Blizzard in Alaska, February 3 to 6, 2012

Name: Blizzard in Alaska, February 3 to 6, 2012
Start: 2012-02-03T23:00
End: 2012-02-06T21:45
Location: Alaska

February 3 to 6, 2012 · NWS AFG · 11 events in 10 counties and zones

A 958 mb low across the central Aleutians at 0300AKST on the 4th weakened to 971 mb near St Paul Island by 1500AKST on the 5th. The low produced blizzard conditions along much of the west coast of Alaska.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 11

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 206: Blizzard conditions likely occurred at Atigun Pass at times from the afternoon on the 4th through the early morning hours on the 5th. According the DOT the visibility was reduced to near zero in blowing and drifting snow with wind gusts to 40+ mph. At Anaktuvuk Pass, the visibility was reduced to one quarter mile at times during the evening hours on the 4th. The wind gusted as high as 37 kt (43 mph) at the Anaktuvuk Pass AWOS.

Zone 207: Blizzard conditions were observed at Kivalina from approximately 2045AKST on the 4th through 0630AKST on the 5th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust to 42 kt (48 mph) at the Kivalina ASOS.

Zone 208: Blizzard conditions were observed at Noatak from approximately 2230AKST on the 4th through 0245AKST on the 5th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust to 36 kt (42 mph) at the Noatak AWOS.

Zone 209: Blizzard conditions were observed at Kotzebue from approximately 1110AKST on the 4th through 0515AKST on the 5th. The visibility was frequently reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. The wind gusted as high as 47 kt (54 mph) at the Kotzebue ASOS. The strong wind also produced a |significant amount of drifting snow. Blizzard conditions were intermittently observed at Noorvik from approximately 1115AKST through 1900AKST on the 4th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust to 37 kt (43 mph) at the Noorvik AWOS.

Zone 210: Blizzard conditions were observed at Deering from approximately noon AKST through 1800AKST on the 4th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gusts to 38 kt (44 mph) at the Deering ASOS. Blizzard conditions were observed at Buckland from approximately noon AKST through 1930AKST on the 4th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gusts to 44 kt (51 mph) at the Buckland AWOS.

Zone 211: Blizzard conditions were observed at Nome from approximately 1030AKST through 1815AKST on the 4th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gusts to 42kt (48 mph) at the Nome ASOS. A total of 9.9 inches of snow was observed at the National Weather Service office at Nome. Blizzard conditions were observed at Golovin from approximately 1030AKST through 1845AKST. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. The anemometer was inoperable at times during the event, but the wind gusted to at least 44 kt (51 mph) at the Golovin AWOS.

Zone 212: Blizzard conditions were observed at Unalakleet from approximately 0930AKST through 1800AKST on the 4th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak gust to 55 kt (63 mph) at the Unalaklet AWOS. Blizzard conditions also likely occurred at Saint Michael from approximately 0900AKST through 1500AKST on the 4th. The visibility sensor was inoperable during this time, but the wind gusted as high as 48 kt (55 mph) at the Saint Michael AWOS.

Zone 213: Blizzard conditions were observed at Gambell from approximately 0730AKST on the 4th through 0330AKST on the 5th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust to 48 kt (57 mph) at the Gambell AWOS.

Blizzard conditions were observed at Savoonga from approximately 0130AKST through 2145AKST on the 6th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter milr or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust to 49 kt (57 mph) at the Savoonga AWOS.

Zone 214: According to the city office at Marshall there were blizzard conditions during the late night hours and through the morning on the 4th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. The Marshall AWOS reported wind gusts as high as 65 kt (75 mph) during the morning hours on the 4th. It is estimated that there were blizzard conditions from approximately 2300AKST on the 3rd through 1500AKST on the 4th. Temperatures moderated to near freezing during the afternoon on the 4th which likely ended the blizzard conditions.

Zone 217: Blizzard conditions were observed at Shungnak from approximately 1600AKST through 2000AKST on the 4th. The visibility was frequently reduced to one quarter mile in snow and blowing snow. The wind gusted as high as 51kt (59 mph) at the Shungnak AWOS.

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 3, 5:05 PM AKST, 5 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 3, 5:05 PM AKST, 5 hours 55 minutes before

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
505 PM AKST FRI FEB 3 2012

.SYNOPSIS...
ALOFT...
LONG WAVE PATTERN CONSISTING OF A TROUGH OVER THE BERING AND RIDGE
OVER NW CANADA AND EASTERN ALASKA WILL BECOME HIGHER AMPLITUDE
THROUGH SUNDAY AND PERSIST FOR THE NEXT WEEK. THIS MEANS THAT THIS
WILL BE THE LAST COLD NIGHT WITH TEMPERATURES RISING ABOVE NORMAL
SAT. IS ALSO MEANS THAT EASTERN ALASKA WILL BE DRYING OUT AND THE
WEST COAST WILL SEVERAL STRONG STORMS OVER THE NEXT WEEK.

