Low pressure and a strong pressure gradient produced snow and blowing snow over the Western North Slope from March 11-13, 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.
Low pressure and a strong pressure gradient produced snow and blowing snow over the Western North Slope from March 11-13, 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 12, 4:02 AM AKST, 2 hours 23 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 502 AM AKDT Thu Mar 12 2020 .SYNOPSIS... A powerful weather system will impact the northwest coast today with very strong south winds and areas of potentially heavy snow. Whiteout conditions are expected across a large swathe of the coast north of the Bering Strait. A few areas could see damaging winds gusting in excess of 70 mph. A second round of snow will push into the west coast again Friday and move into the Interior through Saturday. Unsettled weather will persist into next week as temperatures become warm to above average for much of the state. && .DISCUSSION... Aloft 500 mb... A high amplitude ridge extends northeast across the Andreanof Islands into the Eastern Bering and Chukchi Seas. The ridge is being forced to propagate east up and over a cutoff low centered near 40N. Deep longwave troughing over Siberia and the Sea of Okhotsk is forcing very strong southwesterly flow out of the north Pacific and into the Chukchi Sea. This setup will facilitate the high wind event expected across northwest Alaska later today into Friday. As the ridge continues east, it will reinforce an omega block currently in place over the central Pacific. By Saturday, an abnormally strong omega block high with heights around 577 dam will be centered in the northern Gulf of Alaska. Zonal flow is expected across northern Alaska and will contain a series of shortwaves, which will pump moisture into the Interior next week. North Slope and Brooks Range... A strong front will approach the Chukchi Coast this morning, bringing very strong southerly winds as well as snow and blowing snow. Blizzard conditions are expected across much of the immediate coast from Utqiagvik west, as well as the western Brooks Range. Sustained winds of 40 to 60 mph are possible with gusts to 70 mph or greater at times. The strongest winds will generally be felt from Kivalina north to Point Hope, Cape Lisburne, and Point Lay. As such, Blizzard Warnings are in place for this region. Strong winds and snow will push east along the coast this afternoon Into Friday. Winds gusting as high as 60 mph are expected to reach a far east as Deadhorse by late this evening, then Kaktovik by early Friday. Passes in the eastern Brooks Range will also be targets for hazardous winds up to 50 mph tonight into Friday. Temperatures will be increasing as the warm front tracks across the Interior. Above average temperatures can be expected this weekend as unsettled weather remains across the region. West Coast and Western Interior... Low clouds and snow showers associated with a weak trough are expected early this morning across much of the immediate coast. The main weather system will follow quickly behind and will begin with a rapid increase in south winds this morning. Winds have already shown a marked increase along the Chukchi Coast from Red Dog Port to Cape Lisburne. The strongest winds will generally remain north and impact St. Lawrence Island, the western Seward Peninsula, and the Chukchi Coast by this afternoon. Sustained winds of 30 to 50 mph could gust to 70 mph or greater at times for these areas tonight into early Friday. Strong winds with associated blowing snow will drive visibility to near zero at times mainly north of the Bering Strait. As such, a slew of Blizzard Warnings and Winter Storm Warnings are in effect. Areas of the coast from Nome south can expect winds 25 to 40 mph with gusts to 50 mph at times late Thursday into Friday. Precipitation through Friday morning will be confined mainly north of the Bering Strait with the greatest snowfall totals expected in the western Brooks Range and Selawik Valley. However, by Friday afternoon, the front will tap into moisture associated with a cutoff low in the north central Pacific. This will send a second surge of moisture northward, delivering hefty snowfall amounts to much of the remainder of the coast late Friday, as well as the western Interior by early Saturday. Significant snowfall is expected, particularly across the southern Seward Peninsula and again across the western Brooks Range and Selawik Valley. Turnaround time between active and expected hazards will be tight, so as winds die down, expect updates to the forecast to include hazard statements for the incoming heavy snow. Central and Eastern Interior... A weak shortwave is bringing cloudy skies and areas of light snow to the eastern interior this morning but is expected to clear out by the afternoon. A strong warm front will sweep across the Interior Friday, instigating a much warmer pattern for this weekend into next week with the possibility of above freezing daytime temps late weekend into next week. Gusty winds up to 40 mph can be expected over areas of higher elevation Friday. A few snow showers can be expected Saturday into Sunday mainly north of Fairbanks, though high pressure is expected to build across the Interior early next week. Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4... Strong south winds are ramping up this morning along the West Coast, particularly north of the Bering Strait. Water levels along the coast will rise 2 to 4 feet above the normal high tide line and may inundate some low lying areas, and will be pushed up on top of the ice around open leads. While winds will not be as strong near Nome, the lack of extensive shorefast ice does present an opportunity for an ice shove given the long fetch of southerly winds, although probability remains low at this time. && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Winter Storm Watch for AKZ211-AKZ212-AKZ214. Winter Storm Warning for AKZ208. Blizzard Warning for AKZ201-AKZ202-AKZ203-AKZ204-AKZ205-AKZ206- AKZ207-AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ213. Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ211-AKZ214-AKZ217. Gale Warning for PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ240-PKZ245. Storm Warning for PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230-PKZ235. && COWMAN MAR 20
3 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard conditions were observed at the Point Hope AWOS. Visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less at times in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 52 kt (60 mph) at the Point Hope AWOS.
Blizzard conditions were observed at the Atqasuk AWOS. Visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less at times in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 52 kt (60 mph) at the Atqasuk AWOS.
Blizzard conditions were observed at the Barrow ASOS. Visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less at times in snow and blowing snow. There was a peak wind gust of 62 kt (71 mph) at the Barrow ASOS.
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: 877239, 877145, 877146.