Blizzard, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast
- When
- April 5, 8:15 AM AST to 8:35 PM AST
- Where
- Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Blizzard in Alaska, April 5, 2002
Blizzard conditions developed along the Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast as a cold front moved through the area from the north. This front was associated with a deepening low pressure system that developed over the Arctic Ocean and moved southeast towards Canada.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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 Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast as a cold front moved through the area from the north. This front was associated with a deepening low pressure system that developed over the Arctic Ocean and moved southeast towards Canada. Strong winds occurred along the frontal zone creating areas of blowing snow that reduced visibilities to near zero at the Barter Island AWOS site.
Event by event
1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
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.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
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: 5288552.