Blizzard and Winter Storm in Alaska, March 5 to 11, 2010

Name: Blizzard and Winter Storm in Alaska, March 5 to 11, 2010
Start: 2010-03-05T12:00
End: 2010-03-11T06:00
Location: Alaska

March 5 to 11, 2010 · NWS AJK · 9 events in 5 counties and zones

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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 AJK wrote it up.

A hurricane force low down to 956 MB developed near Dutch Harbor on 3/4 and was supported by very cold air aloft. This storm center tracked to South Central AK on 3/5 and set the North Pacific storm track from the SW into the Panhandle due to very persistent winds aloft. A multitude of fronts and developing waves moved from the Gulf of Alaska into SE Alaska through 3/10 bringing both snow and high winds.

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 Juneau, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 5, 6:45 AM AKST, 5 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 5, 6:45 AM AKST, 5 hours 15 minutes before

SOUTHEAST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
645 AM AKST FRI MAR 5 2010

.SHORT TERM...THE LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOW A VERY STRONG
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM LIFTING NE OVER THE THE AK PEN. THE LOW WILL
CONTINUE TO LIFT NE AND DRIFT INLAND OVER PANC THROUGH TONIGHT.
THE ASSOCIATED STORM FORCE WEATHER FRONT IS MOVING ACROSS THE
CENTRAL AND NORTHERN GULF ATTM AND WILL MOVE OVER THE PANHANDLE
THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. THE FRONT WILL STALL OVER THE CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN AREAS AS A DEVELOPING WAVE WILL FORM A LOW ALONG THE
FRONT LATE TONIGHT. THERE IS VERY STRONG UPPER LEVEL DYNAMICS
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FRONT AS THERE IS A 150 KT JET FROM THE
SOUTHWEST THAT WILL SLAM INTO THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE THROUGH
TODAY AND REMAIN OVER SE AK THROUGH TONIGHT. ALONG WITH THE VERY
STRONG JET THERE WILL BE A TIGHT THERMAL GRADIENT THAT WILL
INCREASE THE PRESSURE GRADIENT AT THE SURFACE TO PRODUCE STRONG
WINDS ALONG WITH HEAVY RAIN AT SEA LEVEL AND SNOW ABOUT 500 FEET.

 THE PRECIP WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE AREA FROM NW TO SE THROUGH
TODAY AND BY TONIGHT THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA WILL SEE
CATEGORICAL PRECIP. PLACES OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE FORECAST
AREA WILL SEE SNOW DEVELOPING THROUGH THE MORNING WITH
ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN 3 INCHES BEFORE CHANGING TO ALL RAIN
BY THE AFTERNOON. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL RISE ONLY 500 FEET SOME
THERE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WITH UP TO
A FOOT OR MORE FOR THE KLONDIKE AND HAINES HIGHWAY. SO WITH THAT
SAID THERE IS A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR ZONE 19 FOR HEAVY SNOW
FOR HAINES ROAD AND A BLIZZARD WARNING FOR THE KLONDIKE AS THEY
WILL SEE NEAR WHITE OUT CONDITIONS WITH STRONG WINDS AND BLOWING
SNOW THROUGH SAT AFTERNOON. AT SEA LEVEL VERY STRONG WINDS WILL
DEVELOP NEAR PAGY THIS AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS TO 60 MPH THAT WILL
PERSIST THROUGH THE EVENING BEFORE THE GUST DIMINISH TO 45 MPH
LATE TONIGHT. THE HAINES AREA WILL SEE GUSTS TO 45 MPH THIS
AFTERNOON BUT DIMINISH BELOW 30 MPH LATE TONIGHT. THE REST OF THE
FORECAST AREA WILL SEE WIND ADVY GUSTS DEVELOP THROUGH TODAY AS
THE FRONT MOVES ONSHORE AND SPREAD INTO THE SOUTHERN INNER
CHANNELS TONIGHT. OVER THE MARINE AREAS...STORM FORCE WINDS OVER
THE NORTHERN GULF THIS MORNING WILL DIMINISH TO MIN GALES THROUGH
TONIGHT AS THE FRONT DRIFTS EAST. AS THE FRONT LIFTS INTO THE
EASTERN GULF WINDS TO 40 KT WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND
PERSIST THROUGH TONIGHT. THE INNER CHANNELS WILL ALSO SEE
WIDESPREAD GALES THROUGH TONIGHT WITH STORM FORCE WINDS OVER
NORTHERN LYNN CANAL THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING THEN OVER CLARENCE
STRAIT LATE TONIGHT. THE CROSS SOUND AND ICY STRAIT AREAS WILL
SEE THE WINDS DIMINISH TO BELOW SMALL CRAFT TONIGHT AS THE FRONT
WILL PUSH THROUGH THE AREA AND ALLOW THE WINDS TO RELAX

