Blizzard in Alaska, February 21 to 22, 2011

Name: Blizzard in Alaska, February 21 to 22, 2011
Start: 2011-02-21T13:53
End: 2011-02-22T06:00
Location: Alaska

February 21 to 22, 2011 · NWS AFG · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A 1004 mb low just north of Prudhoe Bay at 0900AKST on the 21st moved rapidly east and weakened to 1008 mb just south of Banks Island by 1500AKST. Strong pressure rises in the wake of the low produced a period of strong wind and blizzard conditions at Deadhorse during the afternoon hours on the 21st.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

Zone 203: Blizzard conditions were observed at Deadhorse from approximately 1353AKST through 1733AKST on the 21st. The visibility was frequently reduced to one quarter mile in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 37 kt/43 mph at the Deadhorse ASOS.

Zone 204: Blizzard conditions were observed at Barter Island from approximately 1500AKST on the 21st through 0600AKST on the 22nd. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 55kt/63 mph a the Barter Island AWSS.

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 Feb 21, 2:01 AM AKST, 11 hours 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 21, 2:01 AM AKST, 11 hours 52 minutes before

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
201 AM AKST MON FEB 21 2011

.DISCUSSION...
996 MB LOW JUST EAST OF CAPE LISBURNE AT 06Z MON WILL TRACK
RAPIDLY EASTWARD...REACHING THE MACKENZIE DELTA AREA BY EARLY MON
EVENING AS IT CONTINUES TO FILL SLOWLY. BRISK WEST WINDS WITH POOR
VISIBILITY IN BLOWING SNOW DEVELOPING EARLY THIS EVENING IN AKZ204
AS THE LOW EXITS INTO CANADA.

FAST WESTERLY FLOW AND SNOW OR SNOW SHOWERS CONTINUING
OVER THE INTERIOR TODAY...SNOW AND SHOW SHOWERS TAPERING OFF
TONIGHT. GOES IR AND WATER VAPOR SHOWING THE MAIN MOISTURE
FEED IS OVER THE NORTHERN INTERIOR AREAS...BUT SNOW SHOWERS WILL
CONTINUE OVER OVER THE SOUTHERN INTERIOR. STRONG WEST WINDS
CONTINUING OVER HIGHER SUMMITS THROUGH TONIGHT. HIGHER SUMMITS ON
THE DALTON...STEESE...AND ELLIOTT HIGHWAYS WILL EXPERIENCE
CONSIDERABLE DRIFTING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND NEAR
ZERO VISIBILITY. THESE AREAS ON THE HIGHWAYS WILL BE IMPASSABLE...AND
HAZARDOUS TO IMPASSABLE DRIVING CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY OCCUR ON
OTHER SECTIONS OF THESE HIGHWAYS AS WELL DUE TO BLOWING AND
DRIFTING SNOW.

WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUING THROUGH 6 PM TODAY IN ZONE 222
FOR HEAVY SNOW..BUT HIGHER SUMMITS WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE STRONG
WINDS AND SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW TONIGHT. SEVERAL
REPORTS OF TOTAL SNOWFALL ABOUT 7 INCHES IN THE AREA HAVE BEEN
RECEIVED LATE SUN EVENING OR AND EARLY MON MORNING. WINDS AT LOWER
ELEVATIONS IN THE INTERIOR RAPIDLY INCREASING THIS MORNING AS THE
SURFACE LOW MOVES EAST...WITH RAPID PRESSURE RISES ADDING
TO THE WIND SPEEDS AND GUSTINESS. WIDESPREAD BLOWING SNOW
EXPECTED IN AKZ219-AKZ220-AKZ221-AKZ222- PARTS OF AKZ223 TODAY.

AREAS OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS CONTINUING THROUGH NOON TODAY
IN AKZ207-AKZ209-AKZ210 WITH BRISK WEST WINDS BEHIND THE
EXITING SURFACE LOW.

