Alaska, 2004

Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, February 3 to 5, 2004

February 3 to 5, 2004 · NWS AFG · 7 events in 4 counties and zones

With the Arctic Front stretched northeast over the western interior of Alaska on the 3rd, it began to move slowly west into the 4th while weak low pressure centers at low levels above the surface moved north over western Alaska, and High pressure over Far East Russia moved slowly toward the Bering Sea. Heavy Snow was reported at:Zone 216 Galena Co-opeative Oberser: 9 inches.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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.

With the Arctic Front stretched northeast over the western interior of Alaska on the 3rd, it began to move slowly west into the 4th while weak low pressure centers at low levels above the surface moved north over western Alaska, and High pressure over Far East Russia moved slowly toward the Bering Sea. This combination produced heavy snow over a portion of the western interior, and local winds increased over the west coast along with Blizzard Conditions and Extreme Wind Chills eventually as cold air associated with the Russian high moved in over the west coast of Alaska.Heavy Snow was reported at:Zone 216 Galena Co-opeative Oberser: 9 inches. Snowfall began 8am on the 3rd.Blizzard conditions were reported at:Zone 213: Tin City during the afternoon of the 3rd. Zone 207: Kivalina on the 4th through early morning of the 5thZone 214: Cape Romanzof on the evening of the 4th.High winds were reported at:Cape Romanzof AWOS peak gust to 55 knots (63 mph).Extreme Wind Chills were reported at:Zone 213: Tin City: -62Zone 207: Kivalina: -60

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 3, 6:00 AM AST, 5 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 3, 6:00 AM AST, 5 hours 55 minutes before
NORTH ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
600 AM AST TUE FEB 3 2004

.DISCUSSION...
SURFACE...A 1009 MB LOW IS NORTH OF BARTER ISLAND OVER THE CENTRAL
ARCTIC OCEAN AND WILL CONTINUE A SLOW DRIFT TO THE NORTH. A WEAK
TROUGH EXTENDS SE FROM THE LOW INTO THE NORTHERN YUKON.
THE TROUGH WILL CONTINUE LIFTING NE. YESTERDAYS LOW OVER SW
ALASKA HAS OPENED UP INTO A SURFACE TROUGH. A 1039 MB HIGH IS OVER
ERN SIBERIA AND WILL DRIFT SLOWLY SE THROUGH WEDNESDAY. A STRONG
PRESSURE GRADIENT CONTINUES TO TIGHTEN OVER THE BERING, CAUSING A
GRADUAL INCREASE IN WINDS FROM CAPE LISBURNE SOUTH. WINDS WILL
REMAIN RATHER STRONG ALONG MOST OF THE WEST COAST DURING THE WEEK.
RIDGING EXTENDS WEST FROM THE CENTRAL YUKON SW TO GLENNALLEN. AN
ARCTIC FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDS NE FROM BRISTOL BAY TO GALENA TO
BETTLES TO NORTH OF FORT YUKON. THIS BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN
STATIONARY JUST NORTH OF THE YUKON RIVER VALLEY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
THIS FEATURE WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR HEAVY SNOW THROUGH THE WEEK.

ALOFT...A TROUGH EXTENDS SOUTH FROM THE CHUKCHI SEA TO ST.
LAWRENCE ISLAND THROUGH THE CENTRAL BERING. THIS FEATURE WILL
SHIFT SLIGHTLY WEST OVER THE WEST COAST AND INTENSIFY THROUGH THE
WEEK. SEVERAL VORT CENTERS WILL PROGRESS NE OVER THE WRN INTERIOR
THROUGH MID WEEK. SEVERAL WEAK RIDGES WILL PROGRESS RAPIDLY NE
OVER THE ERN INTERIOR THROUGH THURSDAY. STRONG SW UPR LVL FLOW
WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH THE WEEK.

MODELS...AVN TOO FAST AND STRONG WITH NEXT LOW MOVING INTO THE
STATE ON WEDNESDAY. WE WILL USE THE ETA FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE
FORECAST DETAILS, BUT BLEND IN STRONGER AVN WINDS ALONG THE COAST.
ALL MODELS REMAIN SIMILAR IN PLACEMENT OF ARCTIC BOUNDARY FROM
GALENA TO BETTLES TO ARCTIC VILLAGE. THERE WILL BE A SOLID BAND OF
HEAVY SNOW ALONG AND NORTH OF THE BOUNDARY. SO, WE HAVE ISSUED
HEAVY SNOW WARNINGS FROM THE LOWER YUKON DELTA NORTH TO THE NULATO
HILLS AND NORTHEAST TO BETTLES. SOME AREAS WILL SEE UP TO 10
INCHES THROUGH WEDNESDAY. STRONG WINDS AND COLD TEMPS ALONG THE
WEST COAST CONTINUE TO GIVE ADVISORY LEVEL WIND CHILLS TO A FEW
LOCATIONS.

.AFG...WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...HEAVY SNOW WARNING FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES
          215..216..217..218..219
         WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES 207..210..213

         MARINE...BRISK WIND ADVISORY AREAS 9A..9B..10B.

CS FEB 04

Event by event

3 blizzard, 2 cold/wind chill, 1 heavy snow, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When
February 3, 11:55 AM AST to 5:55 PM AST
Where
St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys

When
February 3, 3:00 PM AST to February 4, 5:00 PM AST
Where
Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Blizzard, Chukchi Sea Coast

When
February 4, 9:53 AM AST to February 5, 4:53 AM AST
Where
Chukchi Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Cold/Wind Chill, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When
February 4, 10:55 AM AST to February 5, 11:55 AM AST
Where
St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Yukon Delta

When
February 4, 4:55 PM AST to 6:55 PM AST
Where
Yukon Delta forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Yukon Delta

When
February 4, 4:55 PM AST to 6:55 PM AST
Where
Yukon Delta forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Cold/Wind Chill, Chukchi Sea Coast

When
February 5, 9:30 AM AST to 1:53 PM AST
Where
Chukchi Sea 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.
Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.
High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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: 5381445, 5381444, 5381446, 5381450, 5381447, 5381448, 5381449.