Blizzard in Alaska, February 28, 2015

Name: Blizzard in Alaska, February 28, 2015
Start: 2015-02-28T14:18
End: 2015-02-28T23:59
Location: Alaska

February 28, 2015 · NWS AFG · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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.

Strong cold advection and a very strong pressure gradient behind a 997 mb low moving east from Barrow to Banks Island coupled with a strong 1038 mb high pressure over northwest Alaska produced brief blizzard conditions over the western Arctic Coast, but hurricane force winds along with blowing snow and blizzard conditions on the eastern Beaufort Sea Coast (zone 204) during the evening of February 28th and early March 1st. The North Slope village of Kaktovik reported hurricane force winds knocking out power and sent dumpsters tumbling like dice, residents said. Event continued into March.

Zone 201: Blizzard conditions were likely at Atquasuk, during the afternoon and early evening of the 28th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less while winds gusted to 45 kt (52 mph) according to the AWWS.

Zone 202: Blizzard conditions were observed at Barrow for just 3 hours during the late afternoon and early evening of the 28th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less while winds gusted to 37 kt (43 mph).

Zone 203...Blizzard conditions were observed in the Prudhoe Bay area during the late afternoon of the 28th and into the early morning of the 1st, as reported at Deadhorse and Nuiqsut. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in blowing snow. winds gusted to 53 kt (63 mph) at the Deadhorse ASOS.

Zone 204: The strongest wind at the Point Thomson Mesonet site gusted to 66 kts (76 mph) until the wind instrument stopped reporting. Blizzard conditions were likely at Barter Island, as the AWOS visibility was frequently one-quarter mile with winds gusting to 58 kt (67 mph) until the wind instrument stopped reporting.

Zone 206; Blizzard conditions likely occurred over areas east of the Dalton Highway, based on the duration and severity of observations from zone 203 and 204.

Event continued into March.

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 Feb 28, 6:07 AM AKST, 8 hours 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 28, 6:07 AM AKST, 8 hours 11 minutes before

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
607 AM AKST SAT FEB 28 2015

.DISCUSSION...

UPPER AIR...
RIDGE ALOFT ALONG THE ALCAN BORDER AND SOUTHWARD WILL BE PUSHED
EASTWARD AND FLATTENED AS A VIGOROUS SHORT WAVE TROUGH CUTS
EASTWARD THROUGH THE RIDGE. THE SHORT WAVE TROUGH IS NOW OVER THE
BERING SEA ALONG 175W...AND WILL MOVE EAST TO THE ALCAN BORDER BY
MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE SHORT WAVE TROUGH...RIDGING
WILL REBUILD SUN AND MON...THEN WEAKEN AS IT MOVES INTO THE YUKON
TERRITORY TUE. ANOTHER SHORT WAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE TO THE NORTHERN
BERING SEA AND CHUKCHI BY TUE MORNING...AND MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS
THE ARCTIC SLOPE SLOPE AND BEAUFORT SEA THROUGH WED MORNING. THE
SHORT WAVE TROUGH WILL BRING COLDER AIR ALOFT...ESPECIALLY OVER
THE NORTH SLOPE AND BEAUFORT SEA...BUT TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL
REBOUND SUN INTO MON AS UPPER RIDGING REBUILDS. THE SECOND SHORT
WAVE WILL IMPACT AREAS MAINLY FROM THE BROOKS RANGE NORTHWARD.

