Alaska, 2004

Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, December 26, 2004

December 26, 2004 · NWS AFG · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Zone 204 - KaktovikAWOS - Gust to 56 knots (64 mph).

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
3

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 weather front moved northeast over Alaska from the Bering Sea late on the 25th through the 26th, creating some blizzard and high winds on the North Slope.Blizzard conditions reported at:Zone 203 - Deadhorse ASOS, and likely at Nuisut ASOSNear blizzard conditions may have also occurred in zone 206 as Anaktuvuk Pass AWOS reported low visibility and south winds gusting around 40 mph for several hours.High Wind reported at:Zone 203 - Deadhorse ASOS - gusts to near 52 knots (60 mph).Zone 204 - KaktovikAWOS - Gust to 56 knots (64 mph).

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 Dec 26, 6:00 AM AST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 26, 6:00 AM AST, 3 hours 15 minutes before
NORTH ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
600 AM AST SUN DEC 26 2004

.DISCUSSION...
OCCLUDED FRONT DRAPED ACROSS THE STATE FROM DEADHORSE SOUTHWEST TO
BETHEL WILL RAPIDLY PUSH EAST INTO CANADA TODAY. THE ASSOCIATED
SURFACE LOW NEAR BARROW THIS MORNING WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE ARCTIC
COAST TODAY AS WELL. A TIGHT SURFACE GRADIENT AROUND THE LOW
CENTER ALONG WITH COLDER AIR ADVECTING IN FROM THE WEST WILL BRING
A PERIOD OF STRONG WINDS AND LOCAL BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO THE
ARCTIC. WINDS HAVE PICKED UP FROM WAINWRIGHT SOUTH TO THE BROOKS
RANGE...AND THESE CONDITIONS WILL SPREAD TO THE EASTERN ARCTIC
COAST LATER TODAY. BARROW SHOULD BE SPARED THE BRUNT OF THE
STRONGEST WINDS WITH THE CENTER TRACKING OVERHEAD.

A BURST OF SNOW WITH THE OCCLUDED FRONT MOVED INTO THE FAIRBANKS
AREA EARLY THIS MORNING...AND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE EAST TOWARD
THE ALCAN BORDER THROUGH THE DAY. THIS IS NOT A GOOD TRAJECTORY
FOR SNOW IN THE UPPER TANANA VALLEY AND MOST WILL FALL NORTH OF
TOK. SOME LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE ON/OFF INTO TONIGHT BEHIND THE
FRONT SOUTH OF THE BROOKS RANGE AS WESTERLY FLOW PUSHES MOISTURE
INLAND FROM THE BERING SEA. STRONG WEST WINDS TODAY COMBINED WITH
THE NEW SNOW WILL CREATE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OVER THE HIGHWAY
SUMMITS NORTH OF FAIRBANKS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.

.AFG WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...WINTER STORM WARNING...203..204..206..218-222
         WINTER WX ADVISORY...201-202..205
MARINE...GALE WARNING...11B
         BRISK WIND ADVISORY...9B..10A..10B..11A..

EWP DEC 04

Event by event

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

High Wind, Central Beaufort Sea Coast

When
December 26, 9:15 AM AST to 1:53 PM AST
Where
Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Central Beaufort Sea Coast

When
December 26, 10:53 AM AST to 3:53 PM AST
Where
Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast

When
December 26, 11:15 AM AST to 7:00 PM AST
Where
Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

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 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, December 2004

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: 5432526, 5432525, 5432527.