Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, November 9 to 10, 2004

Name: Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, November 9 to 10, 2004
Start: 2004-11-09T09:45
End: 2004-11-10T20:00
Location: Alaska

November 9 to 10, 2004 · NWS AFG · 5 events in 3 counties and zones

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 moved north across the western Alaska peninsula and the associated weather front moved north over the Alaska Range resulting in strong winds through Isabel Pass on the Richardson Highway. Blizzard conditions, reported by a motorist, were reported during the night of the 9th in the pass, as the front was approaching and temperatures were remaining cold enough to allow fo blowing and drifting snow. temperatures steadily warmed overnight though a lesser restriction in blowing snow was noted by the State of Alaska Department of Transportation report the morning of the 10th. The occlusion also created heavy snow as reported Another area where strong wind and a likely blizzard occurred was around Cape Romanzof, which was near to where the low pressure center tracked once it crossed the western Alaska Peninsula. The occlusion also produced heavy snow over the western interior of Alaska, as the Galena Co-operative Observer reported 9.0 inches. The snow began at 0800 am AST on the 10th and reached 6 inches by 1700 AST on the 10th.High Wind reported at:Zone 214: Cape Romanzof AWOS highest gust 60 knots (69 mph).Zone 226: Fort Greeley MesoNet Sites: Texas Range gust 54 knots (62 mph). Texas Condo gust 54 knots (62 mph).

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 Nov 9, 6:00 AM AST, 3 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 9, 6:00 AM AST, 3 hours 45 minutes before

NORTH ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
600 AM AST TUE NOV 9 2004

.DISCUSSION...

INTERIOR...ETA AND AVN MODELS IN AGREEMENT THROUGH 36 HOURS THEN
AVN AND ETA HANDLE THE BERING SEA UPPER LOW AND RESULTING CHINOOK
FLOW ACROSS THE ALASKA RANGE DIFFERENTLY. THE AVN MODEL SPINS UP A
SECONDARY LOW AT 45N 150W THAT EVENTUALLY CUTS OFF. IN RESPONSE
RIDGING DEVELOPS AHEAD OF THE LOW ALONG THE GULF COAST OF ALASKA
WHICH PRODUCES A MORE SOUTHWEST FLOW OVER THE ALASKA RANGE...WITH
THIS SOLUTION STRONGEST CHINOOK POTENTIAL OVER THE EASTERN ALASKA
RANGE.

THE ETA MODEL TRIES TO KEEP FLOW MORE SOUTHERLY AS BERING SEA LOW
GRADUALLY OPENS AND TROUGHS OUT AND MAKES SOME PROGRESS IN
BREAKING DOWN THE RIDGE...THIS BY THE WAY IS SIMILAR TO ECMF
SOLUTION. SO DECIDED TO GO WITH AVN FIRST 36 HOURS...ETA THERE
AFTER IN THE SHORT TERM. HIGH WIND WATCH UPGRADED TO WARNING FOR
THIS EVENING. DEPENDING ON THE STRENGTH OF THE CHINOOK FLOW CHANCE
FOR SOME SNOW IN THE INTERIOR IF FLOW IS WEAKER AND MORE SOUTHWEST
THAN EXPECTED. SNOW LIKELY OVER HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE CENTRAL
INTERIOR AND SURROUNDING UPLANS OF THE YUKON FLATS.

WEST COAST...ALEUTIAN SURFACE LOW FORECAST TO MOVE NORTH INTO
BERING SEA WEDNESDAY. STRONG WINDS DEVELOP AS PRESSURE GRADIENT
TIGHTENS TODAY AND TONIGHT. HENCE SMALL CRAFT AND GALE ISSUED FOR
SOUTHERN MARINE ZONES...AS WELL AS HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. IN
ADDITION WIND...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN
THE YUKON DELTA AND LOWER YUKON VALLEY TODAY.

NORTH SLOPE...WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP AS
SURFACE LOW CONTINUES TO LOITER NORTH OF BARROW. SHORT WAVE ENERGY
ADVECTS ACROSS THE AREA...SNOW SHOWERS BARROW WEST WILL CONTINUE
TODAY INTO TONIGHT. RIDGE FORECAST TO BUILD IN ON WEDNESDAY
SHUTTING DOWN THE SNOW AND DECREASING CLOUDS.

.AFG WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...HIGH WIND WARNING ZONES 225 226 TONIGHT AND WED.
         WIND ADVISORY 223 TONIGHT AND WED.
MARINE...BRISK WIND ADVISORY AREA 11A TONIGHT
         SMALL CRAFT AREA 9A 9B 10B TODAY.
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY AREAS 9A 9BB 10B THROUGH TONIGHT.
         GALE 9A 9B TONIGHT

JHD NOV 04

Event by event

2 high wind, 2 blizzard, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng

When: November 9, 9:45 AM AST to November 10, 6:30 PM AST
Where: Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Yukon Delta

When: November 9, 10:15 AM AST to 6:15 PM AST
Where: Yukon Delta forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Yukon Delta

When: November 9, 3:35 PM AST to November 10, 4:35 AM AST
Where: Yukon Delta forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng

When: November 9, 4:44 PM AST to 10:30 PM AST
Where: Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Heavy Snow, Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys

When: November 10, 5:00 PM AST to 8:00 PM AST
Where: Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

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.
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, November 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: 5428824, 5428000, 5427999, 5428825, 5428001.