Blizzard in Alaska, November 17 to 18, 2017

Name: Blizzard in Alaska, November 17 to 18, 2017
Start: 2017-11-17T11:00
End: 2017-11-18T00:00
Location: Alaska

November 17 to 18, 2017 · NWS AFG · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A weather front produced strong winds and low visibility to parts of the west coast and northwest Alaska on the 17th of November. Zone 210: Blizzard conditions reported at the Deering ASOS.

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 weather front produced strong winds and low visibility to parts of the west coast and northwest Alaska on the 17th of November.

Zone 210: Blizzard conditions reported at the Deering ASOS. A peak wind of 43 kt (50 mph) also reported.

Zone 211: Blizzard conditions reported at the Nome ASOS. A peak wind of 35 kt (40 mph) also reported.

Zone 213: Blizzard conditions reported at the Tin City AWOS. A peak wind of 52 kt ( 60 mph) also reported.

Zone 213: Blizzard conditions reported at the Wales AWOS. A peak wind of 54 kt ( 62 mph) also reported.

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 17, 4:23 AM AKST, 6 hours 37 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 17, 4:23 AM AKST, 6 hours 37 minutes before

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion...CORRECTED
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
423 AM AKST Fri Nov 17 2017

.SYNOPSIS...
Aloft...
The long wave ridge over the Bering and West Coast of
Alaska will have several strong short waves make their way east
through the ridge through the weekend. Each short wave will bring
stormy conditions consisting of rain, snow, winds and possible
blizzard conditions with them, with about a day of quiet weather
in between them. A deep long wave trough over NW Canada will
retrograde over eastern Alaska next week causing temperatures over
the eastern Interior to fall to well below zero next week.

A short wave trough over the Eastern North Slope and Eastern
Interior will move over the Alcan Border today and east of the
border tonight. Snow with this feature will taper off today and
tonight.

A second and very strong short wave near Kamchatka will move
along the dateline Sat, over the West Coast of Alaska Sat night,
then drop into the Gulf of Alaska Sun. This will bring a strong
storm with strong winds, snow and blizzard conditions, and
possible freezing rain to the West Coast and SW Interior Sat into
Sun. See Surface below for details.

Surface...
A 1002 mb low 80 nm north of Cape Lisburne will move to
Cape Lisburne as a 1017 mb low by Fri evening then dissipate Sat.
A weakening weather front stretching from this low to 1004 mb low
over Arctic Village, will move to Cape lisburne to a 1012 mb low
near Dawson by 3pm Fri, and to Cape Lisburne to Northway by 3am
Sat, then dissipating. There are winds 15-25 kt with the first low
over the Chukchi Sea that are now causing high surf from
Shishmaref to Deering. Those winds and the high surf will decrease
this afternoon as the low weakens. There are scattered snow
showers along the front that will diminish to isolated snow
showers tonight. Upslope areas such as the north slopes of the
Brooks and ALaska Ranges will see another 1-2 inches of snow with
these features today.

A 994 mb low over Kamchatka will move to near Anadyr as a 999 mb
low by 3am Sat, to the Chukotsk Peninsula as a 991 mb low by 3pm
Sat, to 60 nm southwest of Nome as a 981 mb low by 3am Sat, and to
near Dillingham as a 989 mb low by 3pm Sun. A strong warm front
stretches east from the low that will move to the Eastern Bering
Sea by 3am Sat, to Provideniya to the Yukon Delta by 3pm Sat,
with a cold front from Provideniya south to near St Paul Is by
3pm Sat. After that the front will rapidly occlude and lie from
Nome to a triple point near King Salmon by 4am Sun, with the front
moving south of the area during the day Sun. Expect snow and
southeast winds 25-35 kt head of the front causing near blizzard
conditions. Precip will change to rain along the warm front and in
the warm sector south of the warm front. This will cause freezing
rain over zone 214 and possibly southern zone 215 Sat PM which
could cause a significant accumulation on the frozen ground.
Precip will change back to snow with the cold front and with the
occluded front. Expect 4-8 inches of snow over the West Coast and
Western Interior with this system. Expect Northwest winds 40kt
south of the surface low over zones 213 and 214 Sat PM into Sun
Am. The could cause high surf zone 214 Sat night. Will issue for
the West Coast from Kotzebue to Shageluk south for Sat into Sun.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Models in reasonable agreement through Mon, then they start to
diverge through next week on the location of short wave troughs.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...
There are winds 15-25 kt over the Chukchi Sea that are now
causing high surf from Shishmaref to Deering. Those winds and the
high surf will decrease this afternoon as the low weakens.

