Alaska, 2013Blizzard in Alaska, February 17 to 18, 2013
February 17 to 18, 2013 · NWS AFC · 1 event in 1 county or zone
A triple point low south of the Central Aleutian Islands the afternoon of Sunday, February 17 rapidly strengthened as it moved northward into the Bering Sea. In 24 hours it deepened 30 mb from 988 mb Sunday afternoon to 958 mb on Monday afternoon.
- 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.
A triple point low south of the Central Aleutian Islands the afternoon of Sunday, February 17 rapidly strengthened as it moved northward into the Bering Sea. In 24 hours it deepened 30 mb from 988 mb Sunday afternoon to 958 mb on Monday afternoon. The occluded front associated with this low approached the Pribilof Islands and produced blizzard conditions. Aside from the Pribilof Islands, the brunt of this strong storm remained over the Bering Sea and did not move over land.
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 Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 17, 2:00 PM AKST, 3 hours 53 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 17, 2:00 PM AKST, 3 hours 53 minutes before
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
200 PM AKST SUN FEB 17 2013
SOUTHERN AND FASTER PORTION OF UPPER TROF MOVING EAST OUT OF BRISTOL
BAY AND IS NOW ENTERING THE GULF OF ALASKA. THIS FEATURE WILL QUICKLY
MOVE SOUTHEAST OUT OF THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT. WINDIER,DRIER AND
COLDER CONDITIONS FOLLOWING IN BEHIND. AXIS OF THE MUCH SLOWER
NORTHERN PORTION OF THE TROF NOT EXPECTED TO CROSS 150 W UNTIL MID
DAY MON, WHICH MEANS SNOW WILL BE SLOW TO END ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL
ALASKA WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS OCCURRING LATER TONIGHT. SNOW ACROSS
THE SUSITNA VALLEY AND KENAI PENINSULA WILL END MONDAY MORNING AS
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE WEST. SNOWFALL OVER ZONE 141 MAY NOT
END UNTIL LATE MON EVE. WINDS WILL BE SLOW TO INCREASE OVER SUN NIGHT
THEN SHOULD INCREASE AND BECOME RATHER STRONG MON AND MON EVE WHEN
UPPER SUPPORT IS BEST. GALES ALREADY BEGINNING ACROSS THE KODIAK
MARINE ZONES AS THE FASTER SOUTHERN TROF MOVES OUT.
HIGH PRESSURE MOVES ACROSS SOUTHERN ALASKA MON NIGHT AHEAD OF NEXT
BERING STORM. THE ASSOCIATED FRONT SHOULD MAKE LANDFALL MON EVENING.
WAVE FORMING ALONG THE FRONT FORECAST BY THE GFS TO DEVELOP INTO A
MODERATE 978 MB STORM AND BRING MORE RAIN SNOW AND WIND TO THE ALASKA
PENINSULA, KODIAK ISLAND AND BRISTOL BAY ON LATE MON AND TUE. THIS
LOW SHOULD DROP INTO THE GULF LATE TUE AND WED AS HIGH PRESSURE ONCE
AGAIN BUILDS OVER THE EASTERN BERING SEA ALONG 165W. SEVERAL WEAKER
SYSTEMS WILL MOVE EASTWARD ALONG THE SOUTHERN BERING SEA WED THU AND
FRI AND WILL DISSIPATE AS THEY RUN INTO THE RIDGE OVER EASTERN
BRISTOL BAY AND KODIAK ISLAND. A STRONGER STORM WILL BRING GALES BACK
TO THE ALEUTIANS LATE IN THE WEEK AS A 972 MB CENTER MOVES TO NEAR
ADAK MIDDAY FRIDAY.
NO CHANGE THE NEXT 5 TO 7 DAYS AS THE PATTERN STAYS RATHER
PROGRESSIVE WITH NO SIGN OF ANY KIND OF BLOCK OCCURRING.
.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...BLIZZARD WATCH 131 AND 195.
MARINE...STORM AREAS 130 179 185 411 412 413 414.
GALE AREAS 120 127 132 136 137 138 140 150 160 165 170 180 171 172
175 176.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY AREAS 121 127 129 130 138 140 150 155 165.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.
DP FEB 13
Blizzard, Pribilof Islands
- When
- February 17, 5:53 PM AKST to February 18, 6:53 AM AKST
- Where
- Pribilof Islands forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
The occluded front that was moving slowly through the Eastern Bering Sea from the south produced blizzard conditions on both St Paul and St George Island. St George reported the more severe conditions with 1/4 mile visibility in East winds sustained at 56 mph and gusting to 72 mph in the peak of the event. St George also experienced blizzard conditions for 13 hours. St Paul reported blizzard conditions for 5 hours with the most severe conditions being 1/4 mile visibility and East winds sustained at 45 mph and gusting to 60 mph. While there were no reported injuries and no reported damage, school was canceled for Monday, February 18. Government offices and the AC store were closed until noon that day due to snow drifts.
- 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.
- Blizzard in Maine, February 17 to 18, 20131 death · 1 injured · 10 events
- Strong Wind in New Jersey, February 17 to 18, 2013$21,000 · 21 events
- Blizzard in North Dakota, February 17 to 18, 201316 events
- High Wind and Winter Weather in Massachusetts, February 17, 201350 kt wind · 15 events
- Winter Storm in Minnesota, February 17 to 18, 20136 events
- Winter Weather in Rhode Island, February 17, 20134 events
- Strong Wind in Delaware, February 17 to 18, 2013$5,000 · 4 events
- Strong Wind in Pennsylvania, February 17, 2013$1,000 · 3 events
- Strong Wind in New York, February 17, 2013$2,000 · 2 events
- Winter Storm in Alaska, February 17 to 18, 20131 event
- Strong Wind in North Carolina, February 17, 2013$1,000 · 1 event
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: 435768.