Alaska, 2004

Blizzard and Cold in Alaska, February 22 to 23, 2004

February 22 to 23, 2004 · NWS AFG · 2 events in 1 county or zone

East wnds increased over the western Arctic Coast as a low pressure center moved up the west coast of Alaska and weakened while strong high pressure remained over the Arctic Ocean. First, a period of low wind chill occurred at Point lay as Wind Chill temperatures dropped to -68 F, then winds increased a bit more to cause blizzard conditions late on the 22nd through the 23rd.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

East wnds increased over the western Arctic Coast as a low pressure center moved up the west coast of Alaska and weakened while strong high pressure remained over the Arctic Ocean. First, a period of low wind chill occurred at Point lay as Wind Chill temperatures dropped to -68 F, then winds increased a bit more to cause blizzard conditions late on the 22nd through the 23rd.

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 21, 2:30 PM AST, 13 hours 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 2:30 PM AST, 13 hours 23 minutes before
NORTH ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
230 PM AST SAT FEB 21 2004

.DISCUSSION...THE LAST IN THE RECENT SERIES OF WEATHER FRONT TO
MOVE NORTH OUT OF THE GULF OF ALASKA IS PRESENTLY ALOFT OVER
THE TANANA AND KUSKOKWIM VALLEYS. THE ETA MODELS CONTINUE TO TRY
TO MAKE SOME OF SNOW FROM IT OVER THE BROOKS RANGE (DUE LIKELY
TO OVERRUNNING)...WITH SMALL AMOUNTS OVER THE WEST COAST AND
WESTERN INTERIOR. ON THE OTHER HAND...THE 976 MB LOW SE PAIL
AT THIS TIME IS EXPECTED TO MOVE UP TO NORTON SOUND (AT ABOUT
993 MB) AT THIS TIME SUN...WITH SOME REMNANT MAYBE OVER THE
NORTHERN SEWARD PENINSULA AT 3AM MON...SO THE SNOWFALL ONCE IT
BEGINS...THOUGH LIKELY INTERMITTENT...WILL NOT END ANYTIME SOON.

WE STILL EXPECT SOME INCREASE IN PRESSURE GRADIENT (AND WIND) IN
ZONES 202-04...BUT NOT LIKELY REACHING THE WARNING LEVELS IN
SOUTHERN ZONE 201.

.AFG...WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...WIND CHILL AND BLIZZARD WARNINGS ZONE 201 (PPIZ AREA)
         WIND CHILL AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORIES ZONES 202-4.
MARINE...BRISK WIND 9B..10B..11A..11B.

DJH FEB 04

Event by event

1 cold/wind chill, 1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Western Arctic Coast

When
February 22, 3:53 AM AST to 11:52 AM AST
Where
Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Western Arctic Coast

When
February 22, 10:53 PM AST to February 23, 10:51 PM AST
Where
Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.
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, 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: 5381566, 5381565.