Expect Northwest winds 40kt south of the surface low over zones
213 and 214 Sat PM into Sun Am. The could cause high surf zone 214
Sat night.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
High Surf Advisory for AKZ207-AKZ210-AKZ212-AKZ214.

Winter Storm Watch for AKZ207-AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ211-AKZ212-AKZ213-
AKZ214-AKZ215-AKZ216.

Winter Storm Warning for AKZ206.

Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ223-AKZ224-AKZ225-AKZ226-AKZ227.

Small Craft Advisory for PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225.

Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ230-PKZ235.

Gale Warning for PKZ210.
&&

JB NOV 17

In the hours before

Local storm report, Nov 17, 6:02 AM AKST, 4 hours 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
602 AM AKST FRI NOV 17 2017

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1000 PM     SNOW             1 NNE NORTH POLE        64.77N 147.35W
11/16/2017  M5.0 INCH        FAIRBANKS NORTH STAAK   NWS EMPLOYEE

            TOTAL SNOWFALL SO FAR FOR THIS EVENT OF 5
            INCHES.

&&

HFL

Local storm report, Nov 17, 6:03 AM AKST, 4 hours 57 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
603 AM AKST FRI NOV 17 2017

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1100 PM     SNOW             3 NNW NORTH POLE        64.80N 147.39W
11/16/2017  M5.0 INCH        FAIRBANKS NORTH STAAK   NWS EMPLOYEE

            TOTAL SNOWFALL THIS EVENT SO FAR OF 5
            INCHES.

&&

HFL

Local storm report, Nov 17, 6:05 AM AKST, 4 hours 55 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
605 AM AKST FRI NOV 17 2017

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1200 AM     SNOW             4 SSW COLLEGE           64.82N 147.88W
11/17/2017  E3.4 INCH        FAIRBANKS NORTH STAAK   NWS EMPLOYEE

            MEASURED SNOWFALL TOTAL OF 3.4 INCHES WITH A
            WATER EQUIV OF 0.22 INCHES. SNOW DEPTH OF 10
            INCHES. SWE OF 1.2 AND SNOW LOAD OF 6.24.
            THE DURATION OF THE SNOW EVENT WAS 24 HOURS.

&&

HFL

Local storm report, Nov 17, 6:07 AM AKST, 4 hours 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
607 AM AKST FRI NOV 17 2017

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0808 PM     SNOW             3 N FAIRBANKS           64.88N 147.64W
11/16/2017  M4.3 INCH        FAIRBANKS NORTH STAAK   NWS EMPLOYEE

            MEASURED 4.3 INCHES AS OF 8PM. THE DURATION
            OF THE SNOW EVENT WAS 24 HOURS.

&&

HFL

Local storm report, Nov 17, 6:10 AM AKST, 4 hours 50 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
610 AM AKST FRI NOV 17 2017

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0700 PM     SNOW             2 NNW COLLEGE           64.89N 147.85W
11/16/2017  M3.4 INCH        FAIRBANKS NORTH STAAK   NWS EMPLOYEE

            MEASURED 3.4 INCHES OF TOTAL SNOWFALL AS OF
            7PM.

&&

HFL

Local storm report, Nov 17, 6:11 AM AKST, 4 hours 49 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
611 AM AKST FRI NOV 17 2017

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0500 PM     SNOW             4 N COLLEGE             64.92N 147.85W
11/16/2017  M4.1 INCH        FAIRBANKS NORTH STAAK   NWS EMPLOYEE

            TOTAL SNOWFALL AS OF 5PM OF 4.1 INCHES.

&&

HFL

Event by event

2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Srn Seward Peninsula Coast

When: November 17, 11:00 AM AKST to November 18, 12:00 AM AKST
Where: Srn Seward Peninsula Coast forecast zone
Reported by: ASOS

Blizzard, St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait

When: November 17, 11:00 AM AKST to November 18, 12:00 AM AKST
Where: St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait 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

Every storm in Alaska in 2017 Every state in 2017 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, November 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: 737661, 737662.