Blizzard and Winter Storm in Alaska, November 2 to 4, 2011

Name: Blizzard and Winter Storm in Alaska, November 2 to 4, 2011
Start: 2011-11-02T22:30
End: 2011-11-04T10:00
Location: Alaska

November 2 to 4, 2011 · NWS AFG · 4 events in 3 counties and zones

A 975 mb low near the Pribilof Islands at 0600AKST on the 3rd moves into the lower Kuskokwim Valley as a 980 mb low by 2100AKST on the 3rd. The low continued to weaken and moved into the western interior as a 991 mb low by 9 am on the morning of the 4th.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 214: Heavy snowfall was observed at Mountain Village with reports of up to 10 inches of snow. There was considerable blowing and drifting snow. Blizzard conditions were observed at Mountain Village from approximately 0700AKST through 1700AKST on the 3rd. The visibility was frequently reduced to one quarter mile in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 41kt (47 mph) at the Mountain Village AWSS. Blizzard conditions were also observed at Saint Marys from approximately 0936AKST through 1316AKST on the 3rd. The visibility was frequently reduced to one quarter mile in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 40 kt (46 mph) at the Saint Marys AWOS. Blizzard conditions were also likely observed at Marshall, but the visibility sensor on the AWSS became inoperable during the event. There was a peak wind gust of 47 kt (54 mph) at the Marshall AWSS. Blizzard conditions were also observed along the coast at Cape Romanzof during the onset of the event. The visibility was reduced to zero at times during the morning and early afternoon hours on the 3rd. There was a peak wind gust of 53 kt (61 mph) at the Cape Romanzof AWOS.

Zone 215: There were reports of snow drifts of 3 to 4 feet at Russian Mission. The snow was nearly impossible to measure due to considerable blowing and drifting snow. Based on the observations at Russian Mission, Anvik, and Holly Cross it is likely that snowfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches were observed in parts of the lower Yukon Valley. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less at Anvik at times, but the wind was not strong enough to support blizzard conditions.

Zone 216: Heavy snow was observed at Galena with a storm total of 11 inches. The snow began at approximately 1400AKST on the 3rd, and the accumulating snow ended by approximately 1000AKST on the 4th. The snow was likely accompanied by significant blowing and drifting snow along and near the Nulato Hills. The Kaltag ASOS observed frequent wind gusts of 30 to 35 mph, and short periods of reduced visibility to one quarter of a mile.

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 2, 1:11 PM AKST, 9 hours 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 2, 1:11 PM AKST, 9 hours 19 minutes before

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
211 PM AKDT WED NOV 2 2011

.DISCUSSION...

ALOFT...AT 500 MB...LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF
THE STATE WILL GIVE WAY TO A RIDGE WHICH WILL SLIDE WEST TO EAST
ACROSS THE STATE. A DEVELOPING 500 MB LOW AND TROUGH OVER THE
WESTERN BERING SEA WILL DEEPEN AND BECOME CLOSED AS IT APPROACHES
THE WEST COAST ON THURSDAY MORNING. THE LOW THEN WEAKENS BACK TO A
TROUGH AND LIFTS TO THE NORTH THURSDAY NIGHT THEN SLIDES NORTH
AND EAST ACROSS THE STATE THROUGH SATURDAY.

AT 850 MB...GOOD PUSH OF WARM AIR WITH DEVELOPING LOW IN THE
WESTERN BERING SEA WILL SEE TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER LEVELS RISE
6 TO 8 DEGREES. EXPECT ABOVE ZERO TEMPERATURES AT THE 850 MB LEVEL
TO MAKE IT FAR ENOUGH NORTH TO BRUSH OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTIONS
OF OUR WESTERN ZONES.

SURFACE...A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WITH A 1030 MB CENTER OVER THE
CENTRAL INTERIOR EXTENDS SOUTH TO A 1038 MB HIGH IN THE NORTH
PACIFIC. THE HIGH WILL WEAKEN AS IT DRIFTS EAST INTO THE YUKON
TERRITORY THOUGH AN EXTENSION OF THE RIDGE WILL REMAIN OVER THE
BROOKS RANGE AND ARCTIC COAST INTO THURSDAY NIGHT BEFORE
DISSIPATING. A 983 MB LOW APPROACHING ADAK WILL DEEPEN TO 973 MB
AS IT MOVES TO NEAR NUNIVAK ISLAND BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THE LOW
WILL THEN WEAKEN AND SPLIT AS A 985 MB CENTER MOVES TO NEAR
MCGRATH BY FRIDAY MORNING AND A 984 MB CENTER MOVES INTO THE
NORTHERN GULF OF ALASKA. THE CENTER NEAR MCGRATH WILL CONTINUE
NORTHEAST TO NEAR BETTLES FRIDAY NIGHT. THE CENTER IN THE GULF
WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST TO 150 NM SOUTH OF YAKUTAT FRIDAY
NIGHT.

