Cold in Alaska, January 20 to 21, 2017

Name: Cold in Alaska, January 20 to 21, 2017
Start: 2017-01-20T04:38
End: 2017-01-21T03:53
Location: Alaska

January 20 to 21, 2017 · NWS AFG · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Strong wind and cold temperatures produced dangerous wind chills below minus 70 along the north slope of alaska on January 20th. zone 203: Low wind chill of -76 F reported at the Deadhorse ASOS.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 wind and cold temperatures produced dangerous wind chills below minus 70 along the north slope of alaska on January 20th.

zone 203: Low wind chill of -76 F reported at the Deadhorse ASOS.

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 Jan 19, 2:40 PM AKST, 13 hours 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 2:40 PM AKST, 13 hours 58 minutes before

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
240 PM AKST Thu Jan 19 2017

.DISCUSSION...
Models are fairly similar through about 60 hours. Deep trough of
very cold air over Northern Alaska with upper low over Northwest
Alaska will slowly move to just north of Barrow by Fri afternoon.

Surface low near the Y-K Delta will continue to push northeast.
This will push clouds to the Interior of Alaska which will serve
to warm temperatures up substantially beginning Friday afternoon
and continue through much of the weekend. The warmer Pacific air
being advected into the Central portion of the state will also
enhance the warming to be seen at the surface level. Snowfall
will accompany the front. Snowfall could be enhnaced becasue of
the classic overrunning event that is set up to take place.

The Arctic Coast will be relatively benign with light winds and
not much precipitation except with the passing trough which may
kick off a few flurries from West to East continuing through
early weekend.

Upper level ridge will build in over Northern Alaska by early next
week. This will warm up all of Northern Alaska from about the
Arctic Coast southward as the week goes on.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Wind Chill Advisory for AKZ212-AKZ223-AKZ225.

Dense Fog Advisory for AKZ222.

Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ215.

Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ210.
&&

CF JAN 17

Event by event

1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Central Beaufort Sea Coast

When: January 20, 4:38 AM AKST to January 21, 3:53 AM AKST
Where: Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill: Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alaska in 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, January 2017

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: 677820.