Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Alaska, October 30 to 31, 2003

Name: Ice Storm and Winter Weather in Alaska, October 30 to 31, 2003
Start: 2003-10-30T14:00
End: 2003-10-31T17:00
Location: Alaska

October 30 to 31, 2003 · NWS AFG · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A low center of 993 mb moved gradually north over the Bering Sea on the the 30th and the remains of it moved into the northern interior of Alaska on the 31st. and a little snow.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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.

A low center of 993 mb moved gradually north over the Bering Sea on the the 30th and the remains of it moved into the northern interior of Alaska on the 31st. The system brought warm air with it which caused widespread rain...freezing rain...sleet...and a little snow. Rain and freezing rain was reported at Huslia and Kaltag (zone 216) and at Ambler (zone 217). The Alaska Department of Transportation reported very hazardous driving conditions over the southern half of the Dalton Highway (zones 219 and 220), and the Elliott Highway to Manley (zone 221) and the Parks Highway from Fairbanks to Nenana (zones 222, 221). The Fairbanks North Star School District closed schools that day in anticipation of hazardous driving conditions for buses in the hilly areas surrounding Fairbanks.Zone 222: The Fairbanks National Weather Service site received 0.11 of an inch of rain during the event, most of which fell from 6am to noon. Rain was also reported at Eielson AFB, and Fort Wainwright.

Event by event

5 winter weather, 1 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys

When: October 30, 2:00 PM AST to October 31, 4:00 AM AST
Where: Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather, Upper Kobuk and Noatak Vlys

When: October 30, 4:00 PM AST to October 31, 5:00 AM AST
Where: Upper Kobuk and Noatak Vlys forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather, Wrn Tanana Vly Wrn Yukon Vly

When: October 31, 2:00 AM AST to 11:00 AM AST
Where: Wrn Tanana Vly Wrn Yukon Vly forecast zone
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

Winter Weather, Yukon Flats Nearby Uplands

When: October 31, 4:00 AM AST to 1:00 PM AST
Where: Yukon Flats Nearby Uplands forecast zone
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

Ice Storm, Middle Tanana Valley

When: October 31, 5:04 AM AST to 1:51 PM AST
Where: Middle Tanana Valley forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Winter Weather, Upper Koyukuk Valley

When: October 31, 6:00 AM AST to 5:00 PM AST
Where: Upper Koyukuk Valley forecast zone
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
Ice Storm: Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alaska in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, October 2003

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5371993, 5371992, 5371989, 5371990, 5371988, 5371991.