A very cold Arctic airmass was in place over northern Alaska. Very cold temperatures were accompanied by brisk east to northeast winds.
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The episode as NWS AFG wrote it up.
A very cold Arctic airmass was in place over northern Alaska. Very cold temperatures were accompanied by brisk east to northeast winds. The combination of the cold temperatures and brisk winds resulted in very cold wind chills near -60 F.
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 10, 2:53 PM AKST, 5 hours 37 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
353 PM AKDT Sun Mar 10 2024
.SYNOPSIS...
A very cold Arctic airmass will remain over Northern Alaska
through Tue, then retreat over the Western Interior/West Coast and
Western North Slope for Wed into the weekend, while the Eastern
Interior warms to near normal by the weekend. This will keep
surface temperatures for the North Slope and West Coast/Western
Interior much colder than normal through at least mid-week, and
below normal through next weekend, while the Eastern Interior will
remain colder than normal through Wed then warm to near normal
late in the week and possibly above normal next weekend.
Breezy conditions through the Brooks Range Passes and over much
of the West Coast are causing very cold wind chills and areas of
blowing snow in those areas that will continue through mid-week.
Breezy conditions through Alaska Range passes will cause blowing
snow through Tue.
A series of weak weather systems moving north over the Eastern
Interior and Eastern North Slope over the next several days
bringing periods of clouds and very light snow. A stronger weather
system will move north over the Eastern Interior and Eastern
North Slope Tue night into Wed night and bring several inches of
snow, along with warming temperatures with moderate chinook winds
possible east of Denali. A second strong system could move north
along the ALCAN Border Wed night and Thu bringing several more
inches of snow to the Southeast Interior Thu.
Surface...
Strong high pressure over the Chukchi Sea, the Northern Bering
Sea, and the North Slope of Alaska will persist into Tue, then
retreat over the Chukchi and Bering Seas on Wed. This has pushed a
cold Arctic Airmass over Northern Alaska and is causing north
winds 15 to 30 mph along the West Coast of Alaska and 15 to 20 mph
through the Brooks Range and Alaska Range Passes
A low in the Northern Gulf of Alaska will move over Prince
William Sound tonight, then persist there into Tue before
weakening and moving north over the Central Interior on Wed.
An occluded front extending aloft from this low to Northway
will move to Seward to Tok by 4am Mon, to Denali to Old Crow by
4pm Mon, to Denali to Inuvik by 4am Tue, and to Denali to A 1019
mb 60 NM north of Demarcation Point by 4pm Tue, with the front and
low remaining in place through Wed. Snow is occuring along and
north of this front over the Eastern Interior that will continue
off and on into Mon and decrease on Tue, while spreading over the
Eastern North Slope Tue. Generally less than an inch of snow will
fall from this. Temperatures will rise slightly as clouds
associated with the front spread north.
A second and stronger frontal system will move north over the
Eastern Interior and Eastern North Slope Tue night and Wed. This
will bring bring several inches of snow, along with warming
temperatures with moderate chinook winds possible east of Denali.
A third frontal system could move north along the ALCAN Border
Wed night and Thu bringing several more inches of snow to the
Southeast Interior Thu.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
At 00Z, models verify well aloft. Models show similar solutions
aloft with just minor differences on short wave details through
Wed. The long wave patterns remain similar through Sat, then
models start to diverge on even the long wave pattern next Sun.
Will use a blend of models for features aloft through next Sat,
then a blend excluding the Canadian next Sunday but note much
lower certainty next Sun.
The deep long wave trough stretching from the North Pole south
over Alaska will persist through Wed then retrograde late in the
week with ridging building over Eastern Alaska late in the week.
This will keep the North Slope and West Coast/Western Interior
much colder than normal through at least mid-week, and below
normal through next weekend, while the Eastern Interior will
remain colder than normal through Wed then warm to near normal
late in the week and possibly above normal next weekend.
A series of weak short wave troughs will move north over the
Eastern Interior and Eastern North Slope over the next several
days bringing mainly clouds and periods of very light snow. A
stronger short wave will move north over the Eastern Interior and
Eastern North Slope Tue night into Wed night and bring several
inches of snow, along with warming temperatures with moderate
chinook winds possible east of Denali. Another strong short wave
could move north along the ALCAN Border Wed night and Thu bringing
several more inches of snow to the Southeast Interior Thu.