UPPER RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALASKA MAINLAND
TODAY AND TONIGHT...WITH A STRONG SHORT WAVE AND SURFACE LOW
MOVING UP THE BACK SIDE OF THE RIDGE. TRACK OF THE NEXT SYSTEM
WILL BE FARTHER TO THE NORTH AND WEST THAN THE PRECEDING
SYSTEMS...CURRENT GFS/EURO HAVE SOME TIMING DIFFERENCES...LOW
CENTER POSITION FOR 12Z WED LIKELY TO BE NEAR TO 100-200 MILES
NORTH OF THE CHUKOTSK PENINSULA. SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WINDS
BEGINNING TO INCREASE OVER ST LAWRENCE ISLAND TUE...35-45 KT WINDS
OVER ST LAWRENCE ISLAND/BERING STRAIT AREAS...CHUKCHI COAST BY TUE
EVE...LOCAL GUSTS TO 60 KT POSSIBLE NEAR THE BERING STRAIT
AND CAPE LISBURNE. BLIZZARD LIKELY BEGINNING THESE AREAS TUE
EVENING OR TUE NIGHT WITH THE STRONG WINDS AND SNOW SPREADING
EAST. WATCHES FOR THIS STORM SYSTEM MAY NEED TO BE PUT UP
ON THE FORECASTS ISSUED THIS AFTERNOON.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ222.

BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ207-AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ213.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ217-AKZ219-AKZ220-AKZ221-AKZ223-
AKZ224-AKZ225.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ245.
&&

RF FEB 11

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 21, 9:27 AM AKST, 4 hours 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
927 AM AKST MON FEB 21 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0924 AM     HEAVY SNOW       NORTH POLE              64.75N 147.36W
02/21/2011  M16.0 INCH                          AK   NWS EMPLOYEE

            OFF ISMO DRIVE

&&

PWEIMER

Local storm report, Feb 21, 9:28 AM AKST, 4 hours 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
928 AM AKST MON FEB 21 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0927 AM     HEAVY SNOW       3 SW COLLEGE            64.84N 147.90W
02/21/2011  M16.5 INCH                          AK   TRAINED SPOTTER

            OFF CHENA RIDGE

&&

PWEIMER

Local storm report, Feb 21, 10:34 AM AKST, 3 hours 19 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1034 AM AKST MON FEB 21 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1000 AM     HEAVY SNOW       4 W FAIRBANKS           64.84N 147.79W
02/21/2011  M11.3 INCH                          AK   CO-OP OBSERVER

            WITH W.E. 0.56 AND 28 INCHES ON THE GROUND AT EAST
            FARMERS LOOP

&&

PWEIMER

Local storm report, Feb 21, 10:47 AM AKST, 3 hours 6 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1047 AM AKST MON FEB 21 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1044 AM     HEAVY SNOW       4 N FAIRBANKS           64.89N 147.65W
02/21/2011  M12.5 INCH                          AK   CO-OP OBSERVER

            AURORA OFF COLLEGE

&&

PWEIMER

Local storm report, Feb 21, 11:16 AM AKST, 2 hours 37 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1116 AM AKST MON FEB 21 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1115 AM     HEAVY SNOW       3 WSW COLLEGE           64.85N 147.92W
02/21/2011  M3.0 INCH                           AK   TRAINED SPOTTER

            ADDITIONAL SNOW SINCE 1100 PM STORM TOTAL 10 INCHES

&&

PWEIMER

Local storm report, Feb 21, 12:36 PM AKST, 1 hour 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1236 PM AKST MON FEB 21 2011

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1235 PM     HEAVY SNOW       4 ESE COLLEGE           64.85N 147.69W
02/21/2011  M11.9 INCH                          AK   TRAINED SPOTTER

            STORM TOTAL WITH W.E. 0.65 INCHES.

&&

PWEIMER

Event by event

2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Central Beaufort Sea Coast

When: February 21, 1:53 PM AKST to 5:33 PM AKST
Where: Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Blizzard, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast

When: February 21, 3:00 PM AKST to February 22, 6:00 AM AKST
Where: Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by: AWSS

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alaska in 2011 Every state in 2011 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, February 2011

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: 274630, 274850.