A 1000 mb low pressure center moved across the north slope which produced strong winds and low visibility out ahead of the associated frontal boundary which clipped northwest Alaska on the 29th of March 2019. Blizzard conditions and high winds along the coast were observed during the evening hours.
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.
A 1000 mb low pressure center moved across the north slope which produced strong winds and low visibility out ahead of the associated frontal boundary which clipped northwest Alaska on the 29th of March 2019. Blizzard conditions and high winds along the coast were observed during the evening hours.
zone 207: Point Hope AWOS reported one quarter mile or less at times with a peak wind gust of 52 mph (45 kt).
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 29, 12:49 PM AKST, 4 hours 34 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 149 PM AKDT Fri Mar 29 2019 .DISCUSSION... Synopsis...A front will continue moving east across the North Slope and Arctic Coast this afternoon and tonight bringing light snow. Winds have increased once again across the eastern Bering Sea and St Lawrence Island, with stronger winds spreading north along the Chukchi Sea Coast tonight and Saturday as the next front moves across the region. Precip will largely be limited to St Lawrence Island to Nome and north along the Chukchi Sea Coast through this evening. Winds over the western Arctic Coast increase late tonight with stronger winds spreading eastward through the day Saturday, with snow spreading eastward as well. Aloft, at 500 mb, a shortwave extending across the Chukotsk Peninsula and into the eastern Bering will continue to weaken and dampen as it moves east northeast across the Arctic Coast and Beaufort Sea tonight and Saturday. Nearly zonal flow continues across northern Alaska this afternoon, shifting further north to be situated across the northern third of the state during the day Saturday, with a few shortwaves moving through the flow. A low southwest of Kodiak this afternoon, will move south tonight, retrograding towards the west Saturday, moving northwestward to near Cold Bay Sunday, and north of the Aleutians into the Bering Monday. Meanwhile, a high over centered over Unalaska this afternoon, will lift northeastward across southwest Alaska tonight to be stretched across the Interior by Saturday morning, remaining centered across the Interior through the weekend, and sliding eastward Sunday night and Monday. A low centered between the Kamchatka Peninsula and the far western Aleutians this evening, will continue to weaken as it moves northwestward Saturday, approaching the middle Kamchatka Peninsula Coast, and weakening to an open wave by Sunday. Surface...A 1003 mb low centered northeast of Kaktovik in the high Arctic this afternoon will continue to move northeast and weaken through Saturday. A front associated with low will continue to move east across the eastern Arctic tonight. A 1008 mb low will move off the Chukotka Coast to be 100 NM southeast of Wrangel Island tonight and will quickly move northeast to be a 1008 mb low located 150 NM northwest of Wainwright Saturday morning and a 1010 mb low located 250 NM north of Barter Island Saturday afternoon. A front associated with this low will sweep across the North Slope and Arctic Coast Saturday and Sunday. A 1017 mb low will move off the Chukotsk Peninsula Saturday afternoon, quickly weakening as it moves northeast across the Chukchi Sea Saturday night. Behind this low, a 1034 mb high develops 200 NM northwest of Point Lay Sunday afternoon, moving east northeast and strengthening to be a 1042 mb high centered 200 NM northwest of Utqiagvik by Monday afternoon. Broad high pressure will continue to build northeast across the Interior, extending northeast to the Arctic Coast. The high will continue to strengthen tonight, building to 1040 mb Saturday. Broad high pressure will remain in place through the weekend and into early next week for much of the Interior. A strong low will move into the western Bering Sea tonight between the Kamchatka Peninsula and the far Western Aleutians. The low will weaken Saturday and Sunday as it moves north and west towards the Kamchatka Peninsula. As the low moves north and west, a 999 mb low will quickly spin up in the southwesterly flow tonight northeast of Shemya. This low will weaken to 1002 mb as it quickly moves northwest to Kamchatka Saturday morning. Models...12Z model suite initialized fairly well against the 12Z RAOBS and the 12Z and 18Z surface obs. Models are in good agreement through the weekend; after that model solutions begin to diverge early next week with the placement of the major upper level features. North Slope and Brooks Range: A weather front continuing east across the Arctic Coast this afternoon and tonight, will produce periods of light snow. West to southwesterly winds will increase across the western Arctic Coast tonight, spreading eastward Saturday, as the next front moves across the region. Snow will spread eastward with the front. There is the potential on the northern upslope areas of the eastern Brooks Range for some heavy snowfall Saturday and Sunday. There is also the potential for blowing snow along the coast when the strongest winds coincide with the falling snow, so have maintained the ongoing winter weather advisories in zones 201 and 202, and added winter weather advisories to zones 203 and 204. As high pressure builds in across the Interior, southerly winds in the Brooks Range will increase and become gusty, with gusts to 40 mph. This likely will produce areas of blowing snow and have issued a winter weather advisory for zone 206. West Coast and Western Interior: A weather front moving north and east across St Lawrence Island and the Bering Strait this afternoon will continue to move north along the Chukchi Sea Coast tonight, bringing a mix of rain and snow, and the potential for locally heavy snow in the favored upslope areas of the western Brooks Range. Strong winds are expected from St Lawrence Island north through the Bering Strait and up the Chukchi Sea Coast, with the strongest winds occurring on St Lawrence Island with gusts to 55 mph possible and north of Kivalina where gusts to 50 mph are possible. Winds will diminish tonight and tomorrow, with stronger winds hanging on a little longer north of the Bering Strait, as another surge of winds are expected. Precipitation will taper off over St Lawrence Island tonight, lingering across the upslope areas of the Western Brooks Range through Saturday. Quieter conditions are expected Sunday and Monday. Central and Eastern Interior: Quiet conditions the next several days as high pressure builds in across the Interior. Partly cloudy skies Saturday will give way to mostly clear skies Sunday and Monday. Could see some patchy fog Saturday morning in valley locations. Above normal temperatures continue. Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None. && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ201-AKZ202-AKZ203-AKZ204-AKZ206- AKZ207-AKZ213. Small Craft Advisory for PKZ200-PKZ215. Gale Warning for PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ230-PKZ235-PKZ240-PKZ245-PKZ245. && MAR 19
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 520 PM AKDT Fri Mar 29 2019 AKZ223-301400- Deltana and Tanana Flats- Including Salcha, Delta Junction, Fort Greely, Harding/Birch Lake, Dry Creek, Dot Lake, and Healy Lake 520 PM AKDT Fri Mar 29 2019 ...SMALL ICE JAM REPORTED ON TANANA... A small ice jam has formed just downstream from the Boondox on the Tanana River near mile marker 330. No flooding is occuring at this time, though we will continue to monitor for developments.
1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard conditions were reported at the Point Hope AWOS. The AWOS reported one quarter mile or less at times with a peak wind gust of 52 mph (45 kt).
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: 833838.