Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, January 7 to 10, 2004

Name: Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, January 7 to 10, 2004
Start: 2004-01-07T14:52
End: 2004-01-10T06:15
Location: Alaska

January 7 to 10, 2004 · NWS AFG · 11 events in 7 counties and zones

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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.

Strong high pressure which developed early in the month over interior Alaska and Canada migrated to northwest Alaska and the Chukchi Sea on the 5th then continued north slowly to cover the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas on the 7th, maintaining it's strength of 1050 to 1055 millibars into the 8th. Low pressure centers moved along the Aleutian Islands or into the Gulf of Alaska through the 10th helping to slowly weaken the High fursther, but not before producing strong pressure gradient in areas across Northern Alaska...resulting in Blizzard conditions, High winds, and Extreme Wind Chills in various locations.Strong winds were reported at:Zone 207: Point Hope AWOS peak gust 65 knots (75 mph) at 1035 AST on the 9th, and 59 knots (68 mph) at 0455 AST on the 10th.Zone 210 - Hoodoo Hill Remote Automated Weather System (RAWS):gust near 52 knots (60 mph).Zone 212 - Unalakleet AWOS: peak gust 58 knots (67 mph). Zone 213 - Tin City AWOS peak gust 59 knots (68 mph).Zone 217: Noatak River Remote Automated Weather System (RAWS): sustained wind 63 knots (72 mph) and peak gust 71 knots (82 mph).Zone 225 - Wonder Lake Remote Automated Weather System (RAWS): sustained winds 35 to 39 knots (40 to 45 mph) mph with a peak gust to 54 knots (62 mph).Blizzard Conditions reported or likely occurred at:Zone 213 - Tin CityZone 212 - Unalakleet - AWOS visibility was 1/4 mile then stopped reporting.Zone 217 - Due to high winds such as at the Noatak River Remote Automated Weather System (RAWS).Near-blizzard conditions (Winter Weather Mix) occurred at:Zone 210 - NomeExtreme Wind Chill occurred at:Zone 217 - Noatak River Remote Automated Weather System (RAWS): -62

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 Jan 7, 2:30 PM AST, 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 7, 2:30 PM AST, 22 minutes before

NORTH ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
230 PM AST WED JAN 7 2004

.DISCUSSION...
SURFACE...A 1054 MB HIGH IS OVER THE ARCTIC OCEAN WITH A RIDGE SE OVER THE NORTH
SLOPE. THESE FEATURES WILL MOVE LITTLE THROUGH FRIDAY. A 984 MB LOW IS JUST SE OF
KODIAK AND WILL MOVE WEST AND STRENGTHEN TO 975 MB OVER ERN BRISTOL BAY FRIDAY.
THE ARCTIC FRONTAL BOUNDARY REMAINS RATHER FAR SOUTH OVER THE NRN GULF. A 1038 MB
HIGH IS OVER ERN SIBERIA WITH A RIDGE EXTENDING SOUTH OVER THE BERING SEA.

ALOFT...A 502 DM LOW IS JUST SOUTH OF KODIAK AND WILL MOVE WEST OVER BRISTOL BAY
BY FRIDAY. A SHORT WAVE EXTENDS NORTH FROM THE LOW INTO SE ALASKA WITH A VORT
NORTH OF PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND. THESE FEATURES WILL SWING NW OVER THE INTERIOR
THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. STRONG VORT ENERGY IS NORTH OF BARTER ISLAND AND WILL DIVE
RAPIDLY SOUTH INTO SW ALASKA ON THURSDAY, INTENSIFYING THE LOW OVER ERN BRISTOL
BAY. STRONG NE FLOW WILL GRADUALLY TURN SOUTHERLY BY FRIDAY.

MODELS...ETA/AVN SHOW GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH 60 HRS. BOTH MODELS ESPECIALLY THE
AVN ARE TOO WEAK WITH ARCTIC OCEAN HIGH. THEREFORE, WINDS ARE BEING UNDER DONE BY
BOTH MODELS. MODELS SHOW VERY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH UPR LEVEL FEATURES. WE WILL USE
THE THE ETA THROUGH 60 HRS. GIVEN ITS BETTER DETAIL. IN THE EXTENDED, MODELS AGREE
IN A GRADUAL WARM UP AS A RIDGE BUILDS OVER ERN ALASKA ALONG WITH SOUTHERLY FLOW.
MRF TRIES TO LIFT A STRONG LOW NORTH FROM THE CENT. PACIFIC ON SUNDAY. WE LIKE THE
MUCH WEAKER AND FARTHER EAST POSITION OF THE ECMWF.

