Blizzard and Winter Storm in Alaska, March 1 to 2, 2013

Name: Blizzard and Winter Storm in Alaska, March 1 to 2, 2013
Start: 2013-03-01T16:56
End: 2013-03-02T07:16
Location: Alaska

March 1 to 2, 2013 · NWS AFC · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A 989 mb low south of Attu the afternoon of February 28 moved eastward and rapidly deepened 25 mb overnight to 964 mb the morning of March 1. It then began to slow its forward movement and slowly weaken as it cut a path just south of the Aleutian Islands through the evening of March 2nd.

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 AFC wrote it up.

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 Mar 1, 4:45 PM AKST, 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 1, 4:45 PM AKST, 11 minutes before

SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
445 PM AKST FRI MAR 1 2013

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...
BROAD UPPER LEVEL TROUGHING REMAINS IN PLACE OVER MUCH OF THE REGION
THIS AFTERNOON...WITH A CLOSED UPPER LOW DRIFTING SLOWLY NORTHWARD
OVER EASTERN RUSSIA AND A POTENT NORTH PACIFIC LOW MOVING EASTWARD
APPROXIMATELY 150 MILES SOUTH OF ATKA. THIS SYSTEM CONTINUES TO BRING
SNOW AND STRONG WINDS TO PARTS OF THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL
ALEUTIANS...LIKELY PRODUCING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS BETWEEN KISKA AND
ADAK...WITH THOSE CONDITIONS POISED TO SPREAD EASTWARD OVER THE
CENTRAL ALEUTIANS AND PRIBILOFS THIS EVENING AS THE SYSTEM PROGRESSES
TO THE EAST. A WEAK UPPER TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE LOW MOVING
INLAND OVER THE NORTH GULF COAST IS SPREADING SNOW SHOWERS OVER MUCH
OF SOUTHCENTRAL AK...WITH SOME RAIN MIXING IN ALONG THE COAST.

.MODEL DISCUSSION...
MODELS REMAIN IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT THROUGH THE SHORT TERM WITH
RESPECT TO OVERALL SYNOPTIC FEATURES. THE STRONG LOW JUST SOUTH OF
THE ALEUTIANS WILL CONTINUE TO TRACK EASTWARD THROUGH SATURDAY AS IT
BEGINS TO SLOWLY WEAKEN...THEN DIVE SOUTHEASTWARD INTO THE NORTHEAST
PACIFIC ON SUNDAY AS IT ENCOUNTERS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDING OVER
THE SOUTHERN MAINLAND AND A 150 KT UPPER LEVEL JET DIGS ALONG ITS
WESTERN PERIPHERY. MODEL SOLUTIONS BEGIN TO DIVERGE EARLY NEXT WEEK
AS THE GFS AND NAM KEEP THE RIDGE CENTERED OVER THE NORTHERN GULF
COAST WHEREAS THE EC HAS THE HIGH LOCATED FURTHER EAST OVER THE
PANHANDLE. UTILIZED THE GFS SOLUTION FOR NOW AS IT HAS DISPLAYED
GREATER RUN TO RUN CONSISTENCY.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...
SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA...
SNOW SHOWERS ONGOING ACROSS SOUTHCENTRAL AK WILL TAPER OFF TONIGHT AS
AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BEGINS TO BUILD IN OVERHEAD. RIDGING WILL REMAIN
ESTABLISHED THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF THE WEEK...YIELDING GENERALLY
CALM CONDITIONS AND PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH THE EXCEPTION OF KODIAK
ISLAND. A FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW AFFECTING THE ALEUTIANS WILL
REACH THE WESTERN GULF BY SATURDAY EVENING AND THEN STALL AND WEAKEN
AS IT ENCOUNTERS THE RIDGE AND THE LOW RETREATS INTO THE NORTHEAST
PACIFIC. THIS WILL RESULT IN GUSTY WINDS ALONG WITH A MIX OF RAIN AND
SNOW OVER KODIAK ISLAND BEGINNING SATURDAY NIGHT AND PERSISTING INTO
THE EARLY PART OF THE WEEK.

SOUTHWEST ALASKA...
CALM CONDITIONS AND CLEAR SKIES WILL PERSIST INTO TONIGHT AS UPPER
LEVEL RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE SOUTHWEST MAINLAND. SNOW WILL THEN
RETURN TO COASTAL PORTIONS OF BRISTOL BAY AND THE KUSKOKWIM DELTA ON
SATURDAY AS THE FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE ALEUTIAN LOW APPROACHES THE
THE COAST. SNOW WILL BE ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG WINDS ALONG COASTAL
PORTIONS OF BRISTOL BAY...LEADING TO THE POTENTIAL FOR AREAS OF
BLOWING SNOW. SNOW WILL TAPER OFF WITH WINDS GRADUALLY SUBSIDING ON
SUNDAY AS THE LOW MOVES AWAY FROM THE AREA AND INTO THE NORTHEAST
PACIFIC.

