High Wind, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast
- When
- February 26, 2:25 AM AKST to 3:25 AM AKST
- Where
- Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
- Measured
- 57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- AWOS
Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, February 26, 2007
A low pressure center just east of Kamchatka on the 23rd began weakening while moving norhteast over Far East Russia on the 24th. On the 25th it moved across the southern Chukchi Sea reaching Barrow and on the 26th it continued east merging with a stronger low in the high Arctic, and being pushed northeast by a cold front.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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 just east of Kamchatka on the 23rd began weakening while moving norhteast over Far East Russia on the 24th. On the 25th it moved across the southern Chukchi Sea reaching Barrow and on the 26th it continued east merging with a stronger low in the high Arctic, and being pushed northeast by a cold front. This front increased winds over the Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast as well as brough a fresh snowfall, likely creating blizzard conditions at Kaktovik on the 26th, as indicated by the Barter Island AWOS, as well as brief high winds reported by the AWOS with the highest gust to 57 knots (66 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 26, 12:59 AM AKST, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 26, 12:59 AM AKST, 1 hour 26 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK 559 AM AST MON FEB 26 2007 .DISCUSSION... THE 1006 MB LOW NORTH OF DEMARCATION POINT WILL MOVE NORTHEAST AND WEAKEN RAPIDLY. THE OLD LOW ALOFT OVER THE HIGH ARCTIC AND ITS ASSOCIATED SURFACE CIRCULATION WILL PERSIST THOUGH. THE SURFACE RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE BUILDING EASTWARD FROM RUSSIA OVER THE SOUTHERN CHUKCHI SEA AND THE BROOKS RANGE... MAINTAINING A FAIRLY STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE ARCTIC COAST. THE PRESENT SITUATION AT KAKTOVIK IS A FAMILIAR ONE...AND WE EXPECT THE STRONG WINDS TO CONTINUE THERE AT LEAST THROUGH THE MORNING AND MAYBE LONGER. THE VORT TUBE THAT HAS BECOME ESTABLISHED ALONG A LINE FROM ABOUT POINT HOPE TO FAIRBANKS TO NORTHWAY IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY THROUGH TUESDAY. EXPECT A FEW FLURRIES AT LEAST IN THE VICINITY OF THIS FEATURE...THOUGH MEASURABLE SNOW WILL DEPEND ON THE AVAILABILITY OF LOW LEVEL MOISTURE (AS IN ZONES 221-225). THE VORT TUBE WILL MORE CLEARLY BECOME A DISTINCT TROUGH ALOFT TUE NIGHT AND MOVE SOUTH TO ABOUT A MCGRATH - NORTHWAY LINE WED AFTERNOON. THERE WILL BE APPRECIABLE LOW LEVEL COLD ADVECTION OVER THE INTERIOR AS IT DOES SO. HOWEVER...ITS MOVEMENT IS DUE MAINLY TO THE APPROACH OF ANOTHER TROUGH ALOFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE MAIN CENTER IN THE HIGH ARCTIC. EXPECT ANOTHER SURGE OF COLD AIR AT LOW LEVELS INTO THE EASTERN ARCTIC AND INTERIOR ZONES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SECOND TROUGH ALOFT. IN SHORT...30 TO 40 BELOW OVER MUCH OF THE INTERIOR WEDNESDAY MORNING. THOUGH HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO BUILD OVER THE SOUTHERN CHUKCHI SEA...A WEAK WEATHER FRONT DEVELOP BETWEEN SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND AND SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND TONIGHT...MAYBE BRINING A BIT OF SNOW TO SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND AND THE YUKON DELTA. COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR AKZ220. BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ204. GALE WARNING FOR PKZ245. BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ210-PKZ225-PKZ230-PKZ235-PKZ240- PKZ245. && DJH FEB 07
Event by event
1 high wind, 1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast
- When
- February 26, 6:55 AM AKST to 7:53 PM AKST
- Where
- Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
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.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flooding in Indiana, February 26 to 28, 2007
- Heavy Snow in California, February 26 to 27, 2007
- Heavy Snow in Nevada, February 26 to 27, 2007
- Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in California, February 26 to 28, 2007
- Heavy Snow in California, February 26 to 28, 2007
- Heavy Snow in Idaho, February 26 to 27, 2007
- High Wind in Alaska, February 26, 2007
- High Wind in California, February 26, 2007
- Wildfire in Puerto Rico, February 26 to 27, 2007
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Florida, February 26, 2007
- Heavy Rain in California, February 26, 2007
- Heavy Snow in Oregon, February 26, 2007
More
Every storm in Alaska in 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, February 2007
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: 9951, 9950.