Alaska, 2006

Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, March 1 to 2, 2006

March 1 to 2, 2006 · NWS AFG · 11 events in 10 counties and zones

Event continued from February. Blizzard Conditions:Zone 207:Likely, as reported by the Point Hope AWOS, and possibly at Shishmaref AWOS, though visibility was missing the wind was gusting to 47 mph.

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.

Event continued from February. A large storm became stationary over the southwest Bering Sea and the associated weather front moved northeast over western Alaska, bringing winter storm conditions to various locations over western Alaska, as well as extreme wind chills to the Arctic Coast.Blizzard Conditions:Zone 207:Likely, as reported by the Point Hope AWOS, and possibly at Shishmaref AWOS, though visibility was missing the wind was gusting to 47 mph. Zone 209: Reported by NWS office / ASOS in Kotzebue.Zone 210: Likely, as reported by the ASOS at Deering. Zone 211: Reported by the NWS office at Nome; likely at the Golovin AWOS.Zone 212: Likely, as reported by Unalakleet AWOS.Zone 213: Likely as reported by Gambell AWOS and Savoonga AWOS.Zone 214: Likely as reported by Cape Romanzof AWOS.High Winds:Zone 214: Cape Romanzof AWOS reported gusts to 64 knots (74 mph).Heavy Snow: Zone 211: Reported by WSO Nome: 13.2 inches which began 2353 AST on the 28th.Extreme Wind Chills reported at:Zone 201: Wainwright ASOS: -64 F.Zone 202: Barrow ASOS: -63 F.Zone 203: Deadhorse ASOS: -61 F; Nuiqsut ASOS: -63 F.

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 28, 1:40 PM AST, 10 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 28, 1:40 PM AST, 10 hours 20 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
140 PM AST TUE FEB 28 2006

.DISCUSSION...

MODELS ARE FAIRLY SIMILAR IN THEIR APPROACH TO THE INCOMING WEST
COAST STORM ON WED AND THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN
INTERIOR. THE GFS IS A LITTLE DEEPER THAN THE ETA AND THAT SEEMS
TO BE CORRECT LOOKING AT THE 18Z INITIALIZATION. THE UPPER LEVEL
RIDGE CURRENTLY OVER THE WEST COAST WILL SLOWLY TRANSITION TO THE
EAST AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN PORTION OF THE
STATE PUSHES EASTWARD. THIS WILL TAKE THE FAIRLY COLD TEMPERATURES
ALOFT WITH IT AND SPILL THE COLDER UPPER LEVEL AIR INTO WESTERN
CANADA.

AS THE INCOMING STORM BEGINS TO IMPACT THE WEST COAST ON WEDNESDAY
WITH DECENT SNOWFALL POTENTIAL OVER THE UPSLOPE TERRAIN AND THE
RELATIVELY STRONG SURFACE WINDS TO IMPACT MOST OF THE WEST COAST
ZONES BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT. THESE AREAS WILL SEE BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS AS THE RELATIVELY STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE
LOW IN THE BERING SEA AND THE HIGH OVER NORTHEAST ALASKA DEVELOPS.
THERE SHOULD BE NO MIXED PRECIPITATION AS THIS LOW IS FAIRLY WELL
CUT OFF FROM THE STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW AND HAS DECENT COLD AIR TO
WORK WITH FROM ITS ORIGIN.

THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY SNOW ALONG MANY OF THE WEST COAST ZONES
RESULTS FROM THE STORM SLAMMING INTO THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER
THE INTERIOR AND THEN THE RIDGE STALLING IN ITS EASTWARD PROGRESS.
THIS WILL KEEP MOISTURE BEING PUMPED INTO THE WEST COAST AS THE
LOW WILL BE UNABLE TO PROGRESS EASTWARD. THE UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL
REMAIN OUT IN FAR EAST RUSSIA. THE ENERGY EVENTUALLY SLIDES
SOUTHWARD INTO THE GULF WHERE A SUBSEQUENT LOW DEVELOPS.

PRESENTLY...MODELS SUGGEST THAT ANOTHER DECENT SHOT OF SNOW WILL
HIT THE WEST COAST FROM THE SEWARD PENINSULA SOUTHWARD FRIDAY NIGHT
AND SATURDAY. AGAIN...THIS LOW WILL NOT POSSESS THE WARM AIR FROM
THE SOUTH BUT ONLY A MARITIME MODIFIED AIRMASS THAT WILL STILL
REMAIN FAIRLY COLD IN THE UPPER LEVELS...TOO COLD TO PROVIDE MIXED
PRECIPITATION ONCE AGAIN.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WATCH FOR AKZ212-AKZ215.

WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR AKZ208-AKZ209-AKZ217-AKZ223-AKZ224-
AKZ226.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ207-AKZ210-AKZ214.

BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ207-AKZ210-AKZ211-AKZ213-AKZ214.

BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FOR AKZ211.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ200-PKZ210.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225.
&&

CF FEB 06

Event by event

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

Blizzard, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When
March 1, 12:00 AM AST to 6:35 AM AST
Where
St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Yukon Delta

When
March 1, 12:00 AM AST to 6:55 PM AST
Where
Yukon Delta forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Srn Seward Peninsula Coast

When
March 1, 7:16 AM AST to March 2, 3:16 AM AST
Where
Srn Seward Peninsula Coast forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Blizzard, Ern Norton Sound Nulato Hills

When
March 1, 8:36 AM AST to March 2, 8:36 AM AST
Where
Ern Norton Sound Nulato Hills forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Chukchi Sea Coast

When
March 1, 9:36 AM AST to 10:56 PM AST
Where
Chukchi Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley

When
March 1, 11:40 AM AST to March 2, 12:09 PM AST
Where
Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Arctic Coast

When
March 1, 5:53 PM AST to 10:53 PM AST
Where
Northern Arctic Coast forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Cold/Wind Chill, Central Beaufort Sea Coast

When
March 1, 5:53 PM AST to March 2, 6:04 AM AST
Where
Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard, Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula

When
March 1, 6:53 PM AST to 11:24 PM AST
Where
Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Cold/Wind Chill, Western Arctic Coast

When
March 1, 8:47 PM AST to March 2, 9:49 AM AST
Where
Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Heavy Snow, Srn Seward Peninsula Coast

When
March 2, 12:00 AM AST to 4:13 AM AST
Where
Srn Seward Peninsula Coast forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

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.
Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.
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 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, March 2006

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: 5489596, 5489599, 5489598, 5489601, 5489600, 5489602, 5489605, 5489606, 5489597, 5489604, 5489603.