Low pressure across the Bering Sea moves a series of fronts over the coast into the Interior causing heavy snow and gusty winds with low visibilities.
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 across the Bering Sea moves a series of fronts over the coast into the Interior causing heavy snow and gusty winds with low visibilities.
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 20, 4:41 AM AKST, 8 hours 37 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
441 AM AKST Mon Feb 20 2023
.SYNOPSIS...Another round of light snow or flurries for the
Interior south of the Yukon River today. Locally snow
accumulations will generally be less than 2 inches. A weather
front is moving to the West Coast and will spread snow north up
the coast through the day. A low just off the Arctic Coast will
bring some light snow to areas east of Utqiagvik today. A strong
storm is moving to the West Coast early Tuesday morning and
Blizzard Warnings have been issued for the Lower Yukon Delta and
St Lawrence Island and the Bering Strait Coast. Winter Storm
Watches have been issued for the Norton Sound Region and the
Seward Peninsula. Winds along the West Coast will turn from the
southeast to southwest today and slowly increase this evening and
continue to increase Tuesday on the West Coast as they turn more
from the southeast to south. Winds in the Arctic and Interior will
be variable to 10 mph through Tuesday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Models...The 20/00Z and 20/06Z solutions showing good run to run
continuity with the big picture, but they are having issues with
the shortwaves moving through the zonal flow over the state. They
have similar timing of amplification of the ridging over the
Eastern Bering Sea and it moving over the West Coast Tuesday
morning. Solutions have similar timing for bringing in the much
strong wave to the coast between 22/21Z and 23/00Z Tuesday
afternoon. Moving into the mid range solutions are still showing
the ridging laying over with southwest flow extending from the
Western Aleutians over the state. This will bring significant
precipitation to the forecast area Wednesday through Friday. Near
term precipitation is being handled well by the HiRes solutions
and the SREF so will lean on those pretty heavily into Tuesday
afternoon, then lean more on the GFS and SREF. QPF will be a
general blend through the short term, but solutions are jumping
around a bit with where the heaviest precipitation will be,
especially beyond the near term. Snow rations have been very high
the last few snowfalls, so will be increasing the ratios in the
interior to around 25 to 1 for today, then lower the next couple
days as we see warmer temperatures across the area. Current wind
database is a little slow bringing the stronger winds to the
coast, so will lean on the faster HiRes solutions, and the
Canadian solution which has slightly stronger winds, while also
making some local edits for the Alaska Range Passes Wednesday
morning as gap winds develop.
Aloft...Active pattern continues with zonal flow today, but
change is coming sooner than later as a high amplitude ridge
builds over the Eastern Bering Sea tonight and moves over the West
Coast Tuesday. In the Arctic quasi zonal flow with weak ridging
over the Beaufort Sea, and Siberian Arctic is holding on, while
weak troughing is over the Central Arctic. Zonal flow over the
state is relatively flat as a couple more shortwaves will move
across the state before the building ridge shuts the zonal flow
off. A 529 dam low is near Adak moving northeast and will move
over Bristol Bay and dissipate this afternoon. A weak shortwave
over the Middle Yukon Valley will slide east through the day and
be over the Yukon Territory this evening as another weak shortwave
that is moving to the West Coast this morning moves across the
Interior late this evening. The trough over the Arctic will move
over the Beaufort Sea by Tuesday morning as the ridging builds
north over the Western Arctic. Tuesday morning the ridge axis will
be over Sand Point to Shishmaref, then north over Point Lay and
the Arctic. A 510 dam low will move over the Western Bering Sea
with a trailing 506 dam low over the Northwest Pacific. Tuesday
afternoon the ridge axis will be over Kodiak City to Galena to
Howard Pass and northwest to Wrangel Island. The low over the
Western Bering Sea will move to the Gulf of Anadyr with a strong
shortwave extending east to Hooper Bay, then southeast to Chignik.
Tuesday evening the shortwave will lie from the Northern Gulf of
Anadyr to the Bering Strait to McGrath to Homer as it pushes
through the ridge. At 850 hpa...The -10C isotherm is south of the
Alaska Range and St Lawrence Island, but it will be pushed north
to the Bering Strait, and northeast to McGrath tonight. AS the
ridging builds the -10C isotherm will move to lie from Anchorage
to Utqiagvik by Wednesday morning. The -20C isotherm will be
pushed north and east of the state Tuesday evening. The 0C
isotherm will be pulled north to the Lower Yukon Delta Wednesday
morning into Wednesday evening.
Surface...Broad low pressure remains across mainland Alaska with
weak high pressure pushing in along the south slopes of the
Eastern Brooks Range. A 1013 mb low in near Oliktok Point, a 1012
mb low is near Bettles, a 1013 mb low near Selawik Chicken, and a
1005 mb low is near Cordova. A 1025 mb high remains 500 nm north
of Demarcation Point with weak troughing extending north across
the Central Arctic. A 1015 mb low has moved near the Bering Strait
with low pressure extending southwest to a 982 mb low in the
Western Bering Sea. Low pressure will continue across the forecast
area through Monday as a 1010 mb low moves out of the North
Pacific and across the Southeast Panhandle, while the low near the
Arctic Coast will move east along the coast and into the southern
Beaufort Sea Monday afternoon. A 1031 mb high in the Siberian
Arctic will move into the Western Arctic 200 nm north of Wrangel
Island Monday morning. A low south of the Western Aleutians will
move just north of Nikolski Monday morning as the low weakens to
1014 mb. The low in the Western Bering Sea will move northeast and
dissipate as it moves toward the Gulf of Anadyr. High pressure
will be pushing north into the southwest mainland and Western
Alaska Range from a 1038 mb high in the North Pacific.
