Alaska, 2012

Extreme Cold in Alaska, March 26 to 28, 2012

March 26 to 28, 2012 · NWS AFG · 3 events in 1 county or zone

There were a few periods when the wind chills was 60 below zero or lower at Point Lay during a three day period from March 26-28, 2012. The low wind chills were during the late evening through early morning hours.

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.

There were a few periods when the wind chills was 60 below zero or lower at Point Lay during a three day period from March 26-28, 2012. The low wind chills were during the late evening through early morning hours. The first period occurred from approximately 0130AKST through 0630AKST on the 26th. Temperatures of 31 to 33 below zero combined with a northeast wind of 15 to 18 mph to produce wind chills as low as 63 below. The second period of low wind chills was observed from approximately 2230AKST on the 26th through 1030AKST on the 27th. Temperatures of 31 to 35 below combined with a northeast wind of 15 to 20 mph to produce wind chills as low as 67 below. The third period of low wind chills was observed from approximately 2045AKST on the 27th through 1000AKST on the 28th. Temperatures of 28 to 33 below zero combined with a northeast wind of 20 to 23 mph to produce wind chills as low as 66 below zero.

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 Mar 25, 1:29 PM AKST, 12 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 25, 1:29 PM AKST, 12 hours 1 minute before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
229 PM AKDT SUN MAR 25 2012

.DISCUSSION...
MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT THROUGH 60 HOURS. MODERATELY STRONG LOW
IN THE BERING SEA WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EASTWARD AND THEN HEAD
TOWARD COLD BAY BY MON AFTERNOON. HIGH PRESSURE WELL NORTH OF CAPE
LISBURNE WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE WEST AND WEAKEN.

UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EASTWARD
ACROSS THE INTERIOR AND CONTINUE TO PRODUCE SNOWFALL OVER THE
AREA. THE PRECIPITATION WILL STAY NORTH OF THE MIDDLE TANANA VALLEY
FOR THE MOST PART.

THE GREAT WARM UP OVER THE INTERIOR WILL BEGIN ON TUE AS THE UPPER
LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS IN FROM EAST TO WEST ACROSS THE INTERIOR. THIS
WILL KEEP THE SKIES RELATIVELY CLEAR AND THE TEMPERATURES ON THE
RISE. THIS WILL CERTAINLY BRING TEMPERATURES OVER THE FREEZING
MARK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A LONG WHILE...UNLESS THE TEMPS DECIDE
TO POP UP NEAR THERE ON MON ALTHOUGH THE UPPER LEVEL TEMPERATURES
DO NOT RAISE GREATLY UNTIL TUESDAY. UPPER LEVEL TEMPERATURES DO
TRY TO SLIDE BACK DOWN BY NEXT WEEKEND THOUGH.

AFTER NEXT WEEKEND...THE RIDGE DOES APPEAR TO REBUILD OVER
NORTHERN ALASKA AND BRING IN SPRINGTIME TEMPERATURES.

WIND ALONG THE NORTHWEST ARCTIC COAST ARE COMBINING WITH THE COLD
AIR ALREADY IN PLACE TO CONTINUE THE WIND CHILL ISSUES FOR ZONE
201 THROUGH AT LEAST MON.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR AKZ201.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ210-PKZ225.
&&

CF MAR 12

Event by event

3 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Western Arctic Coast

When
March 26, 1:30 AM AKST to 6:30 AM AKST
Where
Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Western Arctic Coast

When
March 26, 10:30 PM AKST to March 27, 10:30 AM AKST
Where
Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Western Arctic Coast

When
March 27, 8:30 PM AKST to March 28, 10:00 AM AKST
Where
Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Alaska in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, March 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: 363619, 363620, 363621.