Alaska, 2008Blizzard in Alaska, December 15 to 16, 2008
December 15 to 16, 2008 · NWS AFG · 2 events in 2 counties and zones
A 998 mb low rapidly tracked across the southern Arctic Ocean on the 15th to Banks Island at 3 am on the 16th. There was a strong pressure gradient between the low and a 1045 mb high that built in behind the low across the Chukchi Sea.
- 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.
A 998 mb low rapidly tracked across the southern Arctic Ocean on the 15th to Banks Island at 3 am on the 16th. There was a strong pressure gradient between the low and a 1045 mb high that built in behind the low across the Chukchi Sea. Snow and strong wind combined to produce blizzard conditions along much of the Beaufort Sea Coast from late in the afternoon on the 15th through the morning hours of the 16th. The worst conditions were observed at Deadhorse with 12 hours with visibilities less than one quarter mile in snow and blowing snow. The wind frequently gusted to 50 mph, and a peak wind gust of 52 kts (60 mph) was observed at the Deadhorse ASOS. Although the visibility never dropped below one half mile at the Barter Island AWOS, the wind gusted as high as 66 kts (76 mph). Local law enforcement confirmed that blizzard conditions did occur.
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 Dec 15, 3:44 PM AKST, 2 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 15, 3:44 PM AKST, 2 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
344 PM AKST MON DEC 15 2008
.SYNOPSIS...
THE LONG WAVE PATTERN CONSISTING OF A RIDGE OVER ALASKA AND A
TROUGH OVER THE SEA OF OKHOTSK WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE WEEK.
THIS WILL CONTINUE THE SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND BRING SEVERAL MORE
STORMS INTO THE WEST COAST OF ALASKA.
A 1000 MB LOW 150 NM NORTHEAST OF BARROW WILL MOVE TO BANKS ISLAND
AS A 1000 MB LOW BY 3AM TUE AND THEN CONTINUE EAST. A COLD FRONT
FROM THIS LOW TO DEADHORSE TO MINCHUMINA WILL MOVE EAST OF THE
ALCAN BORDER BY MIDNIGHT. THERE ARE 1-2 INCHES OF SNOW WITH THIS
FRONT DIMINISHING TO ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS TO THE WEST. VERY
STRONG WEST WINDS OF 30G45KT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW/FRONT
COMBINATION FROM THE BROOKS RANGE NORTH, WITH 15G30KT OVER THE
INTERIOR. AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT FROM THE LOW TO MCGRATH WILL MOVE
TO OLD CROW TO LIVENGOOD BY 3AM TUE AND THEN CONTINUE SOUTHEAST.
WINDS WILL DECREASE SHARPLY BEHIND THIS ARCTIC FRONT AND SKIES
WILL CLEAR.
A STRONG SURFACE HIGH OVER NORTON SOUND WILL MOVE OVER THE WESTERN
INTERIOR AND WESTERN ARCTIC COAST BY 3AM TUE...TO THE EASTERN
INTERIOR TO EASTERN ARCTIC COAST BY 3PM TUE...ALONG THE ALCAN
BORDER BY 3AM WED AND THEN PERSISTING. EXPECT CLEARING UNDER THIS
HIGH WITH STRONG INVERSIONS DEVELOPING. EAST KATABATIC WINDS WILL
DEVELOP ALONG THE WEST COAST TUE AND OVER THE INTERIOR TUE NIGHT
BLOWING OUT OF THIS HIGH.
A LOW DEVELOPING IN THE SOUTHEAST BERING SEA TUE WILL MOVE TO THE
CHUKOTSK PENINSULA AS A 995 MB LOW BY 3PM WED. THIS WILL SPREAD
SNOW NORTH TO THE BERING STRAIT BY 3AM WED AND ALONG THE REMAINDER
OF THE WEST COAST OF ALASKA BY 3PM WED. ALL MODELS INDICATE ABOVE
FREEZING TEMPERATURES AT 850 MB JUST EAST OF THIS LOW CAUSING A
CHANCE FOR RAIN AS WELL TUE NIGHT AND WED.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
MODELS INITIALIZE WELL AT 500 MB. AT THE SURFACE THE GFS
INITIALIZED BETTER WITH THE LOW IN THE CHUKCHI SEA THAN THE NAM AT
12Z AND 18Z. THE NAM INITIALIZED TOO WEAK WITH THIS LOW. THE NAM
ALSO MOVES THE LOW NORTHEAST TOO FAST. WE PREFER THE GFS SOLUTION
DUE TO THESE REASONS.
COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ203-AKZ204-AKZ206.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ201-AKZ202-AKZ205-AKZ218-AKZ219-
AKZ220-AKZ221.
GALE WARNING FOR PKZ230-PKZ235-PKZ240.
STORM WARNING FOR PKZ245.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225.
&&
JB DEC 08
Blizzard, Central Beaufort Sea Coast
- When
- December 15, 3:46 PM AKST to December 16, 3:53 AM AKST
- Where
- Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
A 998 mb low rapidly tracked across the southern Arctic Ocean on the 15th to Banks Island at 3 am on the 16th. There was a strong pressure gradient between the low and a 1045 mb high that built in behind the low across the Chukchi Sea. Snow and strong wind combined to produce blizzard conditions along much of the Beaufort Sea Coast from late in the afternoon on the 15th through the morning hours of the 16th. The worst conditions were observed at Deadhorse with 12 hours with visibilities less than one quarter mile in snow and blowing snow. The wind frequently gusted to 50 mph, and a peak wind gust of 60 mph was observed at the Deadhorse ASOS.
Blizzard, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast
- When
- December 15, 6:00 PM AKST to December 16, 10:00 AM AKST
- Where
- Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
- Reported by
- Law Enforcement
A 998 mb low rapidly tracked across the southern Arctic Ocean on the 15th to Banks Island at 3 am on the 16th. There was a strong pressure gradient between the low and a 1045 mb high that built in behind the low across the Chukchi Sea. Snow and strong wind combined to produce blizzard conditions along much of the Beaufort Sea Coast from late in the afternoon on the 15th through the morning hours of the 16th. Although the visibility never dropped below one half mile at the Barter Island AWOS, the wind gusted as high as 76 mph. Local law enforcement confirmed that blizzard conditions occurred.
- 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.
- Winter Weather in Texas, December 15 to 16, 200894 injured · 14 events
- Winter Weather in Oklahoma, December 15 to 16, 20082 deaths · 19 injured · 5 events
- Heavy Rain and Frost and Freeze in California, December 15 to 17, 20082 deaths · $95,000 · 5 events
- Winter Storm in Missouri, December 15 to 16, 20082 deaths · 10 events
- Heavy Snow in New Mexico, December 15 to 16, 20082 deaths · 8 events
- Winter Weather in Kansas, December 15 to 16, 20081 death · 7 injured · $48,000 · 5 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Arkansas, December 15 to 16, 20081 death · 6 events
- Winter Storm in Tennessee, December 15 to 16, 20081 death · 4 events
- Cold in Illinois, December 15, 20081 death · 1 event
- Heavy Snow and Heavy Rain in Arizona, December 15 to 18, 200810 injured · 9 events
- Winter Storm and Winter Weather in Arkansas, December 15 to 16, 200845 events
- Winter Storm in Kentucky, December 15 to 16, 2008$50,000 · 10 events
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: 138487, 138488.