A strong low pressure system produced strong winds and blizzard conditions along the eastern Norton Sound Coast from April 10 to 11th, 2020.
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 strong low pressure system produced strong winds and blizzard conditions along the eastern Norton Sound Coast from April 10 to 11th, 2020.
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 Apr 9, 1:19 PM AKST, 10 hours 41 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 219 PM AKDT Thu Apr 9 2020 .SYNOPSIS... A warm front moving in from the Bering Sea today has been bringing snow to southwest and western Alaska, including the Yukon Delta and Norton Sound. This system will continue northeast into the Interior tonight and Friday, bringing accumulating snow to the region. The heaviest snowfall totals will occur along the coast and along the upslope regions of higher terrain in the Interior. && .DISCUSSION... Aloft at 500 hPa: A 499 dm upper level low is centered 350 nm north of Utqiagvik over the Beaufort Sea, with a series of associated weak shortwaves moving across the Arctic coast and North Slope of the Brooks Range. A trough axis extends from the western portion of this low west and southwest across the Bering Strait and into far eastern Russia, extending as far as the Kamchatka Peninsula. Generally zonal flow under a high pressure ridge is in place over the Interior. A 520 dm area of low pressure is present over the western portion of the Aleutians, with a high pressure ridge north of this feature. This will make its way north and east Friday and into the weekend, and the pressure gradient between the high and low will tighten as the ridge intensifies. This will bring stronger upper level winds to the Arctic coast this weekend. West Coast and Western Interior: A warm front moving northeast through Norton Sound has brought snow to much of the West Coast. Snow is steadily falling this afternoon from the Yukon Delta north to Nome, and an embedded shortwave trough is allowing snow to fall even further north to Kotzebue and the northwest Arctic coast. This warm front will intrude inland to the northeast tonight and Friday, with snowfall accordingly expanding to those areas. Snowfall will become heavy across Norton Sound and into the Nulato Hills, where 6 to 10 inches of snowfall can be expected. As the warm front expands northeast, the low pressure center will weaken, allowing for snow to gradually taper off throughout the day Friday along the West Coast. A shortwave trough is expected to develop over the YK Delta Sat afternoon, bringing another shot of light snow to the area. A shortwave extending from an area of low pressure moving north through the Bering this weekend may bring increased winds and a chance of light snow to southwest Alaska Sat afternoon into Sunday, but there are still significant model differences regarding both the strength and location of the low pressure. North Slope and Brooks Range: Generally weather will be quiet through Friday as a weak Arctic trough makes it way across the region tonight. Friday, high pressure will move across the area, bringing mostly clear skies and near average temperatures. A shortwave trough will quickly move in from the west, extending all the way along the Arctic coast by Saturday night. This will bring a chance of light snow across the Arctic coast, mainly from Utqiagvik west, Saturday. This feature will track northeast Sunday. While the heaviest precipitation will likely remain offshore, areas along the northwest Arctic coast may see an inch or two of snow over the weekend. Central and Eastern Interior: A frontal boundary will lift into the Interior tonight and early Friday, bringing accumulating snow and gusty winds to parts of the region. A broad swath of 1-3 inches of snow is expected across much of the Interior, with a sharp cutoff just south of Fairbanks. The highest snowfall totals will occur over the upper Koyukuk Valley with 3-7 inches of snow expected, and the Elliott Highway near Manley Hot Springs may see 4-5 inches of snow. In addition to accumulating snow, winds gusting from around 20 to 40 mph across the summit highways will likely cause travel difficulties due to blowing and drifting snow, particularly along the Steese Highway. Winter weather advisories have been issued for these hazards. Afterward, snow will taper off Friday night and Saturday. Southwesterly flow and upper level ridging will allow temperatures to warm to above normal across Interior Alaska through the weekend and into early next week. Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None. && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Warning for AKZ212. Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ214-AKZ216-AKZ219-AKZ220-AKZ221. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ200-PKZ210. && HICKFORD APR 20
1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard conditions were observed at the Unalakleet AWOS. Visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less at times in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 30 kt (35 mph) at the Unalakleet AWOS.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, April 2020
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: 875713.