Winter Storm in Alaska, November 11 to 13, 2011

Name: Winter Storm in Alaska, November 11 to 13, 2011
Start: 2011-11-11T18:00
End: 2011-11-13T05:00
Location: Alaska

November 11 to 13, 2011 · NWS AFG · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A 951 mb low between Nunivak Island and Saint Paul Island at 1500AKST on the 11th moved to the Kuskokwim Delta by 2100AKST and weakened to 963 mb by 0300AKST on the 12th as the low continued to move inland. The low weakened to 976 mb and moved to near Unalakleet by 1500AKST on the 12th.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 212: A total of 7 to 8 inches of snow was observed at Unalakleet. The snow began around 0800AKST on the 12th and ended around 0500AKST on the 13th. There was a report of 5 inches of snow at Saint Michael, but the snow was difficult to measure due to extensive blowing snow. To the north of Unalakleet, snowfall amounts dropped off to 2 to 3 inches at Shaktoolik, with no snow at Koyuk.

Zone 214: A total of 12 to 18 inches of snow was observed at Saint Marys. The snow was difficult to measure due to extensive blowing and drifting snow. The snow began around 1800AKST on the 11th and ended around 0000AKST on the 12th. A storm total of 12 inches was estimated at Scammon Bay, but the snow was nearly impossible to measure due to strong winds. A peak wind gust of 54kt/63mph was observed at the Scammon Bay AWSS. Inland, there was a peak wind gust of 41kt (47 mph) at the Marshall AWSS. The visibility dropped to one quarter mile at times in snow and blowing snow, but blizzard conditions were short lived as temperatures were in the upper 20s during the storm, which limited the blowing snow to some degree.

Zone 215: Based on reports along the Yukon Delta and at Unalakleet it is likely that snowfall amounts of 8 to 12 inches were observed in parts of the lower Yukon Valley. Peak wind gusts of 34 kt (40 mph) at the Holy Cross AWSS and 38kt (45 mph) at the Russian Mission AWSS likley produced significant blowing and drifting snow and the visibility briefly dropped to one quarter of a mile in snow and blowing 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 Nov 11, 3:29 PM AKST, 2 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 11, 3:29 PM AKST, 2 hours 31 minutes before

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
329 PM AKST FRI NOV 11 2011

.DISCUSSION...

MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT THROUGH 30 HOURS...ALTHOUGH CENTRAL
PRESSURES OF THE NEW BERING LOW ARE NOT SIMILAR. THE TRACK OF THE
LOW IS SIMILAR THROUGH ABOUT 30 HOURS THOUGH. THE TRACK OF THE LOW
WILL MOVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF SNOWFALL INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN ZONES
TO INCLUDE ZONES 214...215 AND 212.

SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL LIKELY REACH INTO THE 6 TO 10 INCH RANGE IN
ZONES 214 AND 215 AND POSSIBLY NEAR THAT IN THE NULATO HILLS OF
ZONE 212. WINDS WILL CREATE BLOWING SNOW IN NEAR BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS OVER THESE AREAS. THE PRECIPITATION BAND WILL GET TO
NEAR THE SEWARD PENINSULA BUT THE HEAVIEST SNOW SHOULD REMAIN JUST
TO THE SOUTH OF THE PENINSULA.

STRONG WINDS EAST WINDS IN NORTON SOUND WILL FORCE WATER BACK OUT
OF THE SOUND WHERE IT HAD PILED UP JUST RECENTLY WITH THE LAST
MONSTER STORM. HOWEVER AS THE LOW PULLS NORTH TO NEAR UNALAKLEET
BY LATE SAT NIGHT STRONG WINDS OF 40 TO 50 KT ON THE BACK SIDE OF
THE LOW WILL CREATE HIGH SURF FOR THE SHORE AROUND ZONE 214. AT
THIS POINT...COASTAL FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED BUT HIGH SURF IS
DEFINITELY LIKELY AND WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR FOR COASTAL ISSUES.
THE 18Z MODEL RUN IS MORE EXCITED ABOUT THE WINDS AS THE TRACK OF
THE LOW IS A LITTLE MORE NORTHERLY THAT THE 12Z MODEL WHICH WILL
BRING THE STRONGEST OF THE WINDS UP THE COAST MORE THAN ORIGINALLY
PRESENTED.

WITH HIGH PRESSURE MOVING DOWN FROM THE HIGH ARCTIC AND THE STRONG
LOW MOVING INTO THE WESTERN INTERIOR...THE WINDS WILL INCREASE
NICELY ON THE ARCTIC COAST TONIGHT AND SAT BUT DO NOT EXPECT
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP WITHOUT FALLING SNOW. CERTAINLY LOW
VISIBILITY WILL OCCUR THOUGH.

WINDS NEAR POINT HOPE WILL LIKELY INCREASE TO NEAR 50 KT AROUND
POINT HOPE FOR THIS EVENT THROUGH TONIGHT AND THEN INCREASING TO
NEAR 55 MPH ON SATURDAY.

THE CENTRAL INTERIOR OF NORTHERN ALASKA WILL LIKELY SEE SOME
SNOWFALL IN THE RANGE OF 1 TO 3 INCHES FROM TANANA SOUTHWARD
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE FLY IN THE OINTMENT HERE IS THAT
BEGINNING SAT...THERE WILL BE SIGNIFICANT COLD ADVECTION POURING
IN FROM THE NORTH BUT THERE SHOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF
MOISTURE LEFT AROUND FROM THIS BERING SEA LOW. THIS COULD PROVIDE
SOME DECENT OVERRUNNING SNOW THROUGH POSSIBLY TUESDAY AS THE COLD
AIR CONTINUES TO SCOOP UP MOISTURE WITH THE NORTHERLY WINDS
SCREAMING SOUTHWARD. ACTUALLY...THE GFS DOES PICK UP ON THIS TO
SOME DEGREE AS WELL.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ212-AKZ214-AKZ215.

HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225-
PKZ230.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230.

STORM WARNING FOR PKZ225.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ220.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ215-PKZ235-PKZ240-PKZ245.
&&

CF NOV 11

Event by event

3 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Yukon Delta

When: November 11, 6:00 PM AKST to November 12, 11:59 PM AKST
Where: Yukon Delta forecast zone
Reported by: State Official

Winter Storm, Lower Yukon Valley

When: November 11, 9:00 PM AKST to November 13, 1:00 AM AKST
Where: Lower Yukon Valley forecast zone
Reported by: AWSS

Winter Storm, Ern Norton Sound Nulato Hills

When: November 12, 3:26 AM AKST to November 13, 5:00 AM AKST
Where: Ern Norton Sound Nulato Hills forecast zone
Reported by: Law Enforcement

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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, November 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: 347808, 347809, 347474.