With 850 mb temperatures, all of Northern Alaska remains -20C or
colder at 850 mb with -30C over the Eastern North Slope.
Temperatures will remain this cold into Tue, then will temps
warming to -10C over the Eastern Interior from Tue PM into Wed.
All precip will remain as snow.
With precipitation, models in fair agreement on areal coverage and
amounts through 3pm Tue, then the ECMWF has much less areal
coverage and precip amounts than the NAM and GFS for Tue night and
Wed. Since there is a strong short wave that will give support to
precip Tue night and Wed, favor the more likely precip of the NAM
and GFS. Will use a blend of models for precip through 3pm Tue,
then a blend of the GFS and NAM for Tue night and Wed with the
following highlights shown:
There will be periods of very light snow over the Eastern Interior
and Eastern North Slope through Tue night with an inch or less
accumulation through Tue. There will be a band of snow moving
north over the Eastern Interior and Eastern North Slope late Tue
night into Wed night that drops 1-3 inches in most areas.
At the surface at 15Z, models verify well on most features.
Models show similar solutions at the surface through Wed. Will
use a combination of the NAM over the land and the Canadian over
the water for details. Highlights are:
North winds 15 mph through Brooks Range Passes Through Wed. North
winds 10 to 30 mph along the West Coast through Wed, with the
strongest winds and blowing snow through areas channeled from the
north such as Shaktoolik, Johnson's Camp (between White Mountain
and Safety), Deering, near the Bering Strait and along the Yukon
Delta. Very cold wind chills will accompany winds in these
locations. North winds 15 to 20 mph through Alaska Range passes
through Tue, then become south 20 to 30 mph Wed.
Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None.
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Wind Chill Advisory for AKZ812-814>818-820>824.
Wind Chill Warning for AKZ804-805.
Wind Chill Warning for AKZ809.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ803.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ804-852.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ805-816.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ806-817-850-853-854.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ808.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ851.
&&Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 407 PM AKDT Sun Mar 10 2024 AKZ832-834-111615- Dalton Highway Summits- White Mountains and High Terrain South of the Yukon River- Including Gobblers Knob, Prospect Creek, Finger Mountain, The Yukon River Bridge, The Dalton Highway from MP 39 to MP 164, Livengood, Circle Hot Springs, Eagle Summit, Twelvemile Summit, The Steese Highway from MP 85 to MP 124, The Elliott Highway from MP 32 to MP 134, and The Dalton Highway from MP 0 to MP 38 407 PM AKDT Sun Mar 10 2024 ...Cold Northeast Winds Over Summits... Northeast winds 15 mph gusting to 30 mph over Steese, Elliot and Dalton Highway Summits will continue into Tuesday. This is causing wind chills of 30 to 40 below over Summits. These winds are also causing blowing and drifting snow which will cause snow drifts and could make travel difficult over Summits. People traveling over summits of the Steese, Elliott and Dalton Highways north of the Chatanika River should be prepared for severe winter conditions. AKZ848-850-111615- Southern Denali Borough-Eastern Alaska Range South of Trims Camp- Including Cantwell, Carlo Creek, The Parks Highway from MP 202 MP 237, Trims Camp, and The Richardson Highway from MP 202 to MP 224 407 PM AKDT Sun Mar 10 2024 ...Cold North Winds In Passes... North winds of 15 mph gusting to 30 mph through Alaska Range Passes will continue into Tuesday. Wind chills to 30 below are expected. These winds are causing blowing and drifting snow with limited visibility. Snow drifts will form in passes that could could make travel difficult. People traveling over through Alaska Range Passes on the Parks and Richardson Highways should be prepared for winter conditions. JB
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
Very cold wind chills develop during the evening hours of March 10th at the E22K Anaktuvuk Pass USARRAY site. East to northeast winds of 15 mph were reported accompanied by very cold temperatures to produce wind chills as low as -62 F.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, March 2024
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: 1167933.