Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, November 23 to 26, 2015

Name: Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Alaska, November 23 to 26, 2015
Start: 2015-11-23T03:00
End: 2015-11-26T06:40
Location: Alaska

November 23 to 26, 2015 · NWS AFG · 12 events in 11 counties and zones

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 12

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 968 mb low pressure center in the western Bering Sea along with the associated occluded front pushed northeast towards Saint Lawrence Island during the morning hours of the 23rd of November 2015. This low produced strong easterly winds along with snow and blowing snow creating blizzard conditions for Saint Lawrence Island during the daytime hours. Blizzard conditions spread north and east across the Seward Peninsula and the Yukon Delta and along the northwest coast of Alaska during the daytime hours of the 23rd. The associated occluded front moved into the interior of Alaska on the 24th through 26th bringing areas of heavy snowfall in and near the Alaska Range, along with a period of high wind to the eastern Alaska Range.

Blizzard conditions occurred at: |Zone 207: Blizzard conditions were observed at the Kivalina ASOS. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 41 kt (47 mph) at the Kivalina ASOS.

Zone 209: Blizzard conditions were observed at the Kotzebue ASOS. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 46 kt (53 mph) at the kotzebue ASOS.

Zone 210: Blizzard conditions were observed at the Deering ASOS. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow.

Zone 211: Blizzard conditions were observed at the Nome ASOS. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 47 kt (54 mph) at the Nome ASOS.

Zone 212: Blizzard conditions were observed at the Golovin AWOS. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 56 kt (64 mph) at the Golovin AWOS.

Zone 213: Blizzard conditions were observed at the Gambell AWOS. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 43 kt (50 mph) at the Gambell AWOS.

Zone 214: Blizzard conditions were observed at the Mountain Village AWOS. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow.

Zone 216: Blizzard conditions were observed at the Kaltag ASOS. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in snow and blowing snow.

Heavy Snow was reported at:|Zone 221: A foot of snow fell at the Minchumina airport. Snow began during the afternoon of the 24th and continued into the morning hours of the 25th.

Zone 225: An estimated 17.3 inches of snow fell at Mckinley park headquarters. Snow began early on the 24th and continued into the afternoon hours of the 25th.

Zone 226: An estimated 24 inches of snow fell at the Black Rapids mesonet site. Snow began in the afternoon of the 23rd and continued into the morning of the 26th. Strong winds also produced local blizzard conditions.

High Wind was reported at:|Zone 226: The U.S. Army Mesonet site Texas Condo reported wind gusts to 66 kt (76 mph) on the 23rd.

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 22, 4:58 PM AKST, 10 hours 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 22, 4:58 PM AKST, 10 hours 2 minutes before

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
458 PM AKST SUN NOV 22 2015

.DISCUSSION...
STRONG BERING SEA STORM TO IMPACT THE WEST COAST OF ALASKA WITH
POTENTIAL COASTAL FLOODING...THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL INTERIOR WITH SNOW
AND BLOWING SNOW AND THE ALASKA RANGE WITH HIGH WINDS.

THE 12Z MODELS INITIALIZED WELL AGAINST THE 12Z ANALYSIS AND VERIFIED
WELL AGAINST THE 18Z ANALYSIS. MINIMAL SPREAD BETWEEN MODEL
FAMILIES AND FROM RUN TO RUN THROUGH THE SHORT TERM AND PRESENTS
REASONABLE SPREAD INTO THE MID TERM.