SURFACE...
06Z GFS/NAM MODEL RUNS INITIALIZE WELL ON THE 1004 MB LOW CENTER
JUST WEST OF GAMBELL. THE LOW WILL TRACK ACROSS NORTHWEST ALASKA
AND NORTHEASTWARD INTO THE BEAUFORT SEA. GFS/NAM PROGGED POSITION
FOR 9 PM SAT IS ABOUT 200 MILES NORTH OF DEMARCATION POINT...CENTRAL
PRESSURE AROUND 993 MB. GFS PROG AGREES WELL WITH THE 00Z GEFS
ENSEMBLE MEAN. BY 9 AM SUN...THE LOW WILL MOVE EASTWARD TO BANKS
ISLAND WEAKENING TO AROUND 996 MB. A STRONG COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED
WITH THE LOW CENTER WILL SWEEP EASTWARD ACROSS NORTHERN ALASKA
TODAY INTO THIS EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL RAPIDLY REBUILD
EASTWARD FOLLOWING THE COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE. THE VERY TIGHT
PRESSURE GRADIENT FOLLOWING THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE...ALONG WITH
RAPID PRESSURE RISES AND SHARP COLD ADVECTION WILL BRING A PERIOD
OF COLDER TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY WINDS TO MUCH OF NORTHERN ALASKA.

NORTH SLOPE...
STRONG WINDS...SNOW...AND BLOWING SNOW WILL DEVELOP OVER THE
NORTHWEST ALASKA COAST THIS MORNING...SPREADING RAPIDLY EASTWARD
THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES EASTWARD.
SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ARE EXPECTED. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL
DEVELOP ON THE CENTRAL ARCTIC COAST THIS AFTERNOON AND OVER THE
EASTERN ARCTIC COAST EARLY THIS EVENING. SEVERE BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS WILL DEVELOP ON THE EASTERN ARCTIC COAST EARLY
THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH AROUND NOON SUN ON THE CENTRAL ARCTIC COAST...
AND THROUGH AROUND 6 PM SUN ON THE EASTERN ARCTIC COAST. THE COLD
ADVECTION AND PRESSURE RISES BEHIND THE FRONT ARE VERY STRONG. ON
THE EASTERN ARCTIC COAST...A PRESSURE RISE OF ALMOST 25 MB IS
EXPECTED BETWEEN 6 PM THIS EVENING AND 3 AM SUN...WITH ANOTHER 10
MB RISE BETWEEN 3 AM SUN AND 9 AM SUN. TEMPERATURES AT THE SURFACE
AND AT LOWER LEVELS ALOFT WILL FALL BY 22-23 DEGREES CELSIUS
BETWEEN 6 PM THIS EVENING AND 3 AM SUN. WINDS AT LOWER ELEVATIONS
ALOFT WILL MAX OUT AT 60-65 KT. THESE FACTORS ALONG WITH THE TIGHT
PRESSURE GRADIENT ARE EXPECTED TO GENERATE WEST WINDS TO AROUND
65 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 80 MPH ON THE EASTERN ARCTIC COAST TONIGHT.
WEST WINDS GUSTING TO 50-60 MPH ARE EXPECTED ON THE CENTRAL ARCTIC
COAST. A PERIOD OF STRONG WINDS IS EXPECTED ELSEWHERE ON THE
ARCTIC COAST...BUT NOT AS STRONG AS WINDS EXPECTED ON THE CENTRAL
AND EASTERN ARCTIC COAST. WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT OVER THE
NORTHWEST COAST BY SUN AFTERNOON...THEN BECOME EAST 15-25 MPH BY
LATE SUN NIGHT. WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT OVER THE NORTHERN ARCTIC
COAST BY SUN EVENING...AND ON THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN ARCTIC
COASTS BY LATE SUN NIGHT.

THE NEXT SURFACE LOW CENTER IS PROGGED TO MOVE EASTWARD ACROSS
THE COAST TUE INTO TUE NIGHT. SINCE THE PROJECTED TRACK OF
THIS LOW IS ALONG THE ARCTIC COAST INSTEAD OF FARTHER TO
THE NORTH...SURFACE WINDS WILL BE SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN
THOSE PRODUCED BY THE CURRENT SYSTEM...AND REDEVELOPMENT
OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

