A 974 mb low pressure center moved into the western Bering and strong winds developed out ahead of an approaching frontal boundary along the west coast of Alaska on March 4th 2019. Blizzard conditions and high winds along the Bering strait were observed from late morning into the afternoon of the 4th of March.
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 974 mb low pressure center moved into the western Bering and strong winds developed out ahead of an approaching frontal boundary along the west coast of Alaska on March 4th 2019. Blizzard conditions and high winds along the Bering strait were observed from late morning into the afternoon of the 4th of March.
zone 209: Kotzebue ASOS reported one quarter mile or less at times with a peak wind gust of 39 mph (34 kt).
zone 207: Point Hope AWOS reported one quarter mile or less at times with a peak wind gust of 56 mph ( 49 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 4, 5:18 AM AKST, 6 hours 42 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 518 AM AKST Mon Mar 4 2019 .DISCUSSION... A weather front is moving onto the West Coast this morning and will move north and east through the day, bringing gusty winds, reduced visibility to blowing snow, and heavy snowfall. Another weather front will slowly north and east across the West Coast and Western Interior Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing more heavy snow. A mix of rain, snow, and possibly freezing rain is possible through Tuesday from the Seward Peninsula south. Snow spreads eastward across the Interior and North Slope Wednesday and Thursday. Aloft, at 500 mb, a high is centered near where the borders of the Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory, and British Columbia meet, a low is centered between Yakutat and Cordova, a ridge axis extends from north from Kodiak to McGrath to Hughes to Prudhoe Bay, a low is moving onshore the the Kamchatka Peninsula, and another low is located southwest of Shemya. As the low along the Gulf of Alaska slides southeast through midweek, the high over the Northwest Territories, Yukon Territory, and British Columbia border will elongate and stretch north to Mackenzie Bay and the ridge axis over northern Alaska will slide eastward to be centered along the Alcan border by Tuesday evening. The ridge axis will tap into the elongated high Tuesday night and Wednesday, resulting in the ridge axis folding over and moving east across the Yukon Territory. The low southwest of Shemya this morning will weaken as it moves into the western Bering Sea this afternoon and carve out a shortwave as it progresses east northeast across the Bering Sea to be located just northwest of the Pribilofs Tuesday morning and west of Nunivak Island Tuesday afternoon. It will continue northeast Tuesday night to be centered over Norton Sound Wednesday morning and near Kotzebue Sound Wednesday afternoon, weakening as it moves over the Brooks Range, with the axis stretching southeast across the Interior Wednesday, and continuing northeast Thursday. Ridging will build in briefly behind the shortwave, with the next low moving into the western Bering Sea Thursday. Surface...Broad high pressure will persist across the eastern Interior through midweek, as will a leeside trough north of the Brooks Range. This will maintain a tight pressure gradient across the Brooks Range. A 1004 mb low will develop 75 NM west of Wrangel Island this afternoon moving northeast to be a 1005 mb low located 150 NM north of Wrangel Island Tuesday morning, continuing northeast to be a 1007 mb low 300 NM northeast of Wrangel Island Tuesday afternoon and into the high Arctic by Wednesday afternoon. Two lows, a 1006 mb low 75 NM north of Adak and a 1012 mb low 75 NM southwest of Nikolski, will move northeast across the Bering Sea this morning. The low north of Adak will deepen to be a 1003 mb low located 150 NM west of St Paul Island by this afternoon and the low southwest of Nikolski will deepen to be a 1005 mb low located 50 NM northeast of St Paul Island. The low west of St Paul Island will be absorbed by the deepening eastern low tonight, resulting in a 999 mb low 100 NM northwest of Nunivak Island. An elongated trough will develop Tuesday across the Bering Strait, stretching from near Cape Lisburne south to between St Lawrence Island and Port Clarence with two low centers developing by Tuesday afternoon. The trough will stretch northeast along the Chukchi Sea Coast and Beaufort Sea Coast by Wednesday morning, with a 1002 mb low emerging 200 NM north of Utqiagvik by Wednesday afternoon. The next strong low enters the western Bering Sea Wednesday as a 955 mb low 100 NM west of Shemya, moving northeast to be 300 NM southwest of the Pribilofs by Thursday morning. Models...00Z model suite initialized well against the 00Z RAOBS and the 00Z and 06Z surface obs. Models are in good agreement with the overall synoptic pattern through Tuesday morning. At the surface, models are in good agreement with placement and timing of features through early Wednesday, when differences become apparent with the handling of the low north of the Arctic Coast, GFS and ECMWF are slower and keep the low further west, but the NAM moves it quickly northeast over the Beaufort. QPF values and placement vary a good deal between models, especially in the favored southern upslope areas. Opted to go for a model blend approach to QPF. North Slope and Brooks Range: A weather front will lift northeast across the northwest Arctic Coast today, bringing a chance of light snow from Utqiagvik west. Another weather front will move north and east across the region late Tuesday and Wednesday, bringing another chance of snow to the western half of the region and shifting winds to the southwest. Snowfall accumulations will generally be in the one and a half to three inch range, with higher amounts possible from Point Lay west. A tighter pressure gradient has developed across the Brooks Range, resulting in southerly winds with gusts to 40 mph in the passes today. This could cause some areas of blowing snow and a Winter Weather Advisory for blowing snow remains in effect for the northeastern Brooks Range. Winds will relax tonight. West Coast and Western Interior: A weather front is moving onto the West Coast this morning and will move north and east through the day, Gusty winds expected with this system, with the strongest winds occurring north of the Seward Peninsula, along the Chukchi Sea Coast, with gust to 45 mph possible. Blowing snow will reduce visibility in some areas to less than half a mile. Periods of heavy snow are also expected with this front, with the heaviest snow falling in the upslope areas. The next front will push north across Y-K Delta tonight and slowly slide north and east Tuesday and Wednesday. The slow movement of the front will result in more heavy snow, especially in the upslope areas. Rain may mix with snow from the Seward Peninsula south at times through Tuesday. Snowfall totals through Wednesday of 8 to 12 inches, with locally higher amounts, will be common in the upslope areas of the West Coast and Western Interior. Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories remain in effect for much of the region. Central and Eastern Interior: Patchy stratus lingers across portions of the Interior this morning but is expected to dissipate during the day, with mostly clear skies prevailing this afternoon and tonight. Cloud cover will increase Tuesday and Wednesday, with snow spreading east Tuesday night and Wednesday. Heaviest snow will fall west of Bettles. A Tanana Valley Jet will develop today with gusts to 30 mph and continue through Tuesday as a leeside trough develops north of the Alaska Range, increasing the gradient between it and the high centered over the Yukon Territory. Southerly gap winds develop late this afternoon in the Alaska Range passes and continue through Wednesday, with the strongest winds expected Tuesday morning. Gusts up to 40 mph are expected. Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None. && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning for AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ210-AKZ211-AKZ217. Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ206-AKZ209-AKZ212-AKZ214-AKZ215- AKZ216. Small Craft Advisory for PKZ200-PKZ215. Gale Warning for PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ230. && MAR 19
2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
The Kotzebue ASOS reported one quarter mile or less at times with a peak wind gust of 39 mph (34 kt).
Blizzard conditions were recorded at the Point Hope AWOS. One quarter mile or less at times with a peak wind gust of 56 mph ( 49 kt) was observed.
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: 805414, 805415.