A 980 mb low 350 miles south of Saint Lawrence Island combined with a 1033 mb high across eastern Russia to produce a period of very strong wind on Saint Lawrence Island. The wind frequently gusted to 53 kts (61 mph) at the Gambell AWOS from 1435AKST through 1930AKST.
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.
The episode as NWS AFG wrote it up.
A 980 mb low 350 miles south of Saint Lawrence Island combined with a 1033 mb high across eastern Russia to produce a period of very strong wind on Saint Lawrence Island. The wind frequently gusted to 53 kts (61 mph) at the Gambell AWOS from 1435AKST through 1930AKST.
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 4, 4:01 AM AKST, 10 hours 34 minutes earlier.
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK 401 AM AKST THU DEC 4 2008 .DISCUSSION... MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT THROUGH FIRST 36 HOURS. MODELS HAVE DEFINITELY BACKED OFF SNOWFALL POTENTIAL IN CENTRAL PORTION OF NORTHERN ALASKA FROM PREVIOUS RUNS. BELIEVE NOW THAT THE GREATEST POTENTIAL FOR DECENT SNOWFALL LIES OVER THE WESTERN ZONES SOUTH OF THE SEWARD PENINSULA. SINCE THERE IS DECENT COLD AIR IN PLACE OVER THE BROOKS RANGE IT DOES APPEAR THAT THERE COULD BE DECENT SNOWFALL ALONG THE UPSLOPE AREA HERE AS WELL. WINDS ALONG THE WEST COAST ARE GUSTING INTO THE 40 TO 50 MPH RANGE CURRENTLY. THESE WINDS WILL LIKELY INCREASE A BIT TONIGHT AS WELL WITH THE LOW MOVING NORTHWARD A BIT . COLD AIR WILL REMAIN IN PLACE OVER THE ARCTIC COAST AND PLAN THROUGH SATURDAY. MEANWHILE TREMENDOUS WAR ADVECTION CONTINUES TO PUSH NORTHWARD FROM THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF THE STATE...SO MUCH THAT FREEZING RAIN MAY NOT BE COMPLETELY OUT OF THE QUESTION IN A FEW PLACES OVER THE SOUTHWEST PORTION OF NORTHERN ALASKA. COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... HIGH WIND WARNING FOR AKZ213. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ216. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ210. GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225. BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200. && CF DEC 08
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A 979 mb low 350 miles south of Saint Lawrence Island combined with a 1033 mb ridge across Eastern Russia to produce a period of very strong wind on Saint Lawrence Island. A peak wind gust of 53 kts(61 mph) was reported at the Gambell AWOS on Saint Lawrence Island.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, December 2008
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: 137153.