NORTH SLOPE...STRONG NE FLOW OVER THE BROOKS RANGE IS CREATING HIGH WINDS IN
PASSES ALONG WITH DANGEROUS WIND CHILLS. HIGH WIND WARNINGS AND WIND CHILL
ADVISORIES ARE UP FOR ZONES 205 AND 206 THROUGH TONIGHT. WINDS SHOULD RELAX
THURSDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE SAGS A BIT SOUTH. ELSEWHERE, THERE IS ONLY A FEW AREAS
OF LOW CLOUDS AND LIGHT FOG.

WEST COAST...STRONG AND DRY NORTHEAST FLOW CONTINUES OVER THE REGION. WINDS ARE
STRONGEST OVER HIGHLANDS BUT REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA EXCEPT SOUTH OF
SCAMMON BAY. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE UPLANDS OF ZONE 208.

INTERIOR...STRONG NE CHINOOK FLOW OFF OF THE BROOKS RANGE HAS CAUSED A DRAMATIC
WARMING OF TEMPS TODAY WITH MANY AREAS GOING FROM 30 BELOW TO A FEW DEGREES ABOVE
ZERO. VALLEY LOCATIONS MAY SEE A RAPID FALL OF TEMPS OVERNIGHT IF WINDS RELAX.
WIND AND WIND CHILL ADVISORIES ARE WIDESPREAD OVER THE UPLANDS OF THE ERN
INTERIOR. STRONG NE FLOW IMPACTING NRN ALASKA RANGE WITH HIGH WIND WARNINGS FOR
THE PASSES OF ZONES 225 AND 226. WINDS WILL REMAIN STRONG UNTIL SHORT WAVE PASSES
THROUGH THE AREA THURSDAY NIGHT.

.AFG...WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...HIGH WIND WARNING 225>226 TONIGHT. WIND ADVY 225>226 THU. WIND ADVY
218>222 TONIGHT AND THU. WIND CHILL ADVY 218>222 AND 225>226 TONIGHT AND THU.
WIND CHILL ADVISORY THROUGH THURSDAY ZONE 208. HIGH WIND WARNING 205>206 TONIGHT.
MARINE...GALE/HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING 14 AND 9B TONIGHT/THU. GALE 10B THU.
BRSK 9A...10A...WEST 11A TONIGHT/THU.

CS JAN 04

Event by event

6 high wind, 3 blizzard, 1 cold/wind chill, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Denali

When: January 7, 2:52 PM AST to 7:52 PM AST
Where: Denali forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Upper Kobuk and Noatak Vlys

When: January 8, 4:20 AM AST to January 9, 5:20 AM AST
Where: Upper Kobuk and Noatak Vlys forecast zone
Measured: 71 kt (82 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When: January 8, 12:55 PM AST to 2:55 PM AST
Where: St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait forecast zone
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When: January 8, 12:55 PM AST to 3:55 PM AST
Where: St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Upper Kobuk and Noatak Vlys

When: January 8, 4:23 PM AST to January 9, 1:23 AM AST
Where: Upper Kobuk and Noatak Vlys forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Chukchi Sea Coast

When: January 8, 5:15 PM AST to January 10, 6:15 AM AST
Where: Chukchi Sea Coast forecast zone
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Cold/Wind Chill, Upper Kobuk and Noatak Vlys

When: January 8, 5:23 PM AST to 8:23 PM AST
Where: Upper Kobuk and Noatak Vlys forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Winter Weather, Srn Seward Peninsula Coast

When: January 8, 7:22 PM AST to 10:02 PM AST
Where: Srn Seward Peninsula Coast forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Ern Norton Sound Nulato Hills

When: January 8, 7:36 PM AST to 11:56 PM AST
Where: Ern Norton Sound Nulato Hills forecast zone
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Ern Norton Sound Nulato Hills

When: January 8, 7:56 PM AST to 11:56 PM AST
Where: Ern Norton Sound Nulato Hills forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula

When: January 8, 8:19 PM AST to 9:19 PM AST
Where: Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 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.
Cold/Wind Chill: Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.
Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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, January 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: 5381197, 5381295, 5381198, 5381199, 5381205, 5381200, 5381294, 5381202, 5381204, 5381203, 5381201.