Blizzard, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast
- When
- January 19, 6:50 PM AKST to January 20, 3:00 PM AKST
- Where
- Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
Blizzard in Alaska, January 19 to 20, 2012
A 999 mb low near Victoria Island Canada combined with a 1052 mb high across eastern Russia to produce strong wind and blizzard conditions at Barter Island. |The blizzard conditions were observed at Barter Island from approximately 1850AKST on the 19th through 1500AKST on the 20th.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
A 999 mb low near Victoria Island Canada combined with a 1052 mb high across eastern Russia to produce strong wind and blizzard conditions at Barter Island. |The blizzard conditions were observed at Barter Island from approximately 1850AKST on the 19th through 1500AKST on the 20th. The visibility was frequently reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust to |50 kt (58 mph) at the Barter Island 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 Jan 19, 1:24 PM AKST, 5 hours 26 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 1:24 PM AKST, 5 hours 26 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK 124 PM AKST THU JAN 19 2012 .DISCUSSION... ALOFT...AT 500 MB...MODELS IN RELATIVELY GOOD AGREEMENT OUT TO 96 HOURS WITH SOME SLIGHT DIFFERENCES IN HEIGHT VALUES AND LOCATIONS. THE 570 DAM HIGH CENTER OVER THE ANADYR PLATEAU REMAINS NEARLY STATIONARY TONIGHT THEN DRIFTS SOUTH AND WEST OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS TO THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF THE BERING SEA. 517 DAM LOW DEVELOPS 300 NM SOUTH OF SAND POINT DEEPENING TO 495 DAM TONIGHT AND DRIFTING TO 450 NM SOUTH OF KODIAK ISLAND. THE LOW THEN BEGINS TO FILL AS IT MOVES OVER PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND SATURDAY AFTERNOON. A TROUGH EXTENDING FROM THE LOW OVER VICTORIA ISLAND CANADA DIGS IN ALONG THE ALCAN BORDER FRIDAY NIGHT AND A CLOSED 487 MB CENTER DEVELOPS OVER SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA SATURDAY AFTERNOON. AT 850 MB...TEMPERATURES REMAIN STEADY INTO FRIDAY THEN A LARGE POCKET OF COLD AIR IN THE HIGH ARCTIC PUSHES SOUTH OVER THE ARCTIC COAST BY SATURDAY MORNING...THEN CONTINUES TO PUSH SOUTH OVER THE REMAINDER OF THE STATE BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON. AT THIS TIME MODELS ARE SHOWING THIS COULD BE THE COLDEST AIRMASS OVER THE AREA SO FAR THIS SEASON WITH SOME INDICATIONS OF TEMPERATURES AS LOW AS 45 BELOW ALOFT. THIS AIRMASS WILL REMAIN OVER US AT LEAST INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. SURFACE...1046 MB HIGH REMAINS IN THE ANADYR PLATEAU DRIFTING SOUTHWEST. A 996 MB LOW NEAR VICTORIA ISLAND CANADA WILL HELP ENHANCE THE GRADIENT OVER THE NORTHEAST COAST TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY. A LOW IN THE NORTH PACIFIC WILL DEEPEN TO AROUND 951 MB BY FRIDAY MORNING AS IT MOVES TO THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE GULF OF ALASKA THEN TO PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND BY LATE SATURDAY. A SECOND LOW DEVELOPS IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF ALASKA SATURDAY AND DEEPENS TO 957 MB. A STRONG GRADIENT DEVELOPS ACROSS THE INTERIOR AND WEST COAST BY SATURDAY MORNING AND PERSISTS INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL HELP KICK THE WINDS UP A LITTLE STRONGER AS IT COMBINES WITH THE GRADIENT. THE COLD AIR ALOFT WILL ALLOW SURFACE TEMPERATURES IS CLEAR AREAS TO PLUMMET TO WHAT COULD BE SOME OF THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES THIS WINTER SEASON. ARCTIC COAST...MORE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS