Alaska, 2008Winter Weather in Alaska, December 4 to 6, 2008
December 4 to 6, 2008 · NWS AFG · 1 event in 1 county or zone
A 980 mb low 350 miles south of Saint Lawrence Island on the afternoon of the 4th weakened to 1002 mb near Kodiak Island during the afternoon of the 6th. A moist flow of air from the Bering Sea brought a prolonged period of snowfall to the Bettles area.
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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 980 mb low 350 miles south of Saint Lawrence Island on the afternoon of the 4th weakened to 1002 mb near Kodiak Island during the afternoon of the 6th. A moist flow of air from the Bering Sea brought a prolonged period of snowfall to the Bettles area. A total of 6.7 inches of snow was observed from 1900AKST on the 4th through 1400AKST on the 6th.
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 4, 2:47 PM AKST, 4 hours 13 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 4, 2:47 PM AKST, 4 hours 13 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
247 PM AKST THU DEC 4 2008
.DISCUSSION...
MATURE NORTH PACIFIC/SE BERING SEA STILL HAS SOME PUNCH IN SPITE
OF A RATHER RAGGED LOOKING SAT IMAGERY PRESENTATION. WE WILL
CONTINUE THE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND.
ADDITIONALLY...STRONG WIND HEADLINES/WIND ADVISORIES FOR AREAS
NORTH AND EAST OF KOTZEBUE AS COLD AIR DAMMED UP ON THE NORTH SIDE
OF THE BROOKS RANGE SPILLS ACROSS.
1036 MB HIGH WEST OF WRANGEL ISLAND MOVING EAST TO BE 100 NM
NORTHEAST OF PRUDHOE BY 12Z SUN. 979 MB LOW NEAR THE PRIBILOFS
ROTATING CYCLONICALLY SWWD TO BE WEST OF DUTCH HARBOR AS A 998 MB
CENTER BY 12Z SAT. BROAD LOW PRESSURE PERSISTING OVER THE GULF OF
ALASKA.
MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT IN THE NORTH TERM. MOST OF THE MID-
RANGE ALSO LOOKS TO BE IN PRETTY CLEAR FOCUS...AT LEAST IN THE
OVERALL PATTERN. CLOSED HIGH ALOFT OVER THE BERING STRAIT ON MON
MORNING MOVES NEWD TO BE A BIT NORTHEAST OF KAKTOVIK BY 12Z WED.
DIGGING TROF ON THE EAST SIDE OF THIS HIGH WILL CLOSE OVER OVER
SRN OR CENTRAL MAINLAND ALASKA BY TUE MORNING AND THENCE DRIFT SW.
TROF WILL THEN EXPAND TO COVER MOST OF THE CWA BY 00Z THU.
NORTH SLOPE...COLD AMS REMAINS IN PLACE UNTIL LATE IN THE
WEEKEND. EXTENSIVE SC COVER LIKELY TO DEVELOP MORE BREAKS
INLAND. MOST OF THE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS PACKED UP NEAR THE CREST
OF THE RANGE...SO WINDS WILL BE MOST OF THE SOUTH SIDE.
WEST COAST...SNOW FROM SEWARD PEN SOUTHWARD WILL SLOWLY DIMINISH
NEXT 24 HOURS. SFC ANALYSIS AND LAND OBS SUPPORT THE 15Z QUIKCAT
PASS THAT AREAS AREAS OF 50 KT WINDS SOUTH AND WEST OF SAINT
LAWRENCE ISLAND...HENCE WE HAVE GONE WITH A STORM WARNING FOR
TONIGHT FOR SW PORTION OF MARINE AREA 210. WILL CONTINUE WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW FOR ZONE 216. ALSO HAVE ISSUED FREEZING
RAIN ADVSIORY FOR ZONES 214 AND ZONE 215 WITH WARM AIR ALOFT.
INTERIOR...SNOW OVER NORTHERN INTERIOR...MAY APPROACH ADVISORY
LEVELS BY FRIDAY EVENING.MODERATE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL KEEP
WINDS GOING IN THE USUAL AREAS. FAIRLY MILD AMS PERSISTING OVER
SOUTHERN INTERIOR INTO THE WEEKEND BUT COOLING THEREAFTER.
COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ217.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ216.
FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FOR AKZ214-AKZ215.
HIGH WIND WARNING FOR AKZ213.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ210.
GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210-PKZ220.
STORM WARNING FOR PKZ210.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ220-PKZ225.
&&
RT DEC 08
Winter Weather, Upper Koyukuk Valley
- When
- December 4, 7:00 PM AKST to December 6, 2:00 PM AKST
- Where
- Upper Koyukuk Valley forecast zone
- Reported by
- COOP Observer
A 980 mb low 350 miles south of Saint Lawrence Island on the afternoon of the 4th weakened to 1002 mb near Kodiak Island on the afternoon of the 6th. A moist flow of air from the Bering Sea brought a prolonged period of snowfall to the Bettles area. A total of 6.7 inches of snow was observed from 7 pm on the 4th through 2 pm on the 6th.
- Winter Weather
- Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Cold in Illinois, December 4 to 5, 20083 deaths · 1 event
- Winter Weather in Indiana, December 4 to 5, 20081 death · 1 event
- Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 4 to 6, 2008$60,000 · 6 events
- Winter Weather in New York, December 4, 20087 events
- Winter Weather in Colorado, December 4, 20086 events
- Lake-Effect Snow in Michigan, December 4 to 5, 20084 events
- Heat and Cold in California, December 4, 20082 events
- High Wind in Alaska, December 4, 200853 kt wind · 1 event
- Lake-Effect Snow in New York, December 4 to 5, 20081 event
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: 137182.