Blizzard, Western Arctic Coast
- When
- April 29, 4:30 PM AST to April 30, 11:59 PM AST
- Where
- Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, April 29 to 30, 2002
Blizzard conditions developed along the Arctic Coast as a frontal system south of the Brooks Range drifted north while high pressure over the Arctic Ocean strengthened. This caused strong northeast winds to develop along with a snowfall.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 5
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.
Blizzard conditions developed along the Arctic Coast as a frontal system south of the Brooks Range drifted north while high pressure over the Arctic Ocean strengthened. This caused strong northeast winds to develop along with a snowfall. Blizzard conditions occurred at : Zone 201: Wainwright (ASOS wind gust up to 51 mph (44 knots));Zone 202: BarrowZone 203: Nuiqsut (ASOS wind gust to 52 mph (45 knots)), Deadhorse, and Kuparuk. Event continued into May 2002.
Event by event
3 blizzard, 2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Central Beaufort Sea Coast
- When
- April 29, 11:53 PM AST to April 30, 11:59 PM AST
- Where
- Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Blizzard, Northern Arctic Coast
- When
- April 30, 5:29 AM AST to 10:16 AM AST
- Where
- Northern Arctic Coast forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
High Wind, Western Arctic Coast
- When
- April 30, 1:53 PM AST to 7:53 PM AST
- Where
- Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
- Measured
- 44 kt (51 mph)
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
High Wind, Central Beaufort Sea Coast
- When
- April 30, 3:53 PM AST to 11:59 PM AST
- Where
- Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
- Measured
- 45 kt (52 mph)
- 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.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, April 29, 2002
- Wildfire in Arizona, April 29 to 30, 2002
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, April 29, 2002
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, April 29, 2002
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Mississippi, April 29, 2002
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, April 29, 2002
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Florida, April 29, 2002
- Hail in Oklahoma, April 29 to 30, 2002
- Flood in Alaska, April 29, 2002
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, April 29, 2002
- Hail in Alabama, April 29, 2002
- Waterspout in Gulf of Mexico, April 29, 2002
More
Every storm in Alaska in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5288677, 5288679, 5288678, 5288680, 5288681.