A 958 mb low in the Gulf of Alaska combined with a 1039 mb high across northern Canada to produce a strong pressure gradient across central Alaska. Wind damage was observed at lake Minchumina, with tree branches down.
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 958 mb low in the Gulf of Alaska combined with a 1039 mb high across northern Canada to produce a strong pressure gradient across central Alaska. Wind damage was observed at lake Minchumina, with tree branches down. Wood paneling on a log frame porch on the north side of the lake was blown off on 2 sides and scattered across the yard. Unconfirmed estimated cost of damage was $150.
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 8, 6:11 AM AKST, 8 hours 34 minutes earlier.
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK 611 AM AKST MON DEC 8 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A STRONG HIGH ALOFT OVER NORTHERN ALASKA WILL MOVE NORTH OF THE ARCTIC COAST MON NIGHT THEN PERSIST THERE. A 1039 MB LOW OVER THE BEAUFORT SEA WILL PERSIST THROUGH WED BUT SLOWLY WEAKEN. CLEAR SKIES AND COLD TEMPERATURES WILL PERSIST UNDER THIS HIGH. A WARM FRONT FROM CAPE LISBURNE NORTHWEST WILL MOVE NORTH TODAY. STRONG SOUTH WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FRONT IN NORTHWEST AK WILL DECREASE THIS MORNING. A STRONG LOW IN TH WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA WILL MOVE TO THE KENAI PENINSULA TUE PM AND THEN WEAKEN SLOWLY. AN OCCLUDED FRONT WITH THIS LOW WILL MOVE TO THE GULF OF ALASKA COAST BY 3AM TUE...TO THE ALASKA RANGE BY 3PM TUE...AND TO THE NORTHERN INTERIOR TUE NIGHT. THIS IS CAUSING THE NORTH TO SOUTH GRADIENT ACROSS INTERIOR AND WEST COAST OF ALASKA TO INCREASE TODAY ALONG WITH NORTHEAST WINDS OF 20-40 MPH DEVELOPING IN USUAL WIND AREAS. THIS WILL CAUSE BLOWING SNOW IN THE EASTERN INTERIOR WITH THE NEW 4 INCHES OF SNOW. WITH A VERY COLD AIRMASS NOW OVER THE YUKON FLATS SHOULD SEE COLD WIND CHILLS IN ZONES SURROUNDING THIS WHERE COLD AIR WILL FLOW OUT SUCH AS ZONES 218 219 220 221 222 AND 223. FOR THESE REASONS HAVE MERGED WIND CHILL ADVISORIES IN THESE ZONES INTO WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES TO COVER WINDS AND WIND CHILLS. ARCTIC SLOPE... EAST WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER THE ARCTIC COAST TONIGHT AND TUE AS THE FRONT MOVES NORTH. EXPECT BLOWING SNOW AND COLD WIND CHILLS TO DEVELOP BUT DO NOT EXPECT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS DUE TO THE LACK OF NEW SNOW ON THE ARCTIC COAST. DAY SHIFT MAY CHECK ON AMOUNT OF LOSE SNOW AND MAY DECIDE TO ISSUE A WWA FOR BLOWING SNOW AND LOW WIND CHILLS. && .DISCUSSION... MODELS INITIALIZE WELL AND SHOW SIMILAR SOLUTIONS THROUGH 3 AM WED. AFTER THAT PREFER THE GFS SOLUTION WHICH DEVELOPS A SURFACE LOW NEAR THE BERING STRAIT TUE PM. COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ216. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ218-AKZ219-AKZ220-AKZ221-AKZ222- AKZ223. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ210. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ210. GALE WARNING FOR PKZ225. BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230- PKZ235-PKZ240-PKZ245. && JB DEC 08
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A 958 mb low in the Gulf of Alaska combined with a 1039 mb high across northern Canada to produce a strong pressure gradient across central Alaska. Wind damage was observed at lake Minchumina, with tree branches down.
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: 138536.