High Pressure over the northern Chukchi Sea combined with trough of low pressure over the Seward Peninsula brought high winds to the Chukchi Sea Coast. Initially, the strong winds were accompanied by blowing snow resulting in blizzard conditions; however, as time passed, the visibility improved even through the winds increased in speed.
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.
High Pressure over the northern Chukchi Sea combined with trough of low pressure over the Seward Peninsula brought high winds to the Chukchi Sea Coast. Initially, the strong winds were accompanied by blowing snow resulting in blizzard conditions; however, as time passed, the visibility improved even through the winds increased in speed.
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 Jan 13, 1:36 PM AKST, 11 hours 14 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
136 PM AKST Fri Jan 13 2023
.SYNOPSIS...
Relatively quiet weather across northern Alaska through the
weekend. Low visibility in blowing snow along the eastern Arctic
coast from Prudhoe Bay to Kaktovik will continue to improve this
afternoon and evening as winds diminish. North to northeasterly
winds will increase along the western Arctic Coast, in the
northwest Brooks Range, through the Bering Strait, and over some
Interior summits with areas of blowing snow developing. Light
snow over the eastern Arctic will gradually taper off tonight. A
weather front will push north across mainland Alaska Saturday
night and Sunday bringing some light snow to western Alaska and
extending north of Fairbanks.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
An elongated low aloft extending from the Bering Strait to the
eastern Arctic Coast will gradually be absorbed into an upper
level low that drops southwest from the Canadian Arctic to the
Beaufort Sea on Sunday. This upper level low will move to the
Chukchi Sea on Monday. Further south, an upper level ridge over
the Interior will weaken some by Sunday as low pressure moves
into southwest Alaska and the Gulf of Alaska which pushes a
weakening weather front inland.
North Slope and Brooks Range...The combination of snow and
easterly winds 20 to 30 mph will continue to bring periods of low
visibility from Prudhoe Bay to Barter Island into this eve. The
trend is for improvement in conditions as winds diminish and snow
tapers off tonight. East to northeast winds will ramp up tonight
over the western Arctic Coast especially from Point Lay south and
also through western Brooks Range passes. Wind gusts 40 to 50 mph
are possible at Cape Lisburne and through some windier passes of
the Brooks Range. Areas of blowing snow will develop as well but not
expected to reach advisory criteria, although we continue to
monitor.
West Coast and Western Interior...Generally quiet with breaks in
the clouds into Saturday. Light snow will develop from the Seward
Peninsula and Kobuk River southward Saturday night into Sunday.
Snowfall accumulations will be an inch or less. North to northeast
winds will increase in most areas tonight and continue through
the weekend. Expect 10 to 20 mph inland, and stronger over the
coastal areas especially from Pt. Hope and through the Bering
Strait with winds 30 to 40 mph and higher gusts.
Central and Eastern Interior...Quiet as well with breaks in the
clouds. Clouds will increase Saturday night into Sunday with light
snow developing from the Yukon River northward. Snowfall
accumulations will be an inch or less. North to northeast winds
increasing in most areas except for sheltered valleys. Gusts 25
to 35 mph developing over highway summits and in channeled areas,
including at Delta Junction. The combination of wind and new snow
could bring reduced visibility in blowing snow over Dalton
Highway summits north of the Yukon River Saturday night and
Sunday. Southerly gap winds will develop in the Alaska Range
passes Saturday night.
Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None.
Extended forecast for days 4 to 7...The main jet stream will stay
south of the forecast area. best chances of snow along the west
coast and western Interior. Temperatures near or above climatological
normals.
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...None.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ200.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ201.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ210.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ220.
Gale Warning for PKZ225.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ230.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ235-240.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ245.
&&2 blizzard, 1 high wind, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard conditions developed early in the morning of the 14th and continued through late morning. By late morning, the visibility improved, even though the winds remained strong.
The winds gradually increased during the day on the 15th, with the peak wind gust occurring in the early evening. By late evening, the winds began to die down.
Strong winds and blowing snow were reported across the Seward Peninsula on the 17th. Brevig Mission reported wind gusts as high as 67 mph. The strong winds caused the visibility as to one half mile for several hours.
A four hour period of blizzard conditions developed at Point Hope on the afternoon of the 17th as light snow fell in an area where strong winds had persisted for several days.
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, January 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: 1079010, 1079012, 1079249, 1079248.