INTERIOR...
THE EASTWARD MOVING COLD FRONT AND SHORT WAVE TROUGH ALOFT...ALONG
WITH THE ASSOCIATED TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT...COLD ADVECTION...AND
STRONG PRESSURE RISES...WILL BRING A PERIOD OF GUSTY WINDS AND
SNOW TO THE WESTERN INTERIOR TODAY...AND TO THE CENTRAL AND
EASTERN INTERIOR LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SNOW AMOUNTS
ARE EXPECTED TO BE 1 TO 3 INCHES IN MOST AREAS. WINDS ARE EXPECTED
TO GUST TO AS HIGH AS 40-45 MPH AT VALLEY LEVELS IN THE CENTRAL
AND EASTERN INTERIOR. HIGHER SUMMITS WILL LIKELY EXPERIENCE WINDS
OF 30 TO 50 MPH AND NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IN SNOW AND BLOWING
SNOW.

OVER THE MIDDLE TANANA VALLEY...WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE
LATE THIS AFTERNOON WITH SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW DEVELOPING. THE
STRONGEST WINDS...ALONG WITH MORE SNOW...ARE EXPECTED TO BE
BETWEEN 6 PM THIS EVENING AND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT...COINCIDENT WITH
THE PERIOD OF STRONGEST PRESSURE RISES AND COLD ADVECTION. WINDS
AT LOWER LEVELS OF ALOFT ARE EXPECTED TO MAX OUT AT AROUND 40 KT.
THESE FACTORS...ALONG WITH THE STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT BEHIND THE
FRONTAL PASSAGE...WILL RESULT IN BLUSTERY CONDITIONS WITH WINDS
GUSTING TO AS HIGH AS 45 MPH. WINDS WILL DIMINISH DURING THE LATE
NIGHT HOURS AND BECOME LIGHT BY SUN MORNING.

ON THE WEST COAST...SNOW IS EXPECTED TO END IN ALMOST ALL AREAS
BY EARLY THIS EVENING. WINTER STORM WARNINGS CONTINUE IN EFFECT
FOR ZONES 207-208-213-217...BUT ARE SCHEDULED TO END TODAY OR
THIS EVENING. GOES IR LOOP CURRENTLY SHOWS THE BACK EDGE OF THE
COLDEST CLOUD TOPS AND SNOW CURRENTLY EXTENDS FROM POINT HOPE
TO NOME AND EMMONAK...AND IS MOVING SLOWLY EASTWARD.

ADDITIONAL SNOW AMOUNTS EXPECTED ON THE WEST COAST...
ZONE 207...6 INCHES.
ZONE 208...6 TO 10 INCHES.
ZONE 209...4 INCHES.
ZONE 210...4 INCHES.
ZONE 211...UP TO 4 INCHES.
ZONE 212...4 INCHES.
ZONE 213...3 INCHES.
ZONE 216...UP TO 4 INCHES.
ZONE 217...6 TO 10 INCHES.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ213-AKZ217.

BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ203-AKZ204-AKZ206.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ201-AKZ202-AKZ205-AKZ209-AKZ210-
AKZ218-AKZ219-AKZ220-AKZ221-AKZ222-AKZ224.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-
PKZ230-PKZ235.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ240.

HURRICANE FORCE WIND WARNING FOR PKZ245.

&&

RF FEB 15

Event by event

5 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Western Arctic Coast

When: February 28, 2:18 PM AKST to 8:56 PM AKST
Where: Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
Reported by: AWSS

Blizzard, Northern Arctic Coast

When: February 28, 3:33 PM AKST to 6:33 PM AKST
Where: Northern Arctic Coast forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations

Blizzard, Central Beaufort Sea Coast

When: February 28, 3:53 PM AKST to 11:59 PM AKST
Where: Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Blizzard, N. Brooks Rng E of Colville R

When: February 28, 5:00 PM AKST to 11:59 PM AKST
Where: N. Brooks Rng E of Colville R forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Blizzard, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast

When: February 28, 5:55 PM AKST to 11:59 PM AKST
Where: Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

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 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, February 2015

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: 568206, 568204, 568203, 568208, 566131.