ALEUTIANS/BERING SEA...
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL OVERSPREAD THE CENTRAL ALEUTIANS THIS
EVENING AND PERSIST THROUGH THE DAY ON SATURDAY AS SNOW COUPLED WITH
HURRICANE FORCE NORTHERLY WINDS ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE LOW LEAD TO
SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL ALSO
SPREAD TO THE PRIBILOFS THIS EVENING AS WINDS INCREASE WITH THE
ARRIVAL OF THE FRONT. STRONG SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO
SATURDAY OVER THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS AND AKPEN AS THE LOW PUSHES
EASTWARD. HOWEVER...TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WARM ENOUGH FOR A
RAIN/SNOW MIX OVER THESE AREAS...ALLOWING VISIBILITIES TO REMAIN HIGH
ENOUGH TO LIMIT ANY BLIZZARD CONCERNS. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE OVER
THE ALEUTIAN CHAIN FROM WEST TO EAST ON SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT
AS THE LOW MOVES OFF TO THE EAST AND THEN SOUTHEAST INTO THE NORTHERN
PACIFIC. THE BREAK WILL BE SHORT LIVED AS THE NEXT LOW MOVES INTO THE
WESTERN BERING ON SUNDAY...WITH A FRONT SPREADING PRECIPITATION OVER
THE CHAIN FROM WEST TO EAST SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY NIGHT.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...
THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDING INTO SOUTHCENTRAL AK TONIGHT WILL
REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF THE WEEK...RESULTING IN
DRIER AND RELATIVELY BENIGN CONDITIONS OVER MUCH OF THE SOUTHERN
MAINLAND. THE NEXT SYSTEM TRACKING THROUGH THE BERING WILL THEN HELP
TO BREAK DOWN THE RIDGE BY THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK...BRINGING AN
INCREASED CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...BLIZZARD WARNING 187 191 195
         HIGH WIND WARNING 185
MARINE...GALE WARNING 132 138 150 160 165 179 180
         STORM WARNING 155 170 172 176
         HURRICANE FORCE WIND WARNING 175
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 175 176 179
FIRE WEATHER...NONE

CB MAR 13

Event by event

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

Winter Storm, Eastern Aleutians

When: March 1, 4:56 PM AKST to 7:56 PM AKST
Where: Eastern Aleutians forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

When the occluded front approached the Dutch Harbor area during the late afternoon to early evening of March 1st the winds rapidly increased and visibility decreased in the snow and blowing snow. The visibility in snow and blowing snow ranged between 1/4 and 1/2 mile for 3 1/2 hours with winds gusting between 69 and 84 mph during that period. The peak of the event was around 6 PM when the peak Southeast wind gust was measured at 84 mph. The visibility was 1/4 mile at this time due to snow and blowing snow. Neither found or received any reports of damage or injuries.

Blizzard, Western Aleutians

When: March 1, 9:00 PM AKST to March 2, 3:00 AM AKST
Where: Western Aleutians forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

The Adak AWOS (PADK) and the NWS surface analysis was used for this event verification. The event took place in the eastern part of zone 191 and PADK is the closest station that was in a similar section of the storm as analysed by NCEP/OPC on their surface analysis. Therefore the 8 hours of Blizzard conditions reported on Adak are likely similar to what was occurring in the eastern part of zone 191. The timing was also estimated from the PADK observations and the surface analysis. PADK reported 1/4 mile visibility for around 8 hours with Northwest winds gusting up to 77 MPH.

Blizzard, Pribilof Islands

When: March 1, 11:18 PM AKST to March 2, 3:53 AM AKST
Where: Pribilof Islands forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

As the main low crossed just south of the Aleutian Islands the occluded front moved just south of the Pribilof Islands. This created a strong pressure gradient and area of strong lift over the Pribilof Islands. St Paul Island entered Blizzard conditions a little before midnight and peaked around 3 AM AKST when visibility continued to be 1/4 mile in blowing snow driven by Easterly winds gusting to 45 mph. St George Island was near blizzard conditions that night with nearly five hours of 1/2 mile visibility reports to go along with winds gusting to 50 mph. There were no reports of damage or injuries from either Island.

Blizzard, Central Aleutians

When: March 1, 11:36 PM AKST to March 2, 7:16 AM AKST
Where: Central Aleutians forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS

The Adak (PADK) AWOS reported 1/4 mile visibility with extremely strong Northwest winds with this system. During the event the winds gusted between 58 and 77 MPH the entire time. The peak of the storm was around 5:30 AM on March 2 with 1/4 mile visibility in Northwest wind gusting to 77 MPH. No reports of damage or injuries from the City of Adak Facebook page.

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
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 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, March 2013

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: 439167, 438711, 439157, 438712.