SURFACE...
A 998 MB LOW 100 NM WEST OF POINT LAY WILL MOVE TO 400 NM NORTHWEST
OF POINT LAY BY 3PM SAT. WIND CHILLS 40 TO 60 BELOW ALONG MUCH OF
WEST AND ARCTIC COASTS DUE TO THIS LOW AND VERY COLD AMBIENT TEMPERATURES.

A COLD FRONT FROM THIS LOW TO BARTER ISLAND TO NORTHWAY WILL WILL
MOVE WELL NORTH OF THE ARCTIC COAST AND EAST OF THE ALCAN BORDER
FRI NIGHT. WEST WINDS 15-30KT AND SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW AND
BLOWING SNOW OCCURRING WITH THE FRONT IN THE EASTERN INTERIOR AND
ALASKA RANGE WILL DIMINISH LATE TONIGHT AS THE FRONT MOVES EAST AND
HIGH PRESS SURE BUILDS OVER THE INTERIOR. THIS WILL ALLOW CLEARING
OVERNIGHT AND THE LAST NIGHT OF COLD TEMPERATURES. WIND CHILLS 40
TO 60 BELOW

A STRONG WEATHER FRONT IN THE SOUTHERN BERING SEA WILL MOVE TO
NORTON SOUND SAT PM AND TO THE CHUKCHI SEA EARLY SUN. THIS WILL
BRING EAST GALES AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TO THE WEST COAST OF
ALASKA SAT/SAT NIGHT AND INTO THE FAR WESTERN INTERIOR SAT PM- SUN
AM. WILL SEE WINDS AS HIGH AS 50 KT OVER THE COASTS OF ZONES 214
AND 213. EXPECT 6-12 INCHES OF SNOW WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS
ALONG SOUTH FACING SLOPES OF THE SEWARD PENINSULA SUCH AS NOME.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
MODELS DIFFER ON STRONG WEATHER FRONT AND LOW IN THE SOUTHERN
BERING PREFER THE GFS AS IT INITIALIZED BETTER ON THIS FEATURE
AND MAINTAINS DEPTH LONGER THAN THE NAM.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR AKZ201-AKZ202-AKZ203-AKZ204-AKZ213-
AKZ214.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ220-AKZ224-AKZ225-AKZ226.

WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ213-AKZ214.

WIND CHILL WARNING FOR AKZ207-AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ211-AKZ212.

WINTER STORM WATCH FOR AKZ206-AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ211-
AKZ212-AKZ215-AKZ216-AKZ217.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ215-PKZ220.

STORM WARNING FOR PKZ200-PKZ210.

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

JB FEB 12

Event by event

11 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Yukon Delta

When: February 3, 11:00 PM AKST to February 4, 3:00 PM AKST
Where: Yukon Delta forecast zone
Reported by: Public

Blizzard, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When: February 4, 7:30 AM AKST to February 5, 3:30 AM AKST
Where: St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS

Blizzard, Ern Norton Sound Nulato Hills

When: February 4, 9:30 AM AKST to 6:00 PM AKST
Where: Ern Norton Sound Nulato Hills forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS

Blizzard, Srn Seward Peninsula Coast

When: February 4, 10:30 AM AKST to 6:45 PM AKST
Where: Srn Seward Peninsula Coast forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Blizzard, Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley

When: February 4, 11:10 AM AKST to February 5, 5:15 AM AKST
Where: Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Blizzard, Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula

When: February 4, 12:00 PM AKST to 7:30 PM AKST
Where: Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Blizzard, N. Brooks Rng E of Colville R

When: February 4, 12:00 PM AKST to February 5, 6:00 AM AKST
Where: N. Brooks Rng E of Colville R forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways

Blizzard, Upper Kobuk and Noatak Vlys

When: February 4, 4:00 PM AKST to 8:00 PM AKST
Where: Upper Kobuk and Noatak Vlys forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS

Blizzard, Chukchi Sea Coast

When: February 4, 8:45 PM AKST to February 5, 6:30 AM AKST
Where: Chukchi Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Blizzard, Lower Kobuk & Noatak Valleys

When: February 4, 10:30 PM AKST to February 5, 2:45 AM AKST
Where: Lower Kobuk & Noatak Valleys forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS

Blizzard, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When: February 6, 1:30 AM AKST to 9:45 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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alaska in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, February 2012

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: 356544, 356546, 356549, 355935, 356139, 355936, 355939, 356548, 355937, 356543, 356547.