Heavy Snow in Alaska, February 2, 2004

Name: Heavy Snow in Alaska, February 2, 2004
Start: 2004-02-02T06:53
End: 2004-02-02T20:53
Location: Alaska

February 2, 2004 · NWS AFG · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A low pressure center at low levels over western Alaska produced snow over the north central interior during the night of the 1st and through the day and evening of the 2nd. 0 inches, with the snow beginning at 1153 pm on the 1st.

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.

A low pressure center at low levels over western Alaska produced snow over the north central interior during the night of the 1st and through the day and evening of the 2nd. Storm Total at Bettles was 8.0 inches, with the snow beginning at 1153 pm on the 1st. The State of Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities Maintenance Camp at Jim River received 7.0 inches from the event.

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 Feb 2, 6:00 AM AST, 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 2, 6:00 AM AST, 53 minutes before

NORTH ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
600 AM AST MON FEB 2 2004

.DISCUSSION...
SURFACE...A 1013 MB LOW IS NORTH OF BARTER ISLAND AND WILL DRIFT
VERY SLOWLY NORTH INTO THE CENTRAL ARCTIC OCEAN BY TUESDAY. A WEAK
TROUGH EXTENDS SW FROM THE LOW TO ALONG THE NORTHERN BROOKS RANGE.
THE TROUGH WILL LINGER OVER THE ARCTIC COAST THROUGH TUESDAY. A
1003 MB LOW IS NEAR BETHEL AND WILL WEAKEN AS IT DRIFTS NE INTO
THE INTERIOR ON TUESDAY. A 1039 MB HIGH IS OVER ERN SIBERIA AND
WILL DRIFT SLOWLY SE THROUGH TUESDAY. A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT
REMAINS OVER THE BERING, CAUSING GUSTY WINDS FROM CAPE LISBURNE
SOUTH. WINDS WILL REMAIN RATHER STRONG ALONG MOST OF THE WEST
COAST THROUGH MID WEEK. RIDGING EXTENDS WEST FROM A 1024 MB HIGH
OVER BRITISH COLUMBIA SW TO VALDEZ. AN ARCTIC FRONTAL BOUNDARY
EXTENDS NE FROM BETHEL TO PABI. THIS BOUNDARY WILL SHIFT NW ALONG
THE YUKON RIVER VALLEY THROUGH TUESDAY.

ALOFT...A TROUGH IS ALONG THE WEST COAST SOUTH TO NUNIVAK ISLAND.
THIS FEATURE WILL REMAIN ALONG THE WEST COAST AND INTENSIFY
THROUGH THE WEEK. SEVERAL WEAK VORT CENTERS WILL PROGRESS NE INTO
THE INTERIOR THROUGH MID WEEK. UPR RIDGE CURRENTLY OVER NE ALASKA
WILL FLATTEN OUT BY LATE MONDAY. PROGRESSIVE SW UPR LVL FLOW WILL
CONTINUE ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH THE WEEK.

MODELS...AVN/ETA NOW IN AGREEMENT IN RAPID WEAKENING OF THE LOW
MOVING THROUGH SW ALASKA, BUT AVN TRIES TO REGENERATE LOW NEAR
TANANA TONIGHT. WE FEEL AVN IS TO AGGRESSIVE WITH ITS SOLUTION, SO
WE WILL OPT FOR THE WEAKER ETA. ALL MODELS REMAIN SIMILAR IN
SETTING UP ARCTIC BOUNDARY FROM FORT YUKON TO TANANA TODAY, THEN
SHIFTING IT A BIT TO THE NORTH BY TUESDAY NIGHT. THERE
WILL BE A GENERAL LIGHT SNOW BAND ALONG AND NORTH OF THE
BOUNDARY. WE ARE ALREADY SEEING THIS ON THIS MORNING PAPD RADAR AS
BETTLES HAS HAD A STEADY LIGHT SNOW FOR THE PAST 12 HRS.
GUSTY WINDS AND COLD TEMPS ALONG THE WEST COAST WILL GIVE ADVISORY
LEVEL WIND CHILLS TO A FEW LOCATIONS.

.AFG...WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...WIND CHILL ADVISORY 207..210..213 NEAR THE BERING STRAIT
COAST.
MARINE....BRSK..9B..10B

CS FEB 04

Event by event

1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Upper Koyukuk Valley

When: February 2, 6:53 AM AST to 8:53 PM AST
Where: Upper Koyukuk Valley forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alaska in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, February 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: 5381443.