Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, April 25 to 27, 2002

Name: Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, April 25 to 27, 2002
Start: 2002-04-25T04:55
End: 2002-04-27T12:00
Location: Alaska

April 25 to 27, 2002 · NWS AFG · 19 events in 12 counties and zones

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 19

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 and large storm (974 mb) moved northeast across Russia Far East late on the 25th through the morning of the 26th, across the Chukchi Sea on the 26th, continued east across the southern Arctic Ocean to a point north of Prudhoe bay on the morning of the 27th. The warm front of this sytem moved across western Alaska the night of the 25th and across the interior of Alaska on the 26th. The cold front moved over western Alaska the morning of the 26th and across the interior the afternoon and evening of the 26th, remaining north of Fairbanks and McGrath. Strong southwesterly flow associate with this system and the circulation around it brought a variety of winter weather and strong winds to much of northern Alaska.Blizzard Conditions were reported at:Zone 201 - Point LayZone 202 - BarrowZone 203 - Deadhorse, NuiqsutZone 207 - ShishmarefZone 208 - Red Dog MineZone 209 - Kotzebue, SelawikZone 213 - Savoonga, Tin CityZone 214 - Saint MarysZone 220 - 12 Mile Summit of the Steese HighwayZone 222 - A citizen phoned in a report of 1/8 mile visibility along Chena Ridge the night of the 25th. This likely occurred intermittently especially along even higher terrain in the zone, through the morninging of the 27th.Heavy Snow was reported at::Zone 218 - The Alaska Department of Transportation Camp at Chandalar Shelf reported 19 inches of new snow in a 48 hour period.Zone 221 - The Alaska Department of Transportation reported 12 inches of new snow on the Elliott Highway near Manley Hot Springs, causing a temporary closure of the highway.Zone 222 - Nine Co-op observers reported snowfalls exceeding 6 inches in 24 hours were reported, the greatest being 15 inches at the Ester Dome Co-op site. 6.4 inches of new snow fell at Fairbanks Airport - the third highest April snowfall in 97 years of record.High Winds were reported at:Zone 201 - Cape Lisburne AWOS: gusts to 67 mph; Wainwright ASOS: gusts to 65 mph (57 knots); Point Lay AWOS: gusts to 59 mph (51 knots);Zone 202 - Barrow ASOS: gusts to 59 mph (51 knots);Zone 203 - Deadhorse ASOS: gusts to 55 mph (48 knots) Nuiqsut ASOS: gusts to 58 mph (50 knots)Zone 207 - Shishmaref AWOS: gusts to 70 mph (61 knots)Zone 213 - Savoonga AWOS: gusts to 75 mph (65 knots)Zone 220 - Eagle Summit RAWS (Steese Highway: gusts to 43 knots (50mph); Alaska Department of Transportation estimated winds 55 mph over 12 Mile Summit (Steese Highway)

Event by event

10 blizzard, 6 high wind, 3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Western Arctic Coast

When: April 25, 4:55 AM AST to April 27, 3:03 AM AST
Where: Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, S. Slopes of Ern Brooks Range

When: April 25, 7:00 AM AST to April 27, 7:00 AM AST
Where: S. Slopes of Ern Brooks Range forecast zone
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

Blizzard, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When: April 25, 7:35 AM AST to 1:55 PM AST
Where: St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, Wrn Tanana Vly Wrn Yukon Vly

When: April 25, 8:30 AM AST to April 26, 8:30 AM AST
Where: Wrn Tanana Vly Wrn Yukon Vly forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heavy Snow, Middle Tanana Valley

When: April 25, 8:30 AM AST to April 26, 8:30 AM AST
Where: Middle Tanana Valley forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Blizzard, Chukchi Sea Coast

When: April 25, 2:35 PM AST to 6:15 PM AST
Where: Chukchi Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Lower Kobuk & Noatak Valleys

When: April 25, 2:55 PM AST to April 26, 2:56 PM AST
Where: Lower Kobuk & Noatak Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Middle Tanana Valley

When: April 25, 6:00 PM AST to April 27, 10:00 AM AST
Where: Middle Tanana Valley forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Blizzard, Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley

When: April 25, 6:44 PM AST to 7:24 PM AST
Where: Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When: April 25, 8:55 PM AST to April 26, 9:55 AM AST
Where: St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait forecast zone
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Yukon Delta

When: April 25, 9:15 PM AST to 9:55 PM AST
Where: Yukon Delta forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Chukchi Sea Coast

When: April 26, 2:15 AM AST to 9:55 AM AST
Where: Chukchi Sea Coast forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Yukon Flats Nearby Uplands

When: April 26, 7:57 AM AST to April 27, 12:00 PM AST
Where: Yukon Flats Nearby Uplands forecast zone
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

High Wind, Yukon Flats Nearby Uplands

When: April 26, 7:57 AM AST to April 27, 12:00 PM AST
Where: Yukon Flats Nearby Uplands forecast zone
Measured: 48 kt (55 mph)
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

High Wind, Northern Arctic Coast

When: April 26, 5:53 PM AST to April 27, 2:53 AM AST
Where: Northern Arctic Coast forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Central Beaufort Sea Coast

When: April 26, 6:53 PM AST to April 27, 5:53 AM AST
Where: Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Western Arctic Coast

When: April 26, 7:34 PM AST to April 27, 1:28 AM AST
Where: Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Northern Arctic Coast

When: April 26, 7:34 PM AST to April 27, 1:28 AM AST
Where: Northern Arctic Coast forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Central Beaufort Sea Coast

When: April 27, 4:53 AM AST to 6:08 AM AST
Where: Central Beaufort Sea Coast 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.
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.

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: 5288669, 5288665, 5288659, 5288666, 5288667, 5288657, 5288658, 5288675, 5288660, 5288674, 5288661, 5288673, 5288668, 5288672, 5288670, 5288671, 5288662, 5288663, 5288664.