Alaska, 2002

Blizzard in Alaska, November 20, 2002

November 20, 2002 · NWS AFG · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Strong stationary high pressure over the Arctic Ocean and a weak disturbance moving north over western Alaska caused east winds to increase to near 45 mph over the Western Arctic coast and produce blowing snow resulting in blizzard conditions at Point Lay.

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.

Strong stationary high pressure over the Arctic Ocean and a weak disturbance moving north over western Alaska caused east winds to increase to near 45 mph over the Western Arctic coast and produce blowing snow resulting in blizzard conditions at Point Lay.

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 Fairbanks, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 20, 8:59 AM AST, 3 hours 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 20, 8:59 AM AST, 3 hours 58 minutes before
NORTH ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
400 AM AST WED NOV 20 2002

A DISSIPATING OCCLUDED FRONT ALOFT EXTENDING FROM LOW PRESSURE NEAR
CAPE NEWENHAM TO NOME TO KOTZEBUE TO FORT YUKON AND INTO CANADA IS NOT
EXPECTED TO PRODUCE MUCH PRECIPITATION OVER NORTHERN ALASKA. BETHEL DID
MANAGE TO SQUEEZE A TRACE FROM PRECIPITABLE WATER OF 0.29 INCH YESTERDAY
EVENING. BASED ON VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AROUND MIDNIGHT, ANVIK MAY
HAVE HAD A TRACE. REFLECTIVITY ON THE NOME SCOPE HAS BEEN MOVING IN
BANDS TO THE NORTHWEST. THE WEATHER OFFICE AT NOME REPORTED THIN ALTO
LEVEL CLOUDS WITH THE MOON VISIBLE. BASED ON THIS INFORMATION, CHANCES
OF PRECIPITATION FOR THE WEST HAVE BEEN LOWERED FROM SCATTERED TO THE
FLURRY LEVEL. THROUGH TONIGHT, AN UPPER LEVEL WAVE MOVING NORTH OVER
NORTON SOUND MAY PRODUCE A LITTLE MORE THAN A TRACE OF SNOW.

MODELS AGREE WITH WARMING NORTHWEST ALASKA THURSDAY. MUCH OF THE
INTERIOR WILL ALSO REMAIN QUITE WARM, BUT MAINLY ALOFT. RADIATIONAL
COOLING AND LIGHT WINDS WILL COOL OFF THE VALLEY BOTTOMS.

THE INTERIOR IS STILL ON TARGET FOR A CHINOOK EVENT IN THE FRIDAY TO
SATURDAY TIME FRAME. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE TIGHT
WITH WINDY AREAS OF THE EASTERN ALASKA RANGE AND DELTA POSSIBLY
REACHING HIGH WIND CRITERIA.

NO NEW INFORMATION OVERNIGHT FOR THE PILEDRIVER SLOUGH ICE JAM PROBLEM.
NEXT UPDATE DUE AT 1100 AM.

.AFG...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY

.PUBLIC...ZONE 222, ICE JAM FLOOD WARNING FOR THE TANANA RIVER AT
    SALCHA IN THE BOONDOX AREA AND THE PILEDRIVER SLOUGH UPSTREAM
    OF STRINGER ROAD.

.MARINE...
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR AREA 9B, DALL POINT TO WALES
    INCLUDING THE SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND WATERS AND FOR AREA 10B,
    WALES TO CAPE LISBURNE.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR AREA 14, SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND WATERS AND
    FOR AREA 9B, DALL POINT TO WALES INCLUDING THE SAINT LAWRENCE
    ISLAND WATERS .

BRISK WIND ADVISORY AREA 11A, CAPE LISBURNE TO CAPE HALKETT AND
    FOR AREA 11B, CAPE HALKETT TO DEMARCATION POINT.

DA NOV 02

Event by event

1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Western Arctic Coast

When
November 20, 12:57 PM AST to 2:25 PM AST
Where
Western Arctic Coast 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, November 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: 5322435.