FIRST...THE POTENTIAL FOR COASTAL FLOODING. MODEL GUIDANCE HAS
CONVERGED ON STRENGTH AND TRACK ON THE BERING SEA LOW. STORM SURGE
GUIDANCE CONTINUES TO INDICATE A 4 TO 6 FOOT STORM SURGE ALONG THE
LOWER YK DELTA COAST BEGINNING MONDAY NIGHT WITH HIGHEST VALUES
EXPECTED TUESDAY EVENING AS MOMENTUM TRANSPORT OF PARALLEL WINDS
ALONG THE COAST PILE UP WATER AS WINDS SHIFT TO THE SOUTHWEST.
SURGE GUIDANCE INDICATES A 4 TO 6 STORM SURGE BUILDING ALONG THE
EASTERN NORTON SOUND SHORE NEAR UNALAKLEET TO NEAR STEBBINS WITH
PEAK VALUES EXPECTED TUESDAY EVENING. A 6 TO 8 FOOT SURGE IS
INDICATED ALONG THE NORTH SHORE OF NORTON SOUND WITH GOLOVIN AND
ELIM EXPECTING A 6 TO 8 FOOT SURGE AND NOME EXPECTED TO RECEIVE A
6 FOOT SURGE. PEAK SURGE VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO OCCUR TUESDAY
EVENING. A 4 TO 6 FOOT SURGE IS EXPECTED WEST OF NOME ALONG THE
BERING STRAIT COAST AND A 4 FOOT SURGE IS EXPECTED ALONG THE
SOUTHERN SHORE OF ST LAWRENCE ISLAND. COASTAL FLOOD WATCHES HAVE
BEEN ISSUED FOR ZONES 211...212...213 AND 214.

SECOND...HIGH WINDS IN THE ALASKA RANGE. VERY STRONG WINDS ALOFT
COMBINED WITH A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR MOUNTAIN WAVE BREAKING
ESPECIALLY IN THE EASTERN ALASKA RANGE WITH SOUTH SOUTHWEST
WIND ORIENTATION WILL FORCE THE STRONG WINDS ALOFT TO THE SURFACE
BEGINNING MONDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING THROUGH AT LEAST
TUESDAY. SLIGHT WEST OF SOUTH TRAJECTORY OF THE WINDS IN ZONE 227
LIKELY NOT BE PERPENDICULAR ENOUGH TO SET UP MOUNTAIN WAVE
THEREFORE A WIND ADVISORY ISSUED FOR AREAS NEAR THE ALASKA RANGE.

THIRD...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW. STRONG FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE
NORTH AND EAST INTO THE LOWER YK DELTA AND ST LAWRENCE ISLAND
LATER TONIGHT WITH HIGH WINDS AND HEAVY SNOW CREATING BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS THERE. THE FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTH AND EAST
THROUGH THE DAY MONDAY. UPGRADED ONGOING WINTER STORM WATCHES TO
WARNINGS WITH A BUMP FORWARD OF A FEW HOURS ON EVENT START WITH
SLIGHTLY FASTER THAN EXPECTED MOVEMENT OF THE FRONT. FORECASTED
SOUNDINGS CONTINUE TO INDICATE ALL SNOW WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE
LOWER YK DELTA WHERE A BRIEF MIX WITH RAIN IS POSSIBLE MONDAY
AFTERNOON. THE FRONT REMAINS FAST MOVING AS IT MOVES OVER THE WEST
COAST AND SNOW AMOUNTS IN THESE AREAS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ON THE
LIGHT SIDE OF WARNING CRITERIA HOWEVER AS THE FRONT STALLS OVER
THE WESTERN BROOKS RANGE AND CENTRAL INTERIOR IMPRESSIVE SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS ARE ANTICIPATED. WINTER STORM WATCHES OVER THE
CENTRAL INTERIOR WERE UPGRADED TO WARNINGS AND WARNINGS WERE ADDED
FOR ZONES 218 WEST OF THE DALTON HIGHWAY AND FOR ZONE 220 WEST OF
BEAVER. SOUTH AND EAST OF THESE AREAS ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND
EASTERN INTERIOR ARE EXPECTED TO BE SHADOWED BY THE SIGNIFICANT
CHINOOK AND WIND EVENT IN THE ALASKA RANGE. WILL NEED TO MONITOR
ZONES 205 AND 206 ALONG THE NORTH SLOPES OF THE BROOKS RANGE AS
STRONG DOWN SLOPE WINDS DEVELOP AND MAY CREATE NEED FOR HEADLINES
FOR BLOWING SNOW MONDAY EVENING AND CONTINUING INTO TUESDAY.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE
A STRONG BERING SEA STORM IS FORECAST TO MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS
THE BERING SEA MONDAY AND TUESDAY. STRONG SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL
DEVELOP TONIGHT OVER THE LOWER YK DELTA AND SEWARD PENINSULA
MONDAY MORNING. AS THE STORM CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHEAST INTO THE
BERING STRAIT THE STRONG WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE SOUTH MONDAY
AFTERNOON AND TO THE SOUTHWEST MONDAY EVENING. THE STRONG
SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY. THE STRONG
SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CAUSE A 4 TO 6 FOOT STORM SURGE ALONG THE
LOWER YK DELTA COAST AND ALONG THE SOUTHEAST AND EASTERN SHORES
OF NORTON SOUND INCLUDING UNALAKLEET. A 6 TO 8 FOOT STORM SURGE
IS EXPECTED ALONG THE NORTH SHORE OF NORTON SOUND INCLUDING
ELIM...GOLOVIN AND NOME. A 4 TO 6 FOOT STORM SURGE IS EXPECTED
ALONG THE BERING STRAIT COAST. THE HIGHEST STORM SURGES ARE
EXPECTED TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ209-AKZ213-AKZ214.

