730 am on the 17th; Zone 217 - Ambler High School reported 9 to 10 inches of new snow in the 24 hours ending at 200 pm on the 18th; Zone 218 - The Co-op observer at Wiseman reported 10 inches of new snow in the 24 hours ending 8pm on the 17th;High Wind occurred at Healy (Zone 225), where the weather observer recorded a peak gust of 63 mph .

Event by event

7 blizzard, 2 heavy snow, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys

When: April 16, 7:30 AM AST to April 17, 7:30 AM AST
Where: Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Blizzard, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When: April 16, 1:55 PM AST to April 17, 5:55 PM AST
Where: St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Yukon Delta

When: April 16, 3:15 PM AST to 8:15 PM AST
Where: Yukon Delta forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Srn Seward Peninsula Coast

When: April 16, 5:43 PM AST to April 17, 3:17 PM AST
Where: Srn Seward Peninsula Coast forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, S. Slopes of Ern Brooks Range

When: April 16, 7:00 PM AST to April 17, 7:00 PM AST
Where: S. Slopes of Ern Brooks Range forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Blizzard, Ern Norton Sound Nulato Hills

When: April 16, 7:55 PM AST to 10:53 PM AST
Where: Ern Norton Sound Nulato Hills forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley

When: April 17, 5:35 AM AST to April 18, 12:15 AM AST
Where: Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Denali

When: April 17, 8:37 AM AST to 9:37 PM AST
Where: Denali forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph)
Injuries: 2 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula

When: April 17, 4:53 PM AST to 9:55 PM AST
Where: Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Chukchi Sea Coast

When: April 17, 5:35 PM AST to 7:53 PM AST
Where: Chukchi Sea Coast forecast zone
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.
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 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, April 2002

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: 5288643, 5288558, 5288559, 5288556, 5288646, 5288557, 5288644, 5288647, 5288555, 5288645.