Blizzard in Alaska, March 7 to 8, 2007

Name: Blizzard in Alaska, March 7 to 8, 2007
Start: 2007-03-07T09:00
End: 2007-03-08T21:53
Location: Alaska

March 7 to 8, 2007 · NWS AFG · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A trough of low pressure remained stationary from Kotzebue to Unalakleet while high pressure strengthened over eastern Russia. |Zone 210 - Deering ASOS (northwest wind gusted to 45 mph).

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 trough of low pressure remained stationary from Kotzebue to Unalakleet while high pressure strengthened over eastern Russia. This likely created Blizzard conditions as reported by the Automated system in:|Zone 207 - Kivalina ASOS (northwest wind gusted to 45 mph), Shishmaref AWOS (northwest wind gusted to 45 mph).|Zone 210 - Deering ASOS (northwest wind gusted to 45 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 Mar 7, 12:39 AM AKST, 8 hours 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 7, 12:39 AM AKST, 8 hours 21 minutes before

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
539 AM AST WED MAR 7 2007

.DISCUSSION...

ALOFT...
A COLD LONG WAVE TROUGH WILL PERSIST OVER THE EASTERN
TWO THIRDS OF THE FORECAST AREA INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...
WITH MUCH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ALOFT. THERE IS
A HIGH PROBABILITY THAT THERE WILL BE NO REAL WARMUP IN
TEMPERATURES DURING THE NEXT WEEK TO TEN DAYS.

SURFACE...
A MODERATE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL PERSIST ALONG
THE ALASKA RANGE THROUGH SUNDAY...RESULTING IN
LOCAL NORTH WINDS 20 TO 40 MPH IN PASSES WITH
WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES REACHING ADVISORY THRESHOLD
VALUES.

PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL BE INCREASING OVER THE WEST
COAST AREAS TODAY...PRODUCING WIDESPREAD BRISK NORTH
WINDS...AND GALE FORCE WINDS IN PORTIONS OF PKZ210. WITH
FALLING TEMPERATURES AND INCREASING WINDS...WIND CHILL TO
40 BELOW TO 50 BELOW IS EXPECTED IN ZONES 207-208-209-210-
211-212-213.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ207-AKZ209-AKZ210.

WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR AKZ208-AKZ211-AKZ212-AKZ213-
AKZ220-AKZ225-AKZ226.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225.
&&

RF MAR 07

Event by event

2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula

When: March 7, 9:00 AM AKST to 11:00 PM AKST
Where: Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Blizzard, Chukchi Sea Coast

When: March 7, 2:53 PM AKST to March 8, 9:53 PM AKST
Where: Chukchi Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

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 2007 Every state in 2007 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, March 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: 12270, 12269.