A low tracking northward through the eastern Bering Sea pushed a front across the Pribilof Islands, leading to blizzard conditions in Saint Paul on the evening of March 28. Blizzard conditions were short-lived, lasting only 3 hours, and came to an end late on March 28 as precipitation quickly shifted north of the islands.
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 AFC wrote it up.
A low tracking northward through the eastern Bering Sea pushed a front across the Pribilof Islands, leading to blizzard conditions in Saint Paul on the evening of March 28. Blizzard conditions were short-lived, lasting only 3 hours, and came to an end late on March 28 as precipitation quickly shifted north of the islands.
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 Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 28, 3:36 PM AKST, 2 hours 34 minutes earlier.
Southcentral and Southwest Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Anchorage AK 436 PM AKDT Thu Mar 28 2024 .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA (Days 1 through 3)... Two storms will impact Southcentral through the weekend. The first storm will impact Southcentral this evening through tomorrow afternoon. Snow levels will rise ahead of the approaching precipitation resulting in a quick period of rain/snow showers changing quickly to all rain for the event for coastal areas. High mountain locations will stay as all snow though. Wind gusts at high elevations and passes/gap areas, such as the Anchorage Hillside, Thompson Pass and Turnagain Arm, will range from 50 to 60 mph with gusts to 75 mph are expected. Elsewhere, including Anchorage Bowl, sustained winds ranging from 25 to 35 mph gusting to 55 mph. A more potent storm will move through Southcentral Saturday and Sunday bringing rain, snow and strong winds. Currently, this late weekend storm is favored to move through western Alaska or up Cook Inlet instead of moving through the North Pacific, with its its front stretching northward to Prince William Sound. Southeasterly to southerly winds will bring moisture to coastal areas from Kodiak Island to Cordova resulting in rain and snow Saturday and Sunday. Snow levels will range from 800 to 1000 feet creating mostly rain at coastal areas with snow at higher elevations. Passes and mountains should remain as all snow during the event. Colder air Saturday evening into dawn Sunday could work its way down to lower elevations creating a rain/snow before ending as snow showers in the afternoon. In addition to the precipitation, sustained winds ranging from 50 to 60 mph with gusts to 70 mph are possible in Thompson Pass, Anchorage Hillside, and Turnagain Arm during the storm. -DJ && .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHWEST ALASKA, the BERING SEA and the ALEUTIANS (Days 1 through 3: Friday through Monday)... Active weather continues across Southwest Alaska on Friday as an upper level Fujiwhara dance takes place in the northern Bering. The low which has been in place over Saint Lawrence Island for the last few days will slide into the Gulf of Anadyr then rotate south, changing places with a North Pacific low consolidating as it crosses the central Aleutian Chain into the Bering Sea, and reaching the Kuskokwim River Delta by Friday afternoon. A frontal boundary along the leading edge of this low is bringing gusty winds and moderate rain to the eastern Aleutians, Pribilof Islands, and Alaska Peninsula. The trailing low will bring widespread gales (>34 kts) and areas of storm-force (>48 kts) gusts. Blowing snow and blizzard conditions might be possible along the Southwest coast Friday night into Saturday. The AKPen may start with rain and transition to snow, but elsewhere along the northern Bristol Bay coast and Kuskokwim Delta, can expect 2-3 inches of heavy snow, tapering off Saturday morning. The highest amounts (5-6 inches) are likely for the northern side of Bristol bay from Dillingham to Nunivak Island. A second round will bring up to 2 inches of additional snow to the greater Bristol Bay area, Kuskokwim Delta, and lower Kuskokwim River Valley Saturday night through Sunday. Good confidence exists that the entire domain will have a brief break from precipitation on Monday, before a North Pacific system moves across the Bering Sea and into the area on Tuesday. && .LONG TERM FORECAST (Days 4 through 7: Monday through Thursday)... A deep upper level trough over the Eastern Bering extends from the Arctic to the North Pacific drives across the state of Alaska through Wednesday. While the confidence of movement of the trough is good, a number of shortwaves traveling through the pattern increase the uncertainty in the associated weather, particularly across Southern Alaska as several North Pacific systems add to the mix. Deep cloudiness and periods of snow moves across the Interior Sunday and Monday, diminishing Tuesday. Over the Southcentral areas, the first well developed surface