Strong high pressure over the Arctic Ocean combined with cold temperatures on the Eastern North Slope produced low wind chills on March 10, 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.
Strong high pressure over the Arctic Ocean combined with cold temperatures on the Eastern North Slope produced low wind chills on March 10, 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 Mar 9, 11:44 AM AKST, 12 hours 16 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 1244 PM AKDT Mon Mar 9 2020 .SYNOPSIS... A slow moving front continues to support areas of light snow across the Eastern Interior today, and this area of snow will shift east and exit into the Yukon Territory by Tuesday night. Another shot of below average temperatures will overspread Northern Alaska as an arctic high builds in tonight through Thursday morning. && .DISCUSSION... Analysis and Upper Levels... A 498 dm 500 hpa arctic trough is in the process of digging southeastward across Northern Alaska today. This trough is supporting rather cold temperatures as air temps aloft at 850 hp are around -23 to -28 C. A stream of moisture ahead of the upper trough, which can be clearly delineated on satellite imagery, continues to support a band of light snow stretching across the Eastern Interior. Cold wind chills are also accompanying this cold air with values as low as -55 F along the North Slope coast. North Slope and Brooks Range... Surface high pressure north of the Arctic coast will support seasonably cold temperatures through mid week. A modest gradient exists along the Beaufort Coast, so west winds of 10 to 20 mph will support Wind Chill Advisories for that region, mainly east of Nuiqsut. Otherwise, strong southerly flow along with warmer temperatures and snow are expected to impact the Chukchi Coast late Thursday and move east into the weekend with snow and blowing snow likely. West Coast and Western Interior... Mostly clear skies and below average temperatures associated with high pressure will persist through late Tuesday. A weak low will bring southerly flow and snow showers to the coast Wednesday before the arrival of a powerful front Thursday. Strong southerly winds along with potential for locally heavy snow will likely result in areas of snow and blowing snow and hazardous weather conditions, especially along the Seward Peninsula and Northwest Arctic. Central and Eastern Interior... Light snow ahead of a cold arctic trough continues across the Eastern Interior, generally from a line from the Central Alaska Range to the eastern Yukon Flats. This snow band will slowly move east into Fortymile and finally exit into the Yukon Territory Tuesday evening. Temperatures will plunge back below normal as the arctic high builds in with temperatures falling into the -30 to -40F territory across the region Tuesday night and Wednesday night before a gradual moderation Thursday and Friday as warmer temps aloft and additional cloud cover move in. Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4... A Strong weather system is expected to impact the northwest coast beginning Thursday. At this point, strong south winds and warmer temperatures are expected. Thick, extensive sea ice coverage across the eastern Bering Sea should prevent any coastal flooding issues, though we will continue to monitor closely. && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Wind Chill Advisory for AKZ203-AKZ204. && Ahsenmacher MAR 20
1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Low wind chills were observed at the Kuparuk Airport. Winds of 15 mph or greater and cold temperatures produced wind chills of 65 degrees below zero.
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, March 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: 877126.