Alaska, 2013

Blizzard in Alaska, November 19 to 20, 2013

November 19 to 20, 2013 · NWS AFG · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A 998 mb low near Banks Island by 1000AKST on the 19th coupled with a strong 1038 mb high pressure center over the Chukchi Sea created a strong pressure gradient, providing strong winds and blizzard conditions along the eastern north slope during the afternoon of the 19th. Zone 203: Blizzard conditions were observed at Deadhorse from approximately 1200AKST through 1600AKST on the 19th.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 998 mb low near Banks Island by 1000AKST on the 19th coupled with a strong 1038 mb high pressure center over the Chukchi Sea created a strong pressure gradient, providing strong winds and blizzard conditions along the eastern north slope during the afternoon of the 19th.

Zone 203: Blizzard conditions were observed at Deadhorse from approximately 1200AKST through 1600AKST on the 19th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 31 kt (36 mph) at the Deadhorse ASOS.

Zone 204: Blizzard conditions were observed at Barter Island from approximately 1200AKST through 1600AKST on the 19th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 52 kt (60 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 Nov 19, 5:22 AM AKST, 6 hours 38 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 19, 5:22 AM AKST, 6 hours 38 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
522 AM AKST TUE NOV 19 2013

.DISCUSSION...
A COLD TROUGH ALOFT WILL REMAIN ENTRENCHED OVER THE ALASKA
INTERIOR THROUGH WED NIGHT. THE TROUGH WILL BE PUSHED WESTWARD
TO THE ALASKA WEST COAST FRI AS THE WEST AS AN UPPER RIDGE
BUILDS OVER THE YUKON TERRITORY...WITH SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT
OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN INTERIOR. THE RIDGE WILL MOVE
FARTHER EASTWARD INTO CANADA BY FRI NIGHT AS BROAD LOW PRESSURE
ALOFT EXPANDS EASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN ALASKA.

THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN INTERIOR SHOULD SEE SOME MODERATION
OF TEMPERATURES THU NIGHT INTO FRI NIGHT WITH THE SOUTHERLY
FLOW ALOFT. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY SOME COOLING OF THE AIRMASS
AS THE LOW PRESSURE ALOFT EXPANDS EASTWARD.

IN THE SHORT TERM...TEMPERATURES...ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE
INTERIOR...WILL BE GOVERNED MAINLY BY THE AMOUNT OF CLOUD
COVER...WITH THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OCCURRING IN CLEAR
OR PARTLY CLOUDY AREAS.

BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE
ARCTIC COAST FROM THE DEADHORSE AREA EASTWARD BY AROUND
NOON TODAY ASA SOUTHWARD MOVING SURFACE TROUGH INCREASES
THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WITH FAVORABLE ISOBAR ORIENTATION
FOR STRONG WEST WINDS ON THE EASTERN ARCTIC COAST. THE
STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE IN ZONE 204...WITH ONLY MINIMAL
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS EXPECTED IN THE EASTERN PART OF ZONE 203.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS BELOW AVERAGE FOR THE LATTER PART OF THE
EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD AS MODEL SOLUTIONS BECOME INCREASINGLY
DIVERGENT.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ203-AKZ204.

HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225-
PKZ230.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ245.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ240.
&&

RF NOV 13

Event by event

2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Central Beaufort Sea Coast

When
November 19, 12:00 PM AKST to 4:53 PM AKST
Where
Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS

Blizzard, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast

When
November 19, 12:00 PM AKST to November 20, 1:27 AM AKST
Where
Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS

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

More

Every storm in Alaska in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, November 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: 481028, 481029.