Alaska, 2023Blizzard in Alaska, October 20, 2023
October 20, 2023 · NWS AFG · 1 event in 1 county or zone
A front associated with a 988 mb low over the eastern Beaufort Sea moved over the Arctic Coast of Alaska Bringing strong winds, heavy snow and blizzard conditions.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 1
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.
A front associated with a 988 mb low over the eastern Beaufort Sea moved over the Arctic Coast of Alaska Bringing strong winds, heavy snow and blizzard conditions.
What forecasters said that day
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 Oct 19, 2:38 PM AKST, 22 hours 37 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Oct 19, 2:38 PM AKST, 22 hours 37 minutes before
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</html>Blizzard, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast
- When
- October 20, 1:15 PM AKST to 10:55 PM AKST
- Where
- Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS
- Coordinates
- 69.251, -152.001 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Blizzard conditions developed at Point Thomson the afternoon of the 20th. Wind gusts as high as 47 mph were reported by the automated weather station. By late evening, the visibility improved as the rate of snow decreased. Strong winds continued into the morning of the 20th.
- Blizzard
- Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flow in Puerto Rico, October 20 to 22, 2023$13,000 · 12 events
- Hail and Damaging Wind in South Carolina, October 20, 2023$2,000 · 50 kt wind · 9 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, October 20, 20231.5 in hail · 7 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in South Carolina, October 20, 2023$5,000 · 1.5 in hail · 5 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, October 20, 20235 events
- Damaging Winds in South Carolina, October 20, 202355 kt wind · 3 events
- Damaging Winds in South Carolina, October 20, 202350 kt wind · 2 events
- Wildfire in Texas, October 20, 20231 event
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, October 20, 20231 event
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1144694.