HIGH WIND WARNING FOR AKZ225-AKZ226.

WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ223-AKZ227.

COASTAL FLOOD WATCH FOR AKZ211-AKZ212-AKZ213-AKZ214.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ227.

WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ210-AKZ211-AKZ212-
AKZ215-AKZ216-AKZ217-AKZ218-AKZ219-AKZ220-AKZ221.

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

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ220-PKZ225.

STORM WARNING FOR PKZ210.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ215-PKZ230.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220.
&&

CCC NOV 15

Event by event

8 blizzard, 3 heavy snow, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When: November 23, 3:00 AM AKST to 8:00 PM AKST
Where: St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS

Peak gust of 43 kt (50 mph).

Blizzard, Yukon Delta

When: November 23, 3:37 AM AKST to 7:58 AM AKST
Where: Yukon Delta forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS

Blizzard, Srn Seward Peninsula Coast

When: November 23, 4:53 AM AKST to 9:00 PM AKST
Where: Srn Seward Peninsula Coast forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Peak gust of 47 kt ( 54 mph) at the Nome ASOS.

Blizzard, Ern Norton Sound Nulato Hills

When: November 23, 7:56 AM AKST to 11:26 AM AKST
Where: Ern Norton Sound Nulato Hills forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS

There was a peak wind gust of 56 kt (64 mph) at the Golovin AWOS.

Blizzard, Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys

When: November 23, 10:00 AM AKST to 2:33 PM AKST
Where: Lower Koyukuk Middle Ykn Vlys forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Blizzard, Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula

When: November 23, 11:08 AM AKST to 2:08 PM AKST
Where: Nrn & Intr. Seward Peninsula forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

High Wind, Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng

When: November 23, 12:00 PM AKST to 11:00 PM AKST
Where: Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng forecast zone
Measured: 66 kt (76 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

Blizzard, Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley

When: November 23, 1:08 PM AKST to 5:38 PM AKST
Where: Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Peak wind of 46 kt (53 mph) at Kotzebue ASOS.

Blizzard, Chukchi Sea Coast

When: November 23, 1:36 PM AKST to 5:23 PM AKST
Where: Chukchi Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Peak wind gust of 41 kt (47 mph).

Heavy Snow, Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng

When: November 23, 2:05 PM AKST to November 26, 6:40 AM AKST
Where: Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng forecast zone
Reported by: Mesonet

Heavy Snow, Denali

When: November 24, 12:36 AM AKST to November 25, 3:00 PM AKST
Where: Denali forecast zone
Reported by: Park/Forest Service

Heavy Snow, Wrn Tanana Vly Wrn Yukon Vly

When: November 24, 6:00 PM AKST to November 25, 8:00 AM AKST
Where: Wrn Tanana Vly Wrn Yukon Vly forecast zone
Reported by: COOP Observer

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.
High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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, November 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: 605927, 606972, 606230, 606973, 606969, 606229, 607762, 606228, 606225, 607765, 607764, 607763.