ARCTIC COAST...HAS CALMED DOWN A BIT. CANCELLED THE REMAINING
WARNING FOR Z204. DRIFTING SNOW COULD STILL BE AN ISSUE TONIGHT AS
WINDS REMAIN RELATIVELY STRONG. SHORT WAVE OVER THE NORTHWEST
COAST WILL TRAVERSE ACROSS THE COAST TONIGHT SO EXPECT SOME
PERIODS OF SNOW AS IT MARCHES ACROSS. SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE
AN INCH OR LESS.

WEST COAST...THE APPROACHING LOW IS LOADED WITH MOISTURE. BIG
PROBLEM WILL BE WITH THE 850 MB TEMPS RISING TO AROUND ZERO
WILL THERE BE ANY RAIN...AT THIS TIME WILL MENTION A POSSIBILITY
OF MIXING WITH...BUT NO FREEZING RAIN EXPECTED. VERY STRONG WINDS
ALONG THE COAST TO 50 MPH NEAR CAPE ROMANZOF...BUT DO NOT EXPECT
THAT BLIZZARD CONDITION WILL BE AN ISSUE SINCE DIRECTION IS NOT
GOOD FOR STRONG SURFACE WINDS INLAND AND SNOW WILL BE RELATIVELY
WET SO NO BLOWING SNOW ISSUES. VERY HEAVY SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE SO
ISSUING WARNING FOR Z214 AND ADVISORIES FOR Z215 AND Z216. AROUND 5
INCHES OF SNOW WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN Z210 AND Z212...ESPECIALLY
IN THE NULATO HILLS...BUT DO NOT EXPECT AT THIS TIME TO REACH
WARNING CONDITIONS. STRONG WINDS TO 45 MPH DEVELOPING THROUGH THE
ALASKA RANGE IN THE MORNING AND CONTINUING THROUGH THURSDAY MID
DAY. COULD SEE SOME HIGH SURF ON THE NORTH SIDE OF ST LAWRENCE
ISLAND THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY...BUT POTENTIAL IS LOW.

INTERIOR...CLEARING TONIGHT...SOME PATCHY MORNING FOG...THEN
INCREASING CLOUDS BY AFTERNOON WITH THE SYSTEM APPROACHING THE
WEST COAST. NOT MUCH WEATHER EXPECTED TONIGHT AND TOMORROW...BUT
THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MID DAY SATURDAY COULD SEE SEVERAL INCHES
OF SNOW IN THE THE WESTERN AND NORTHERN ZONES. SNOWFALL AROUND THE
FAIRBANKS AREA AND EAST FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WILL BE LIMITED
THOUGH AROUND AN INCH OR SO. EXPECT STRONG WINDS TO DEVELOP IN
Z225 PASSES BEGINNING AROUND NOON THURSDAY CONTINUING INTO FRIDAY
AFTERNOON AND IN Z226 THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ225-AKZ227.

WINTER STORM WATCH FOR AKZ216.

WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ214.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ215.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ200-PKZ210.
&&

SDB NOV 11

Event by event

3 winter storm, 1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Yukon Delta

When: November 2, 10:30 PM AKST to November 3, 5:56 PM AKST
Where: Yukon Delta forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS

Winter Storm, Yukon Delta

When: November 3, 1:00 AM AKST to 11:59 PM AKST
Where: Yukon Delta forecast zone
Reported by: Public

Winter Storm, Lower Yukon Valley

When: November 3, 1:00 AM AKST to November 4, 4:00 AM AKST
Where: Lower Yukon Valley forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS

Winter Storm, Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys

When: November 3, 2:00 PM AKST to November 4, 10:00 AM AKST
Where: Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

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.

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: 347006, 347005, 347008, 347010.