Blizzard in Alaska, March 23, 2004

Name: Blizzard in Alaska, March 23, 2004
Start: 2004-03-23T10:49
End: 2004-03-23T20:52
Location: Alaska

March 23, 2004 · NWS AFG · 1 event in 1 county or zone

As high pressure built over the North Slope, a small low pressure center formed over the western Brooks Range, causing strong winds to occur at Point Lay, likely resulting in blizzard conditions.

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.

As high pressure built over the North Slope, a small low pressure center formed over the western Brooks Range, causing strong winds to occur at Point Lay, likely resulting in blizzard conditions.

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 Mar 23, 6:00 AM AST, 4 hours 49 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 23, 6:00 AM AST, 4 hours 49 minutes before

NORTH ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
600 AM AST TUE MAR 23 2004

.DISCUSSION...

UPPER AIR: HIGH PRESSURE OVER SOUTHWESTERN ALASKA WILL MOVE
NORTHWEST AND BE OVER EASTERN RUSSIA WED NIGHT. LOW PRESSURE OVER
NORTHERN CANADA WILL MOVE SOUTH. LOW PRESSURE WILL DEEPEN
SOUTHWARD FROM THE ARCTIC. LOW PRESSURE OVER THE ALEUTIANS NEAR
180W WILL MOVE EAST AND REMAIN WELL SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. ON
SAT A CLOSED LOW WILL BE NORTHWEST OF MACKENZIE BAY WITH A TROUGH
EXTENDING SOUTHWEST TO THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS.

SURFACE: A 984 MB LOW WILL BE 470 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SAINT PAUL
ISLAND AT 3AM AST WED. THE LOW WILL MOVE WEST AND WILL BE 560
MILES WEST OF SAINT PAUL ISLAND AT 3PM AST THU. A 1005 MB LOW WILL
BE 480 MILES NORTH OF PRUDHOE BAY AT 3AM AST THU. AT 3PM AST THU
THE LOW WILL BE 1008 MB 280 MILES NORTH OF PRUDHOE BAY. LOW
PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP OVER THE NORTHERN GULF OF ALASKA FRI AND
SAT.

NORTH SLOPE: HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE AREA TONIGHT AS THE
ARCTIC FRONT MOVES WELL INLAND. SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL END
TONIGHT. ABOUT AN INCH IS ALL THAT IS EXPECTED. TEMPERATURES WILL
CONTINUE FALLING INTO TONIGHT. LOW PRESSURE MOVING SOUTH FROM THE
ARCTIC WED WILL BRING FLURRIES OR LIGHT SNOW TO THE NORTH SLOPE
WED NIGHT THROUGH THU.

WEST COAST: MOSTLY DRY WEATHER WILL CONTINUE...THOUGH SOME
FLURRIES MAY OCCUR WED AND THU AS UPPER LEVEL LOW DEVELOPS OVER
NORTHERN ALASKA. AN INCREASE OF OFFSHORE FLOW WILL END THE COASTAL
FOG TONIGHT.

INTERIOR: TROUGH AND COLDER AIR MOVING SOUTH OVER THE INTERIOR
WILL PRODUCE SOME SNOW MAINLY OVER THE EAST HALF TONIGHT. LESS
THAN 2 INCHES IS EXPECTED. LOW PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHERN GULF FRI
THROUGH SAT MAY BRING MORE SNOW TO THE 40 MILE COUNTRY AND EASTERN
TANANA VALLEY.

.AFG...WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...WIND AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY ZONE 201 WESTERN ARCTIC
            COAST.
         WIND AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY ZONE 202 NORTHERN ARCTIC
            COAST.
         DENSE FOG ADVISORY FOR THE FOLLOWING ZONES:
            ZONE 207 CHUKCHI SEA COAST.
            ZONE 209 BALDWIN PENINSULA AND SELAWIK VALLEY.
            ZONE 210 NORTHERN AND INTERIOR SEWARD PENINSULA.
            ZONE 211 SOUTHERN SEWARD PENINSULA COAST.
            ZONE 212 EASTERN NORTON SOUND AND NULATO HILLS.
            ZONE 213 SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND AND BERING STRAIT
              COAST.
            ZONE 214 YUKON DELTA.
MARINE...BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS:
            AREA 10B WALES TO CAPE LISBURNE.
            AREA 11A CAPE LISBURNE TO CAPE HALKETT.
            AREA 11B CAPE HALKETT TO DEMARCATION POINT.

DA MAR 04

Event by event

1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Western Arctic Coast

When: March 23, 10:49 AM AST to 8:52 PM AST
Where: Western Arctic 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.

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, March 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: 5388119.