Low pressure and a strong pressure gradient produced snow and blowing snow over the West coast from February 1st to the 2nd 2020. Heavy snow moved across the inland areas as well.
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.
Low pressure and a strong pressure gradient produced snow and blowing snow over the West coast from February 1st to the 2nd 2020. Heavy snow moved across the inland areas as well.
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 Feb 1, 4:50 AM AKST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 450 AM AKST Sat Feb 1 2020 .SYNOPSIS... Cold temperatures and cold wind chills continue through the weekend for the Interior and North Slope and a warming trend begins over the West Coast and Western Interior Sunday and begins early next week over the Central and Eastern Interior as well as the North Slope. A weather front over the Central Interior continues to bring light snow over the Central Interior this morning. Wind chill advisories remain across the eastern north slope with wind chills to 55 below. Gusty winds south of the Denali Park Entrance combined with cold temperatures continue to produce wind chills to 50 below. A strong front ahead of a very deep low moving into the Southern Bering will bring snow and blowing snow over much of the YK Delta, and lower Yukon Valley and Strong winds and blowing snow to St. Lawrence Island Sunday and Monday. && .DISCUSSION... Aloft 500 mb...A high amplitude longwave trough extends from the high Arctic well into the Eastern Gulf of Alaska and along the West Coast of North America. A vertically stacked low near Yakutat currently anchors the longwave in place. High pressure to the west continues to amplify and force the trough eastward. A deep mid level low will push north and east over the western Aleutians Sunday, supporting the progression of strong shortwaves into the southeastern Bering Sea and West Coast Sunday and Monday. The deep longwave trough weakens and pushes east into Canada as the strong longwave ridge builds over the Western Interior today and over the Central Interior Sunday and over the ALCAN border on Monday and Tuesday. A deep trough remains over the Central and Eastern Bering Sea through Tuesday. Surface...A low pressure trough continues over the Eastern Brooks Range while a weak ridge of high pressure remains over the Western Interior. A low pressure trough extending north through the Bering Strait from a 1002 mb low over the Central Bering Sea move north and east moving through the Bering Strait and into the Southern Chukchi Sea late tonight and Sunday. A 944 mb low just south of the Western Aleutian Island will slowly weaken as a the low wobbles east on Sunday. A strong front wrapping around the low will move onto the West Coast in the Lower YK Delta and over St Lawrence Island on Sunday bringing snow and blowing snow with near blizzard conditions possible. Heavy snow will push north and east Sunday and Monday into the Western and Central Interior. 1 to 3 inches of snow is expected along the West Coast with gusty winds reducing visibility at times. 5 to 8 inches of snow is expected late Sunday into Monday over the Western Interior south of Galena where Winter Weather Advisories have been issued. Lighter snows in the 2 to 4 inch range are expected in the Central Interior Sunday night and Monday with the heaviest snows falling north and west of Fairbanks as chinook winds limit snowfall accumulations over the southern portions of the Central and Eastern Interior Sunday night and Monday. West Coast and Western Interior...Strong Northeast winds continue at St. Lawrence Island along with some snow. This current feature weakened rapidly as it crossed the sea ice line, but bring an additional 1 to 3 inches of snow, and blowing snow with reduced visibility to St Lawrence Island through this evening. A winter weather advisory remain in effect for zone 213. Snow, blowing snow and low visibilities will increase late Sunday in the Yukon Delta, the West Coast and St Lawrence Island and will continue through Monday. 5 to 8 inches of snow are expected in the Western Interior to the south of Galena where Winter Weather Advisories have been issued. Generally 1 to 3 inches of snow is expected along with gusty winds and reduced visibilities along the West Coast. Wind gusts to 55 mph are expected to develop on St Lawrence Island on Sunday and combined with falling snow will likely produce very low visibilities in blowing snow. Arctic Coast and Brooks Range...A low pressure trough continues over the Eastern Brooks Range while a weak ridge of high pressure remains over the Western Interior. A low pressure trough extending north through the Bering Strait from a 1002 mb low over the Central Bering Sea move north and east will move through the Bering Strait and into the Southern Chukchi Sea late tonight and Sunday. Gusty winds combined with low temperatures continue to produce low wind chill values prompting a Winter Weather Advisory for the Beaufort Coast east of Prudhoe Bay for wind chills of 50 to 55 below and blowing snow. Interior...Heavy snow will push north and east Sunday and Monday into the Western and Central Interior. 5 to 8 inches of snow is expected late Sunday into Monday over the Western Interior south of Galena where Winter Weather Advisories have been issued. Lighter snows in the 2 to 4 inch range are expected in the Central Interior Sunday night and Monday with the heaviest snows falling north and west of Fairbanks as chinook winds limit snowfall accumulations over the southern portions of the Central and Eastern Interior Sunday night and Monday to 1 to 2 inches from Fairbanks north and west. Minimal snowfall is expected south and east of Fairbanks. Models...The 00z model suite initialized well against the 00z surface analysis and verified well against the 06z surface analysis. Model spread is minimal in the short range but begins to display considerable spread by early next week and to larger degree in the extended ranges as the models continue to struggle with upcoming pattern change. Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None. && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Chill Advisory for AKZ224-AKZ225-AKZ226. Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ203-AKZ204-AKZ213-AKZ214-AKZ215. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ210. && CCC FEB 20
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 340 AM AKST Sat Feb 1 2020 AKZ213-020300- St Lawrence Island and Bering Strait Coast- Including Gambell, Savoonga, Brevig Mission, Teller, Wales, and Diomede 340 AM AKST Sat Feb 1 2020 ...Strong winds and reduced visibility returning to St. Lawrence Island... Northeast winds will rapidly strengthen on Sunday morning as a strong low pressure moves east across the northern Pacific. Near blizzard conditions may be possible for St. Lawrence Island with blowing snow and potential for visibilities of a quarter to half mile visibility. There is still uncertainty of the strength of winds, but could possibly reach sustained winds of 35 mph with gusts to 55 mph. These conditions will continue into early next week as the northeast winds persist. Please take proper precautions prior to the deteriorating conditions that are expected to develop later this weekend and continuing into early next week. For the latest forecasts and weather information, visit www.weather.gov/afg.
2 blizzard, 2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard conditions were observed at the Gambell AWOS. Visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less at times in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 35 kt (40 mph) at the Gambell AWOS.
Blizzard conditions were observed at the Cape Romanzof AWOS. Visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less at times in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 35 kt (40 mph) at the Cape Romanzof AWOS.
Estimated 10 inches of snow fell at Galena from February 2nd to the 4th.
Allakaket City Office Personnel estimated 12 inches of snow during the event.
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, February 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: 877566, 877567, 877824, 877825.