Arctic Coast and Brooks Range...Low just off the coast continues
to bring low clouds and flurries or light snow coastal areas east
of Utqiagvik. Flurries will end this evening as the weak low in
the area dissipates as it moves into the Beaufort Sea. A few
flurries in the Brooks Range this morning, then clearing skies.
No significant snow accumulation is expected. Winds variable to
10 mph for most of the area with winds west of Utqiagvik turning
more from the east and increasing to 15 to 25 mph tonight. High
temperatures today will range from the single digits below to near
30 below with mainly teens below along the coast. Tuesday highs
will range from the single digits above on the northwest coast to
the 20s below. Low temperatures tonight 10 below to 20 below in
the Brooks Range, 25 to 40 below in the plains, and 25 to 35
below along the coast.
West Coast and Western Interior...A weather front moving to the
coast is bringing snow to the coast that will move inland and
north to the Chukchi Sea Region through the day with snowfall
increasing in the Middle Yukon Valley this afternoon as it
decreases along the coast. Snow will diminish overnight in the
Chukchi Sea Region and the Western Interior. Snowfall generally
less than one inch today. Another front will move to the area
Tuesday morning with heavier snowfall expected through the day.
Blizzard Warnings and Winter Storm Warnings have been issued for
areas from the Bering Strait south. As the front moves into the
area winds will be variable along the coast at 10 to 20 mph, and
variable to 10 mph inland. Winds will increase significantly
Tuesday with the next weather front as they turn from the east to
south in the Lower Yukon Delta to 25 to 40 mph. Increased winds
will spread north of the Bering Strait through the day. High
temperatures today with range from around zero north of the Bering
Strait to teens above in the Middle Yukon Valley, to the mid 20s
above in the Lower Yukon Delta. Tuesday highs will be around 15
above north of the Bering Strait, to the 20s above in the Middle
Yukon Valley, to the mid 30s above in the Lower Yukon Delta. Low
temperatures tonight will range from around 10 below to around 20
above.
Central and Eastern Interior...Light snow or flurries, mainly
south of the Yukon River. Snow accumulation generally less than 3
inches with the heavier amounts in the hills. Some breaks in the
clouds north of the White Mountains. Winds variable to 10 mph.
Winds near the Alaska Range passes will be increasing Tuesday
morning with south winds gusting around 35 mph. High temperatures
today will range from around 15 below north of the Yukon River to
around zero in the Upper Yukon Flats, to 10 above to 20 above
south of the White Mountains. Tuesday high temperatures will range
from around 15 below at Arctic Village to 30 above in the Alaska
Range. Fairbanks area highs will be around 10 above today and near
20 above Tuesday. Low temperatures tonight will range from around
35 below at Arctic Village to single digits above south of the
White Mountains. Fairbanks lows tonight will be around 5 above.
Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...A couple of lows will be
moving northeast across the Bering Sea with fairly strong south
to southwest winds that will produce significant wave action along
the ice edge breaking it up. With multiple surges as the lows move
across the area, water may be pushed up on the ice along the
outer coast, south of the Bering Strait, and through cracks in the
ice.
Extended forecast for days 4 to 7...A weather front that moves to
the West Coast Wednesday will push inland and across the state
through Thursday. Snow spreading into Fairbanks Wednesday night
with heavy snowfall expected through Thursday, then lingering
flurries into the weekend. Storm total snow Wednesday night
through Friday morning could reach 12 inches in some interior
locations. Snow will linger on the West Coast into the weekend.
The Arctic will be cloudy with light snow or flurries with east
winds prevailing along the coast.
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Winter Storm Watch for AKZ210>212.
Wind Chill Advisory for AKZ213.
Blizzard Warning for AKZ213.
Blizzard Warning for AKZ214.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ201.
Gale Warning for PKZ210.
&&
SDB FEB 236 winter storm, 2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Anvik Airport reported mixed precipitation with periods of heavy snow and low visibility with also rain and freezing rain throughout the event.
Wiseman COOP 12.1 inches of snow on 2/24 for a storm total.
General public reports of 8 and 12 up by Haystack north of Fox.
Nenena ASOS reported several rounds of falling snow with periods of heavy snow resulting in visibilities as low as quarter mile at times.
Bettles reported multiple hours of heavy and moderate snow with visibilities as low as quarter mile at times.
Nome ASOS had multiple hours of heavy snow, gusty winds, and quarter mile visibilities from blowing snow. The ASOS reported peak winds gusts up to 45 MPH.
Both Noorvik and Kotzebue reported numerous hours of heavy snow, visibilities less than a quarter mile and strong winds. Noorvik had wind gusts up to 53 MPH while Kotzebue had gusts as high as 54 mph. The storm left residents in Kotzebue without power which also caused the city's water plant to shut down.
Ambler AWOS had numerous hours of moderate or heavy snow with half mile visibility or less at times.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, February 2023
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: 1082498, 1082029, 1082030, 1082496, 1082503, 1081707, 1082023, 1081905.