Alaska, 2005

Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, February 13 to 16, 2005

February 13 to 16, 2005 · NWS AFG · 7 events in 6 counties and zones

A low pressure center of 976 millibars on the afternoon of the 14th near Nunivak island moved north to near Cape Lisburne on the afternoon of the 15th weakening to 991 millibars. The associated weather front moved north over northern Alaska though it dissipated near the Brooks Range on the 15th.

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.

A low pressure center of 976 millibars on the afternoon of the 14th near Nunivak island moved north to near Cape Lisburne on the afternoon of the 15th weakening to 991 millibars. The associated weather front moved north over northern Alaska though it dissipated near the Brooks Range on the 15th. Blizzard Conditions:Zone 201 - likely at Cape Lisburne AWOS.Zone 209 - reported at Kotzebue, likely at Selawik. Highest wind gust 51 mph at Kotzebue.Zone 210 - likely at Deering; highest wind gust 51 mph.Heavy snow reported at Galena Co-operative Observer; total 6.0 inches. Snow began 1400 AST on the 13th.High winds reported at:Zone 201: Cape Lisburne AWOS highest gust 57 knots (66 mph).Zone 225: Ham Radio Operator: gusts to 56 knots (64 mph).Zone 226: Army MesoNet Sites: Texas Condo gusts to 56 knots (64 mph); Texas Range 52 knots (60 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 Feb 13, 6:00 AM AST, 6 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 13, 6:00 AM AST, 6 hours 30 minutes before
NORTH ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
600 AM AST SUN FEB 13 2005

.DISCUSSION...

ALOFT...LOW OVER THE BERING SEA AND RIDGE OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC
WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD.

SURFACE...LOWS FORMING IN CONJUCTION WITH LONG WAVE UPPER LEVEL
LOW OVER THE BERING SEA...WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEK.
ONE LOW WILL MOVE NORTH OVER THE WEST COAST TONIGHT THROUGH MON.
THE LOW WILL BE OVER NORTON SOUND BY THIS EVENING THEN OVER THE
CHUKCHI SEA BY MON MORNING. A SECOND LOW WILL MOVE NORTH OVER THE
WESTERN INTERIOR AND NULATO HILLS MON EVENING THEN NORTHEAST OVER
THE BROOKS RANGE TUE. A THIRD AND DEEPER LOW WILL MOVE NORTH OF
THE ALEUTIANS TO NORTH OF THE PRIBLOFS WED AND WED NIGHT. HIGH
PRESSURE OVER THE INTERIOR WILL MOVE EAST TONIGHT AS OCCLUDED
FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH WEST COAST LOW MOVES EAST ACROSS THE
INTERIOR.

NORTH SLOPE...LOW PRESSURE MOVING NORTH OVER WEST COAST COMBINED
WITH ARCTIC HIGH WILL INCREASE EAST WINDS TODAY...CONTINUING
MON... ESPECIALLY FROM BARROW WEST. WINDS WILL DIMINISH MON NIGHT
AND TUE. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM SOME BUT WITH THE INCREASE OF
WINDS IT MAY STILL FEEL JUST AS COLD.  FLURRIES OR LIGHT SNOW WILL
BE CONFINED TO MAINLY WEST OF BARROW. YESTERDAYS RUN OF THE AVN
WAS ADVERTISING POSSIBLE COLDER AIR ARRIVING FROM SIBERIA NEXT
WEEKEND BUT THE LATEST RUN KEEPS IT OUT OF THE STATE.

WEST COAST...LOW MOVING NORTH OVER WEST COAST TO CHUKCHI SEA TODAY
THROUGH TONIGHT WILL CAUSE A RAPID INCREASE OF EAST WINDS TO
ADVISORY LEVELS FOR EASTERN NORTON SOUND INCLUDING UNALAKLEET.
WINDS OVER KOTZEBUE SOUND WILL BE BREEZY BUT ARE EXPECTED TO
REMAIN SUB ADVISORY. EAST WINDS WILL TURN SHARPLY SOUTH OVER BOTH
SOUNDS AND NULATO HILLS IN THE WAKE OF THE LOW. THE FORWARD SPEED
OF THE LOW IS EXPECTED TO BE FAST ENOUGH TO PREVENT HEAVY SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS...THOUGH ADVISORY LEVEL ACCUMULATIONS FOR SEVERAL
INCHES ARE EXPECTED OVER UPSLOPE SECTIONS OF THE NULATO HILLS IN
ZONE 216. MORE SNOW IS IN THE PICTURE FOR MON NIGHT AS ANOTHER LOW
MOVES NORTH OVER THE NULATO HILLS.

INTERIOR...SOUTHERLY WINDS THROUGH ALASKA RANGE PASSES WILL REACH
WARNING LEVELS TONIGHT THROUGH MON NIGHT AS PRESSURE GRADIENT
TIGHTENS BETWEEN RIDGE OVER WESTERN CANADA AND LOW OVER WEST
COAST. WARM FRONT WILL USHER IN MUCH WARMER TEMPERATURES AND
SPREAD LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES OVER PARTS OF THE INTERIOR TONIGHT
AND MON. AREAS NORTH OF THE ALASKA RANGE WILL HAVE VERY LITTLE
SNOW. CLOUDS AND FLURRIES WILL REMAIN INTO WED. RIDGE BUILDING WED
WILL REDUCE CLOUDINESS.

.AFG WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...HIGH WIND WARNING:
            ZONE 225 DENALI
            ZONE 226 EASTERN ALASKA RANGE
         WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY:
            ZONE 201 WESTERN ARCTIC COAST
            ZONE 202 NORTHERN ARCTIC COAST
            ZONE 203 CENTRAL BEAUFORT SEA COAST
            ZONE 205 NORTHWESTERN BROOKS RANGE
         WIND ADVISORY:
            ZONE 212 EASTERN NORTON SOUND AND NULATO HILLS
         BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY:
            ZONE 225 DENALI
            ZONE 226 EASTERN ALASKA RANGE
         SNOW ADVISORY:
            ZONE 216 LOWER KOYUKUK AND MIDDLE YUKON VALLEYS
MARINE...BRISK WIND ADVISORY:
            AREA 9A NORTON SOUND
            AREA 9B DALL POINT TO WALES
            AREA 10A KOTZEBUE SOUND
            AREA 10B WALES TO CAPE LISBURNE
            AREA 11A CAPE LISBURNE TO CAPE HALKETT
            AREA 11B CAPE HALKETT TO DEMARCATION POINT

DA FEB 05

Event by event

3 high wind, 3 blizzard, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng

When
February 13, 12:30 PM AST to February 15, 12:45 AM AST
Where
Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AIRPLANE PILOT

Blizzard, Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula

When
February 13, 3:53 PM AST to 9:53 PM AST
Where
Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Denali

When
February 13, 6:00 PM AST to February 14, 8:00 PM AST
Where
Denali forecast zone
Measured
56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AMATEUR RADIO

Blizzard, Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley

When
February 13, 6:17 PM AST to 9:35 PM AST
Where
Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys

When
February 13, 10:55 PM AST
Where
Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Western Arctic Coast

When
February 15, 3:55 PM AST to February 16, 2:55 AM AST
Where
Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
Measured
57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Western Arctic Coast

When
February 15, 3:55 PM AST to 6:55 PM AST
Where
Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
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.
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

More

Every storm in Alaska in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, February 2005

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: 5437565, 5437567, 5437564, 5437566, 5437568, 5437569, 5437570.