A front moved across Interior Alaska on July 7, 2023 bringing numerous thunderstorms to the Interior. Many of the storms were far longer lasting than typical Interior Alaska thunderstorms.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
A front moved across Interior Alaska on July 7, 2023 bringing numerous thunderstorms to the Interior. Many of the storms were far longer lasting than typical Interior Alaska thunderstorms. Radar signatures suggested several storms produced large hail and strong winds over a large, but mostly unpopulated area.
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 Jul 7, 1:04 PM AKST, 6 hours 56 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
204 PM AKDT Fri Jul 7 2023
.SYNOPSIS...A wet pattern has set up over the West Coast and
Western Interior and will continue for the rest of the week while
the Eastern Interior will see warmer and drier conditions through
Tonight. Wetter and cooler over the Interior on Saturday.
.DISCUSSION...
Upper Levels and Analysis...
A shortwave will move across the Interior this evening and
Saturday morning and continue to the north on Saturday. Another
upper level low will push across the west coast over the weekend
bringing more wetting rain for most of the west coast. Southerly
flow will return to the Interior Sunday into Monday.
Central and Eastern Interior...
Red flag conditions will continue over the Eastern Interior
through this evening. In the Eastern Interior, hot and dry conditions
with highs in the 80s to 90 and RH near 25% will continue today
southeast of Delta Junction and Circle. Winds expected to remain
less than 15 mph in this area. Delta Junction will have winds
south 15 to 30 mph today and tonight, but RH near Delta Junction
should remain above 30%.
Isolated to widely scattered strong thunderstorms
expected NE of Delta Junction towards Eagle, with isolated PM
thunderstorms Saturday NW of Eagle to Arctic Village.
A weather front over the Central Interior will move east
cross the Eastern Interior tonight and Sat. This is causing
wetting rain in the Central Interior that will spread to the all
of the area NW of Dot Lake tonight and Sat. Cooler temperatures
will follow the front for Sat. The Eastern Interior will warm and
dry on Sun.
West Coast and Western Interior...
A couple of weather systems will keep the west coast unsettled
tonight and through the weekend. Numerous rain showers through
Sunday will cause rises on rivers and streams in the Western and
Central Brooks Range through the weekend. Additional rainfall of
0.75 to 1.50 inches is expected through Saturday. People in this
area should remain alert for the possibility of rising water
levels through the weekend.
North Slope and Brooks Range...
Weather front will spread rain showers across the Brooks range
tonight into Saturday. Heavy rainfall across Brooks Range and
North Slope will result in rising water levels on streams and
rivers. Rainfall totals of 1.0 to 1.5 inches are expected Friday
evening through Saturday evening from the Colville River near
Umiat east to the Ivishak River. Water levels will rise
significantly and may approach bankfull in some low lying areas,
including along the Kuparuk and Sagavanirktok Rivers. People in
this area encouraged to monitor water levels this weekend and
early next week.
Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None.
.FIRE WEATHER...
Red Flag conditions are expected this afternoon through 10 pm
this evening in zones 223 and 224 along the Alaska Highway west
of Tanacross to the Gerstle River due to hot, dry and windy
conditions. Strong southerly chinook winds are expected to blow
over the Alaska Range into this area today into this evening.
Strong winds are blowing at Delta Junction and through Isabell
Pass, but RH is expected to remain above 30% from Isabell Pass to
Delta Junction. The remainder of the Eastern Interior will have RH
above 40% today.
A weather front over the Central Interior will move east
across the Eastern Interior tonight and Sat. This is causing
wetting rain in the Central Interior that will spread to the all
of the area NW of Dot Lake tonight and Sat. Cooler temperatures
will follow the front for Sat. Winds could become gusty over
higher terrain on Saturday for the Interior. The Eastern Interior
will warmer and drier on Sun.
Isolated to widely scattered strong thunderstorms
expected NE of Delta Junction towards Eagle, with isolated PM
thunderstorms Saturday NW of Eagle to Arctic Village.
.HYDROLOGY...
Numerous rain showers through Saturday will cause rises in creeks
and rivers in the Western Brooks Range through the weekend.
Rainfall of 1 to 2 inches is expected over the western Brooks
range through Friday. Rainfall will push east into the Central
Brooks Range and Central North Slope by the weekend with up to 1.0
inches expected. More Rain expected for the west coast Saturday
and Sunday.
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Red Flag Warning for AKZ223-224.
Wind Advisory for AKZ226.
PK...Small Craft Advisory for PKZ801.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ802.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ803-817-852-854.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ816.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ850.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ853.
&&The Fairbanks Faa radar (PAPD), 248 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 05:01 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A thunderstorm went through the village Chalkyitsik knocking down numerous trees. The falling trees caused minor damage to a building.
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, July 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: 1127147.