Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, January 19 to 21, 2008

Name: Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, January 19 to 21, 2008
Start: 2008-01-19T11:36
End: 2008-01-21T22:45
Location: Alaska

January 19 to 21, 2008 · NWS AFG · 6 events in 5 counties and zones

A 958 mb low moved slowly north over the Bering Sea on the 19th through 21st, gradually weakening. |Zone 213: were likely at Gambell on the 21st; winds gusted to 54 mph.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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 958 mb low moved slowly north over the Bering Sea on the 19th through 21st, gradually weakening. A series of associated weather fronts moved north over the state during this time, creating a variety of hazardous weather.|Blizzard Conditions:|Zone 201: were likely at Point Lay AWOS on the afternoon and evening of the 20th.|Zone 208: were likely at Noatak AWOS, on the afternoon of the 19th.|Zone 213: were likely at Gambell on the 21st; winds gusted to 54 mph.

High Winds occurred at:|Zone 213: Savoonga AWOS, highest gust 55 knots (63 mph).|Zone 225: Antler Creek Roadway Weather Information System, highest gust 65 knots (75 mph). |Heavy Snow reported at: |Zone 218: Wiseman cooperative observer measured 11.0 inches of new snow.

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 Jan 19, 9:23 AM AKST, 2 hours 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 9:23 AM AKST, 2 hours 13 minutes before

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
223 PM AST SAT JAN 19 2008

.DISCUSSION...
965 MB BERING SEA LOW CONTINUES TO TRACK ALMOST DUE NORTH ALONG
ABOUT 178W. THIS AS PULL A LARGE AMOUNT OF WARM AIR
NORTH...RESULTING IN NO BLIZ SOUTH OF KOTZEBUE. RAPIDLY EVOLVING
SITUATION WITH NEW LOW DEVELOPING NORTH OF THE BERING STRAIT BY
09Z AND TRACKING QUICKLY NORTHWARD THEREAFTER. MEANWHILE...BIG
UPPER RIDGE ALONG ABOUT 145W FROM NORTH PACIFIC TO BEAUFORT SEA
SUPPORTING 1045 MB SURFACE HIGH CENTERED IN THE CENTRAL YT.
ANOTHER SURFACE LOW WILL MOVE INTO BRISTOL BAY DURING THE DAY
MON. THIS STORM WILL HAVE MORE COLD AIR TO WORK WITH.

MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT FIRST FEW DAYS...AND AGREEMENT ON
INCREASING ZONAL FLOW...AND DRAMATIC COOL DOWN...IN THE MID
RANGE.

FOR THE NORTH SLOPE...VERY WARM AIR ON FRONT SIDE OF THE BERING
SEA STORM HAS BROUGHT TEMPS UP ABOVE FREEZING IN SOME AREAS IN THE
BROOKS RANGE ZONES. AS A RESULT...BLIZ WATCH FOR ZONE 205 MORPHED
INTO WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. HOWEVER..ON THE COAST BLIZ STILL
QUITE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ONCE THE COLD ADVECTION STARTS UP.

FOR THE WEST COAST...WITH LOW TRACKING SO FAR WEST...WARM AIR HAS
SPILLED IN...ENDING BLIZ THREAT BERING STRAIT SOUTH. DECENT COLD
ADVECTION WILL GET UNDERWAY TONIGHT BUT PRECIP WILL BE MORE
SHOWERY AND BLIZ CONDITIONS UNLIKELY TO BE SUSTAINED FOR THREE
HOURS ANY ONE PLACE. AS A RESULT...WE HAVE COMPROMISED WITH WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORIES. BELT OF STRONG SOUTH WINDS THROUGH THE BERING
STRAIT ENOUGH IN FAVORED AREAS FOR HIGH WIND WARNING. NORTH OF THE
BERING STRAIT...MUCH CLOSER TO BLIZ NOW...AND WITH WARM AIR
GETTING...TO SOME EXTENT...PINCHED OFF. COLD ADVECTION OVERNIGHT
COULD KEEP LOW CONDITION GOING FOR A WHILE OVERNITE.

FOR THE INTERIOR...RIDGE PRODUCING BIG WARMTH IN THE USUAL CHINOOK
PLACES...WHILE UPPER TANANA VALLEY DOWN IN THE MESO HIGH. WIND
ADVISORY CONTINUES IN THE USUAL ALASKA RANGE PASSES. RIDGE WILL
BE ERODED AS A COUPLE OF SHORT WAVES MOVE THROUGH. SOME SNOW
WORKING INTO THE CENTRAL INTERIOR OVER THE NEXT 36 HOURS AS FLOW
TURNS INCREASINGLY SWLY. QUITE A DRAMATIC COOL DOWN MID WEEK AS
COLD ADVECTION TAKES OVER.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
BLIZZARD WATCH FOR AKZ202.

BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ201-AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ209.

HIGH WIND WARNING FOR AKZ213.

SNOW ADVISORY FOR AKZ217.

WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ225-AKZ226.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ205-AKZ210-AKZ211-AKZ212-AKZ214.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ200-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230.

STORM WARNING FOR PKZ210.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ235-PKZ240-PKZ245.
&&

RT JAN 08

Event by event

3 blizzard, 2 high wind, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Lower Kobuk & Noatak Valleys

When: January 19, 11:36 AM AKST to 5:16 PM AKST
Where: Lower Kobuk & Noatak Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS

Heavy Snow, S. Slopes of Ern Brooks Range

When: January 19, 9:00 PM AKST to January 20, 5:00 PM AKST
Where: S. Slopes of Ern Brooks Range forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations

High Wind, Denali

When: January 20, 12:00 AM AKST to 4:00 AM AKST
Where: Denali forecast zone
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways

High Wind, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When: January 20, 1:45 AM AKST to 3:30 AM AKST
Where: St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS

Blizzard, Western Arctic Coast

When: January 20, 11:56 AM AKST to 7:56 PM AKST
Where: Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS

Blizzard, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When: January 21, 8:55 AM AKST to 10:45 PM AKST
Where: St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS

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.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alaska in 2008 Every state in 2008 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, January 2008

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: 71327, 71331, 71330, 71329, 71328, 71332.