Blizzard, Central Beaufort Sea Coast
- When
- January 4, 12:24 PM AKST to January 5, 5:53 PM AKST
- Where
- Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
- Reported by
- ASOS
Peak wind of 51 kt ( 59 mph) reported at the Deadhorse ASOS.
Blizzard in Alaska, January 4 to 5, 2017
Strong high pressure of 1055 mb over northwest alaska and low pressure trough over barrow created a strong pressure gradient east of barrow on January 4th. Strong winds and along with snow and blowing snow caused blizzard conditions from January 4th through the afternoon of January 5th.
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 high pressure of 1055 mb over northwest alaska and low pressure trough over barrow created a strong pressure gradient east of barrow on January 4th. Strong winds and along with snow and blowing snow caused blizzard conditions from January 4th through the afternoon of January 5th.
Zone 203: Blizzard conditions reported at the Deadhorse ASOS. Peak wind of 51 kt (59 mph).
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 4, 5:59 AM AKST, 6 hours 25 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 4, 5:59 AM AKST, 6 hours 25 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 559 AM AKST Wed Jan 4 2017 .DISCUSSION... Aloft... The long wave pattern consisting of a ridge over mainland Alaska and a trough over NE Russia and the Sea of Okhotsk will retrograde Wed and Thu with the ridge moving west over the eastern Bering Sea and West Coast of Alaska by Thu. The ridge will then become higher amplitude and morph into an omega block over the West Coast of Alaska by the weekend. Surface... A 1012 mb low southwest of wrangel island will move into the chukchi sea and track near barrow as a 1011 mb low by thursday morning. high pressure builds in behind the low through the weekend. Strong pressure gradient along with precip will produce blizzard conditions for the bering strait and northwest alaska starting wed morning through early thursday morning. Gusts 60 to 70 mph are possible. Expect 2-4 inches of snow along with significant blowing snow and west winds 40-50 mph. At Barter island could see gusts to 75 mph Thu making this and extreme blizzard. Frontal boundary will push into the interior on thursday. Winds will increase across the interior with west winds gusting to 35 to 40 mph. Snow showers and blowing snow also expected A 1055 mb high building over the West Coast of Alaska Thu will build over Interior Alaska Thu night and Fri. This will add to the strong winds in the Eastern Interior and Eastern Arctic Coast Thu that will decrease overnight. Will see clearing under this high. Pressures this high means that altimeter settings will be over 31.00 inches over the West Coast Thu and over the Interior and North Slope Fri. Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4... High surf advisory in effect for Gambell and in the Bering Strait Wed with SW gales. && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Blizzard Watch for AKZ201-AKZ202-AKZ203-AKZ204-AKZ205-AKZ206. High Surf Advisory for AKZ213. Winter Storm Warning for AKZ207-AKZ213. Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ208-AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ216-AKZ217. Gale Warning for PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ200-PKZ235. && JAN 17
Event by event
1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
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
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flow in California, January 4 to 5, 2017
- Cold in Wisconsin, January 4, 2017
- Lake-Effect Snow in New York, January 4 to 8, 2017
- Lake-Effect Snow in Pennsylvania, January 4 to 7, 2017
- Lake-Effect Snow in Ohio, January 4 to 7, 2017
- High Wind in Washington, January 4, 2017
- High Wind in New York, January 4, 2017
- Winter Storm in Colorado, January 4 to 6, 2017
- Extreme Cold in Idaho, January 4 to 5, 2017
- Winter Weather in Kansas, January 4 to 5, 2017
- Winter Weather in Utah, January 4 to 5, 2017
- Blizzard in Alaska, January 4 to 5, 2017
More
Every storm in Alaska in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 674012.