Alaska, 2002

Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, May 1, 2002

May 1, 2002 · NWS AFG · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

Event continued from April 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.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

Event continued from April 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 along with a snowfall, both of which diminished around noon on the 1st. Blizzard conditions occurred at : Zone 201: Wainwright;Zone 203: Nuiqsut (ASOS wind gust to 58 mph (51 knots)), Deadhorse (ASOS wind gust to 58 mph (51 knots)), Kuparuk (observer reported wind gust to 54 mph (47 knots)). Zone 206: Alaska Department of Transportation reported that the Dalton Highway from Milepost 356 north to Prudhoe Bay had poor visibility and heavy drifting snow.

Event by event

3 blizzard, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Central Beaufort Sea Coast

When
May 1, 12:00 AM AST to 12:53 PM AST
Where
Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Measured
51 kt (59 mph)
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Central Beaufort Sea Coast

When
May 1, 12:00 AM AST to 11:53 AM AST
Where
Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Western Arctic Coast

When
May 1, 12:00 AM AST to 3:53 AM AST
Where
Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, N. Brooks Rng E of Colville R

When
May 1, 4:00 AM AST to 1:00 PM AST
Where
N. Brooks Rng E of Colville R forecast zone
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
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, May 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: 5296504, 5296505, 5296506, 5296507.