 THE FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH PAYA LATE THIS AFTERNOON/EARLY
EVENING AND THEY WILL SWITCH BACK OVER TO SNOW WITH ADVY LEVEL
AMOUNTS FROM THE SNOW SHOWERS THAT WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA. THE
RAIN OVER THE INNER CHANNELS WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIME THROUGH
TONIGHT AS THE STRONG DYNAMICAL LIFTING MOVES OVER THE PANHANDLE.
THESE CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MOST OF TONIGHT AS THE
STRONG BAROCLINIC ZONE WILL STALL OVER THE PANHANDLE. AS
MENTIONED ABOVE THERE WILL SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SNOW ABOVE
500 FEET FOR THE JUNEAU,HAINES,SKAGWAY AREAS AS THERE IS COLD AIR
ALOFT. PLACES NEAR THE ICY STRAIT AND CROSS SOUND WILL SEE THE
FRONT MOVE TO THE EAST AND WILL BE IN THE AREA OF CAA AND MAY SEE
SOME SNOW ACCUMULATIONS FROM ANY SHOWERS THAT MOVE OVER THE AREA.

.LONG TERM...VERY ACTIVE PATTERN AS WINTER RETURNS TO THE GREAT
LAND. FOCUS ON THE LONG TERM IS THE SYSTEM AT HAND OFF WITH SHORT
TERM THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT AND POTENTIAL STORM FORCE LOW MONDAY
AND TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK.

 BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO THE EARLY LONG
TERM FOR FOR KLONDIKE HI WAY AND HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED FOR HAINES
HI WAY ESPECIALLY NEAR THE BORDER.

 VERY WINDY WITH THE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY SYSTEM. 65 KT AT 850MB
TO TRANSITION OVER THE PANHANDLE BRINGING ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS TO
MANY LOCATIONS AND WARNING LEVEL WIND GUSTS TO SKAGWAY WHICH IS
COVERED WITH BLIZZARD WARNING.

 FOCUS THEN TURNS TO POTENTIAL STORM FORCE LOW PROGGED TO MOVE
INTO THE NORTH CENTRAL GULF AT 954 MBS BEGINNING LATE MONDAY. THE
LOW IS PROGGED TO MAKE LANDFALL AS A 956 MB LOW JUST EAST OF PWS
AROUND 12Z ON TUESDAY. THIS PLACES THE ENTIRE CWA UNDER A VERY
STRONG GRADIENT. A SE TO NW ORIENTED LLJ AT 850 PROGGED TO
APPROACH THE OUTER COAST BY 00Z ON TUESDAY WITH 65 TO 75 KTS. THE
SITUATION WILL NEED TO BE CLOSELY MONITORED FOR HHW POTENTIAL NOT
ONLY ALONG THE OUTER COAST BUT FOR INLAND AREAS AS WELL. TREND
HAS BEEN FOR THE MODELS TO DEEPEN SYSTEM WITH LATEST RUNS.

 MODELS ARE INDICATING A SIGNIFICANT SW SWELL APPROACHING 20 TO
24 FEET WITH WAVE HEIGHT APPROACHING 30 FEET APPROACHING THE
OUTER COAST TUESDAY. WITH MAX GALE TO STORM FORCE SW WINDS WILL
NEED TO MONITOR FOR COASTAL FLOOD POTENTIAL.

 COLD AIR MOVES INTO THE PANHANDLE ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE THE
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY STORM AS MENTIONED IN THE SHORT TERM. 850MB
TEMPS AROUND -10 TO -8 APPEAR TO REMAIN ACROSS THE INNER CHANNELS
WITH ONLY MINOR MODIFICATION TO -6 TO -8 AS PRE FRONTAL FLOW
APPROACHES THE PANHANDLE MONDAY AND TUESDAY. TEMPERATURE PROFILES
LEAN TOWARD SNOW FOR PRECIP TYPE INITIATION FOR AREAS NORTH OF
ICY STRAIT WITH TRANSITION TO RAIN AS THICKNESS VALUES RAPIDLY
INCREASE.

 00Z GFS WAS USED AS PRIMARY GUIDANCE WITH A ONE QUARTER BLEND
WITH BLEND WITH 00Z EC TO MODERATE THE DEEPER GFS. INHERITED HPC
GRIDS WERE NUDGED WITH 00Z GFS TO INCREASE THE DETAILS ON NEXT
WEEKS STORM. MINIMAL CHANGES MADE TO EXTENDED PERIODS AS THERE
WAS PLENTY OF WEATHER CONCERNS IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE LONG
RANGE.

.AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...WIND ADVISORY FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 3 PM AKST SATURDAY FOR
     AKZ026.
         WIND ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 3 PM AKST SATURDAY FOR
     AKZ027-028.
         WIND ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 3 PM AKST SATURDAY FOR
     AKZ023>025.
         WIND ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM AKST THIS EVENING FOR
     AKZ017-022.
         WIND ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 9 PM AKST THIS EVENING FOR
     AKZ020-021.
         WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 3 PM AKST SATURDAY FOR
     AKZ019.
         BLIZZARD WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO 3 PM AKST SATURDAY FOR
     AKZ018.
         WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 5 AM AKST
     SATURDAY FOR AKZ017.
MARINE...STORM WARNING FOR PKZ012-036-052.
         GALE WARNING FOR PKZ011-013-021-022-031>035-041>043-051.

&&

ABJ/CCC

Event by event

4 winter storm, 4 high wind, 1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Taiya Inlet and Klondike Highway

When: March 5, 12:00 PM AKST to March 6, 3:00 PM AKST
Where: Taiya Inlet and Klondike Highway forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

On the afternoon of 3/5 Skagway Airport had visibilities below 2 miles in snow. |Frequent gusts above 35 MPH were also observed. A trained spotter up the Klondike Highway at 1400 AKST observed blowing snow and it is likely that white out conditions occurred further up the highway. Several reports of 1/4 mile in snow were observed on the morning of 3/6. More gusts in the 50 MPH range occurred in the afternoon at which point the snow then changed to rain.

Winter Storm, Haines Borough and Lynn Canal

When: March 5, 12:00 PM AKST to March 6, 3:00 PM AKST
Where: Haines Borough and Lynn Canal forecast zone
Reported by: Trained Spotter

The Haines area was hit hard by this winter storm. On the afternoon of 3/5 near white-out conditions were reported by several spotters, Snow accumulated to 8.5 inches by 0700 AKST on 3/6. Numerous wind gusts to 40 MPH were observed though 3/6.

Winter Storm, Taiya Inlet and Klondike Highway

When: March 6, 6:21 AM AKST to 9:00 PM AKST
Where: Taiya Inlet and Klondike Highway forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Skagway Customs received 10.0 inches new snowfall for 24 hours ending at 1600 AKST on 3/6 plus 3 more inches new snow during the evening. Strong winds and low visibility were also reported in this storm. See blizzard on the previous event.

Winter Storm, Haines Borough and Lynn Canal

When: March 8, 9:00 AM AKST to 9:44 PM AKST
Where: Haines Borough and Lynn Canal forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Haines Customs measured 10.5 inches of new snowfall for 24 hours ending at 0700 AKST on 3/9. Analyses showed that most of the snow fell during the evening of 3/8.

Winter Storm, Salisbury Sound to Cape Fairweather Coastal Area

When: March 8, 9:00 AM AKST to 9:44 PM AKST
Where: Salisbury Sound to Cape Fairweather Coastal Area forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

Pelican measured 7.3 inches of new snowfall for 24 hours ending at 0600 AKST on 3/9. Most of this new snow fell on the evening of 3/8. Elfin cove measured 8.2 inches of new snow for 12 hours ending at 1500 AKST on 3/8.

High Wind, Dixon Entrance to Cape Decision Coastal Area

When: March 8, 4:00 PM AKST to March 9, 10:00 AM AKST
Where: Dixon Entrance to Cape Decision Coastal Area forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS

Hydaburg measured a gust to 60 KT at 0116 AKST on 3/9. Numerous gusts in the 40s and 50s were measured.

High Wind, Southern Inner Channels

When: March 8, 9:00 PM AKST to March 9, 9:00 AM AKST
Where: Southern Inner Channels forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: ASOS

Ketchikan Airport ASOS measured gusts to 45 KT at 0122 AKST on 3/9 with numerous gusts in the 40s. Lincoln Rock CMAN site recorded gusts to 74 KT on the evening of 3/8 which indicated some very strong winds over land areas.

High Wind, Dixon Entrance to Cape Decision Coastal Area

When: March 10, 12:00 PM AKST to March 11, 6:00 AM AKST
Where: Dixon Entrance to Cape Decision Coastal Area forecast zone
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS

Hydaburg had a measured gust of 59 KT at 0316 AKST on 3/11. There were numerous gusts in the 50s during this event.

High Wind, Southern Inner Channels

When: March 10, 12:00 PM AKST to March 11, 6:00 AM AKST
Where: Southern Inner Channels forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: ASOS

Ketchikan Airport ASOS measured gusts to 42 KT at 2053 AKST on 3/10. Lincoln Rock CMAN site recorded gusts to 72 KT on the early morning of 3/11 which indicated some very strong winds over land areas.

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.
Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
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 2010 Every state in 2010 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, March 2010

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: 220990, 220992, 221030, 223467, 223470, 223426, 223449, 223435, 223452.