Alaska, 2002

Blizzard in Alaska, December 19, 2002

December 19, 2002 · NWS AFC · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A strong front approaching the southwest coast of Alaska brought local blizzard conditions and wind gusts between 50 and 60 mph to local areas of the Kuskokwim Delta. Worst conditions were reported at Mekoryuk, on Nunivak Island.

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 AFC wrote it up.

A strong front approaching the southwest coast of Alaska brought local blizzard conditions and wind gusts between 50 and 60 mph to local areas of the Kuskokwim Delta. Worst conditions were reported at Mekoryuk, on Nunivak Island.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 19, 1:45 AM AST, 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 19, 1:45 AM AST, 15 minutes before
SOUTH/SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
900 PM AST WED DEC 18 2002

ANALYSIS...IT LOOKS LIKE THE FRONT HAS MOVED THROUGH THE
PRIBILOFS AND IS OVER UNALASKA.

FORECASTS...THE 948 MB LOW ABOUT 300 MILES NORTH OF AMCHITKA WILL
MOVE TO 600 MILES NORTH OF ATTU AND WEAKEN TO 957 MB THURSDAY
AFTERNOON. THE LOW WILL MOVE WEST TOWARD KAMACHATKA AND WEAKEN TO
977 MB FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE ALASKA
PENINSULA TONIGHT AND WILL LIE ALONG THE BERING SEA COAST AND
WESTERN BRISTOL BAY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL STALL AND
BEGIN TO WEAKEN OVER THE YUKON-KUSKOKWIM DELTA AND NORTON SOUND
THURSDAY NIGHT AND WILL DISSIPATE FRIDAY.

VERY STRONG WINDS WILL MOVE INTO BRISTOL BAY AND THE
YUKON-KUSKOKWIM DELTA TONIGHT AND WILL DIMINISH THURSDAY. SNOW
AND BLOWING SNOW WILL MOVE INTO THE Y-K DELTA WITH SOME BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS CONFINED MAINLY TO THE COAST. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE
THURSDAY AS THE WIND DECREASES.

ANOTHER LOW DEVELOPING OVER THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC WILL MOVE EAST
JUST SOUTH OF THE ALEUTIAN CHAIN THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT AND
WILL DEEPEN TO 978 MB JUST SOUTH OF UNALASKA ISLAND FRIDAY
AFTERNOON.

.AFC...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE KUSKOKWIM DELTA.
         HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE EASTERN AND WESTERN ALEUTIANS.
MARINE...HURRICANE FORCE WIND WARNING...12B..13
         STORM...5B..6B..8..12A.
         GALE...5A..6A..15.

NM DEC 02

Event by event

1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Kuskokwim Delta

When
December 19, 2:00 AM AST to 6:00 AM AST
Where
Kuskokwim Delta forecast zone
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.

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, December 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: 5323502.