Strong southerly flow over the Alaska range produced gusty winds in the passes of the |Alaska range and near Delta Junction on the 14th of March 2019. S.
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.
The episode as NWS AFG wrote it up.
Strong southerly flow over the Alaska range produced gusty winds in the passes of the |Alaska range and near Delta Junction on the 14th of March 2019.
|Zone 226: The U.S. Army Mesonet station Texas Condo reported a wind gust of 61 kts (70 mph).|Zone 223: Fort Greely mesonet reported a wind gust of 61 kts (70 mph).
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 Mar 14, 2:58 PM AKST, 3 hours 2 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 358 PM AKDT Thu Mar 14 2019 .SYNOPSIS... A strong southerly flow pattern for the next week will keep all of Northern ALaska from the Brooks Range south much warmer than normal for the next week. Chinook winds blowing across the Alaska Range will keep the Eastern Interior mainly dry and 10-20F warmer than normal, while the Western Interior will have periods of rain and snow, the West Coast will have mainly snow and blowing snow, and the Arctic Coast remains closer to normal temperatures. The Brooks Range will develop Chinook winds Fri and remain warmer than normal for most of the next week. Aloft... The long wave pattern consisting over a deep trough over the Bering and NW Pacific with a ridge over Western Canada will persist for the next week. A series of strong short wave will make there way north over Alaska, bringing periods of strong chinook winds to the INterior, and bring periods of snow and winds to the West Coast, with a mix of rain and snow in the Western Interior. Surface... A 1004 mb low near Demarcation Point will move to near Inuvik as a 1010 mb low by 4pm Fri and then move east. Strong winds and blowing snow near Barter Island now will decrease tonight as this low moves east. A 993 mb low the Western Interior of Alaska will move to near Kotzebue as a 998 mb low by 4am Fri, to near Cape Lisburne as a 1001 mb low by 4pm Fri, and then move north and weaken. A weather front from this low to the eastern Brooks Range will move to Kotzebue to Barter Island by 4am Fri, to Point Hope to north of the Arctic Coast of Alaska during the day Fri, and then continue north and diminish. This is bringing snow to the northern INterior Now and will bring a chance of snow to the North Slope and NW Ak tonight and Fri, This will keep east winds 25-35 kt and blowing snow at POint Lay into Fri am. A 987 mb low 150 NM southwest of Gambell will weaken very slowly in place through Sat. An arctic cold front stretching from this low to the Yukon Delta will move to Nome to Shageluk by 4am Fri, to Point Hope to Mcgrath by 4pm Fri, to Wainwright to Ambler to Anvik by 4am Sat, and then moving back over the West Coast Sat. Snow along this front will spread inland with the front with 1-2 inches along the West Coast and Western Interior through Fri. A strong low developing in the Gulf of Alaska on Fri will move to near King Salmon as a 984 mb low by 4pm Sat and then to near the Seward Pen on Sun. This will push moisture north along the Arctic front causing snow to become a bit heavier Sat and Sun. Could see 4 inches or more along the Nulato Hill to the Western Brooks Range Sat-Sun. Warm air with this low will bring a mix of rain and snow to the Western and Northern Interior Sat and Sun, while the SE Interior remains dry. Strong southerly chinook winds blowing across the Alaska Range will taper off late tonight and then resume again Fri Night into Sat. These winds will blow off and on for much of the next week. This will keep temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above normal over the Eastern Interior for the next week. Most areas south of the Yukon River will reach into the 30s and even the 40s during the day time for the next week, while low temperatures will be in the teens and 20s. A few calm valleys will see lows near zero. && .DISCUSSION... Models initialize well aloft and show similar solutions through 4am Sun. After that time, the GFS and and ECMF and faster than the NAM and Canadian at moving a strong short wave north across the Gulf of AK and into S Central AK on Sun PM. Favor the faster GFS solution, as this very dynamics southerly flow aloft is a set up to move features quickly and cause rapid deepening. The GFS and ECMF precipitation fields are broader in area of coverage than the NAM. Favor the broader GFS areal coverage due to the slight uncertainty in timing, and the generally southerly wet flow. At the surface, models verified well on most features at 15Z, excepting the high north of the Arctic Coast which was stronger than models indicated. This will result in slightly stronger winds overt he Arctic Coast through tonight than models indicate. Mid range Tue-Fri looks like models are in agreement on the long wave pattern consisting of a high amplitude trough over the Bering and NW Pacific and Ridge over NW Canada. Models show little to no agreement in timing of short wave features, so may need to use ensemble approach for timing, but will likely need to adjust surface low depth to max depth shown by deterministic runs. Bottom line for Northern AK, is this looks like a return to the very wet, warm and windy pattern of last week for Northern Alaska, but with little agreement on timing of individual storms. Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None. && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Advisory for AKZ226. Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ201-AKZ204-AKZ219. Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ200-PKZ210. Small Craft Advisory for PKZ210. Gale Warning for PKZ245. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230-PKZ235-PKZ240. && JB MAR 19
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 327 PM AKDT Thu Mar 14 2019 AKZ221>223-225-226-150130- Central Interior-Middle Tanana Valley-Deltana and Tanana Flats- Denali-Eastern Alaska Range- Including Nenana, Anderson, Tanana, Minto, Manley Hot Springs, Rampart, Lake Minchumina, Livengood, Fairbanks, Fort Wainwright, Eielson AFB, Ester, North Pole, Moose Creek, Two Rivers, Fox, Chatanika, Chena Hot Springs, Sourdough Camp, Salcha, Delta Junction, Fort Greely, Harding/Birch Lake, Dry Creek, Dot Lake, Healy Lake, Healy, Denali National Park, Carlo Creek, Kantishna, Mentasta Lake, Black Rapids, Donnelly Dome, Trims DOT Camp, Eagle Trail, and Mineral Lake 327 PM AKDT Thu Mar 14 2019 ...Very Warm In the Interior for the Next Week... There will be strong southerly chinook winds blowing across the Alaska Range off and on for much of the next week. This will keep temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above normal over the Eastern Interior for the next week. Most areas south of the Yukon River will reach into the 30s and even the 40s during the day time for the next week, while low temperatures will be in the teens and 20s. A few calm valleys will see lows near zero. JB
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Strong southerly chinook winds through the Alaska Range passes resulted in winds gusts at the U.S. Army Mesonet station Texas Condo of 61 kts (70 mph).
Strong southerly chinook winds through the Alaska Range passes resulted in winds gusts at the U.S. Army Mesonet station on Fort Greely of 61 kts (70 mph).
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, March 2019
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: 801358, 849397.