FOR THE EAST TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. SIGNIFICANT WEATHER FROM NUIQSUT EAST WILL BE AN ISSUE AS WELL AS STRONG NORTH WINDS THROUGH THE BROOKS RANGE PASSES. HAVE ISSUED ADVISORY FOR ZONES 203 AND 206 AND BLIZZARD WARNING FOR ZONE 204. FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE AREA CONDITIONS RELATIVELY MILD BUT AS WINDS DIMINISH IN THE EAST GRADIENT INCREASES TO THE WEST SO WINDS INCREASING FROM BARROW WEST BEGINNING SATURDAY MORNING. WITH COLD AIR MOVING IN DANGEROUS WIND CHILL CONDITION WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AND INTO NEXT WEEK FOR SOME AREAS. EXPECT VALLEYS NEAR THE BROOKS RANGE TO HAVE TEMPERATURES AROUND 60 BELOW AND POSSIBLY COLDER BEGINNING SATURDAY NIGHT. WEST COAST...NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL TAPER OFF A LITTLE TONIGHT BUT BE ON THE INCREASE BEGINNING FRIDAY MORNING AND LASTING INTO NEXT WEEK. COLD AIR AND STRENGTHENING GRADIENT MOVING IN WILL CREATE POSSIBLE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT WIND CHILL...BLOWING SNOW...AND DRIFTING SNOW ISSUES BEGINNING SATURDAY NIGHT INTO NEXT WEEK. TEMPERATURE WILL BE WELL BELOW NORMAL FOR MOST OF THE AREA BEGINNING SATURDAY NIGHT. NO SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION ON THE HORIZON. SEE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT CONCERNING DEVELOPING CONDITIONS. INTERIOR...DECREASING CLOUDS FOR MOST OF THE INTERIOR TONIGHT. NO CHANGE IN TEMPERATURES THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON. STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION SATURDAY WILL PUSH TEMPERATURES BACK DOWN WELL BELOW NORMAL. LIGHT WINDS PREVAIL THROUGH SATURDAY...BUT EXPECT STRONG WINDS TO 35 MPH TO DEVELOP OVER SUMMITS WITH THE COLD AIR ADVECTION AND TIGHTENING OF THE GRADIENT OVER THE INTERIOR. THE STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO CREATE SOME ISSUES WITH BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW AND WIND CHILL OVER THE SUMMITS. THERE WILL BE SOME RELIEF FROM THE DEEP COLD AS MOISTURE MOVING AROUND THE LOW IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF ALASKA WILL BRING SOME PERIODS OF CLOUDS AND LIGHT SNOW BEGINNING AS EARLY AS SUNDAY NIGHT. MID RANGE...ABOUT THE ONLY THING WE CAN HOPE FOR TO KEEP OUT OF THE DEEP FREEZE THIS NEXT WEEK WILL BE PERIODS OF SNOW MOVING INTO THE AREA AROUND THE LOW IN THE GULF. && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ204. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ203-AKZ206. GALE WARNING FOR PKZ245. BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ240-PKZ245. && SDB JAN 12
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jan 19, 1:01 PM AKST, 5 hours 49 minutes before
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
Event by event
1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
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
- Ice Storm in Washington, January 19, 2012
- Wildfire and High Wind in Nevada, January 19 to 21, 2012
- Debris Flows and Strong Wind in California, January 19 to 31, 2012
- Winter Storm in New York, January 19 to 20, 2012
- Winter Weather in Indiana, January 19, 2012
- High Wind in Wyoming, January 19 to 20, 2012
- Winter Storm and High Wind in Alaska, January 19 to 22, 2012
- Extreme Cold in Minnesota, January 19, 2012
- Winter Weather in Ohio, January 19 to 20, 2012
- Debris Flows in Oregon, January 19 to 20, 2012
- Winter Weather in Massachusetts, January 19 to 20, 2012
- Winter Weather in Rhode Island, January 19 to 20, 2012
More
Every storm in Alaska in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, January 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: 354479.