Blizzard in Alaska, March 7 to 8, 2013

Name: Blizzard in Alaska, March 7 to 8, 2013
Start: 2013-03-07T09:00
End: 2013-03-08T19:53
Location: Alaska

March 7 to 8, 2013 · NWS AFG · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A 1040 mb high pressure over the Arctic Ocean created a strong pressure gradient, providing strong winds and blizzard conditions at various places along the North Slope coastline. Zone 201: Blizzard conditions were likely at the Wainwright, as indicated by the ASOS, where visibility was reduced to one-quarter mile or less in blowing snow for several periods through the 7th and 8th.

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.

A 1040 mb high pressure over the Arctic Ocean created a strong pressure gradient, providing strong winds and blizzard conditions at various places along the North Slope coastline.

Zone 201: Blizzard conditions were likely at the Wainwright, as indicated by the ASOS, where visibility was reduced to one-quarter mile or less in blowing snow for several periods through the 7th and 8th.

Zone 203: During the evening of the 7th through the morning of the 8th, blizzard conditions occurred at Deadhorse, and also were likely at Nuiqsut, where the visibility was reduced to one-quarter mile in blowing snow. Wind reports were sporadic at Nuiqsut, but nearby stations gusted to 35 mph at times.

Zone 204: Blizzard conditions were likely at the Barter Island AWOS on the 8th from morning of the 8th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 48 kt (55 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 Mar 7, 5:16 AM AKST, 3 hours 44 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 7, 5:16 AM AKST, 3 hours 44 minutes before

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
516 AM AKST THU MAR 7 2013

.DISCUSSION...
THE SURFACE LOW NOW JUST SOUTH COLD BAY IS PROBABLY NEAR
ITS MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...NEAR 960 MB. CURRENT MODELS
IN AGREEMENT IN MOVING THE LOW CENTER TO NEAR ST LAWRENCE
ISLAND BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON...FILLING TO AROUND 980 MB.
BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON THE LOW WILL WEAKEN TO A WEAK 995
MB CENTER OVER THE CHUKCHI SEA WEST OF CAPE LISBURNE.

THE PREFRONTAL PRECIPITATION SHIELD HAS SPREAD NORTHWARD
TO ANVIK AND ANVIK...AND SNOW WILL LIKELY BEGIN IN THE NOME
AREA IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS. SURFACE TEMPERATURES IN ZONES
214-215-SOUTHERN PARTS OF ZONES 212-216 WILL RISE TO NEAR OR
ABOVE FREEZING TODAY....SO THE SNOW MAY BECOME MIXED WITH
LIGHT FREEZING RAIN IN THESE AREAS. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IS
EXPECTED TO BE IN ZONE 214...WHERE AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 6 INCHES
ARE EXPECTED TODAY.

SURFACE WINDS IN THE NORMALLY WINDY SPOTS IN ZONES 223-225-226-227
ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE RAPIDLY THIS MORNING. WINDS ALOFT ACROSS
THE ALASKA RANGE MAX OUT AT 50-70 KT...STRONGEST OVER THE PORTION
OF THE RANGE NEAR AND JUST UPSTREAM OF THE ZONE 227 BOUNDARY.

BRISK EAST WINDS WITH RESTRICTED VISIBILITY WILL CONTINUE OVER
THE ARCTIC COASTAL ZONES THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT.

CURRENT MODEL RUNS FOLLOW THE TREND OF THOSE 24 HOURS EARLIER...
HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE BERING AND CHUKCHI SEAS
WILL SET UP A COLD NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT OVER MOST OF THE NORTHERN
ALASKA MAINLAND. VERY COLD AIR WILL LIKELY BE IN PLACE BY THE
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK AS A DEEP AND COLD UPPER LOW IS PROGGED TO
MOVE SOUTHWESTWARD OUT OF THE CANADIAN ARCHIPELAGO.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ223-AKZ226.

HIGH WIND WARNING FOR AKZ225-AKZ227.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ201-AKZ202-AKZ203-AKZ204-AKZ212-
AKZ214-AKZ215-AKZ216.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ240-PKZ245.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230-PKZ235.
&&

RF MAR 13

Event by event

3 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast

When: March 7, 9:00 AM AKST to 11:00 PM AKST
Where: Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS

Blizzard, Western Arctic Coast

When: March 7, 1:36 PM AKST to March 8, 7:53 PM AKST
Where: Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Blizzard, Central Beaufort Sea Coast

When: March 7, 6:53 PM AKST to March 8, 6:53 AM AKST
Where: Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

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 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: 445412, 445821, 445833.