low marches onshore near the Canadian Border late Monday, with gusty winds and mostly rain spreading inland and Westward towards Prince William Sound. Gusty outflow winds with areas of gale force winds blows across Kamishak Bay and the Barren Islands and around Sitkinak late Monday, diminishing Tuesday. A weak upper ridge moves into the Interior for Thursday. Another somewhat deep trough moves into the Bering Wednesday. Most of the energy is deflected over the Southern Aleutians and Bering. A developing North Pacific surface low pushes its way across the Western Aleutians on its way just North of the Pribilofs by Thursday. Gusty winds move over the Aleutians while areas of gales surround the low in the Western Bering, all diminishing Thursday. Locally heavy rainfall accompany the front as it moves Eastward into the Pribilofs, Alaska Peninsula and Southwest Alaska by Thursday. Another round of locally heavy rain comes into the Western Aleutians for Thursday. Kutz && .AVIATION... PANC...VFR conditions and light winds will persist through tonight. There will still be a window for low ceilings in MVFR range this evening, but drying southeast flow developing late tonight should prevent prolonged periods of low stratus from persisting into the morning hours tomorrow. Southeast winds aloft will continue to strengthen during the day on Thursday. Strong surface winds will likely stay mostly south of the terminal at the surface through early Friday afternoon, with mainly a threat for LLWS expected starting Friday morning. &&
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT National Weather Service ANCHORAGE AK 130 PM AKDT Thu Mar 28 2024 AKZ126-300000- Western Prince William Sound- Including the cities of Whittier, Seward, and Moose Pass 130 PM AKDT Thu Mar 28 2024 ...STRONG WINDS, MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW FOR TURNAGAIN PASS FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND... Two systems will bring snow and blowing snow to the area. The first round will take place Friday into Friday evening before a short break. The second round, and potentially more impactful one, will occur Saturday morning through Sunday morning. Late day saturday into the evening hours will be the window for heaviest snow, blowing snow, and reduced visibilities. Precipitation and winds will taper off through Sunday morning. AKZ103-300000- East Turnagain Arm- Including the cities of Girdwood and Portage 130 PM AKDT Thu Mar 28 2024 ...PROLONGED STRONG SOUTHEAST WINDS WITH SNOW TURNING TO RAIN FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND... Two systems will bring prolonged strong southeasterly winds to the area. The first system will bring mostly light snow mid-day Friday into Friday evening. Overnight, these conditions will wain. More intense snow and southeast winds are expected for Saturday with the arrival of the second system. The window for highest southeast winds will be mid-day Saturday into Saturday evening. Snow will to turn to rain Saturday afternoon. Rain will turn back to snow early Sunday morning before eventually tapering off mid- day Sunday. AKZ132-300000- Northeast Prince William Sound- Including the cities of Valdez and Thompson Pass 130 PM AKDT Thu Mar 28 2024 ...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW POSSIBLE FOR THOMPSON PASS FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND... Two systems will bring snow and blowing snow to the area. The first round will take place Friday afternoon into Friday night with light snow accumulation possible. The second, and potentially more impactful one, will occur mid-day Saturday into Sunday morning. Saturday afternoon into early Sunday morning will be the window for heaviest snow, blowing snow, and reduced visibilities. Snow will linger through Sunday. AKZ142-300000- Copper River Basin- Including the cities of Glennallen, Eureka, McCarthy, Paxson, and Slana 130 PM AKDT Thu Mar 28 2024 ...MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW POSSIBLE FOR THE SOUTHERN COPPER RIVER BASIN FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND... Two systems will affect the area; the first for mid-day Friday into Friday evening, and the second, and potentially more impactful one, mid-day Saturday into Sunday morning. Mostly light snow is anticipated with the first system for Friday. Heavy snow accumulation will be possible with the second system for Saturday. The greatest snowfall will occur south of the Edgerton Highway and along the Richardson Highway Saturday evening into early Sunday morning.
1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
The Saint Paul ASOS recorded a 3 hour period of blizzard conditions on the evening of March 28. Winds gusted as high as 38 knots (44 mph) while blowing snow led to one quarter mile visibility. Conditions improved quickly after 10 pm AKDT as precipitation came to an end.
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: 1163833.