A strong low from the North Pacific moved into Bristol Bay sending a warm front north through the Interior where strong Chinook winds developed through the Alaska Range gaps and up into the central interior of Alaska. Meanwhile strong high pressure over the Beaufort Sea helped produce strong east winds along the Arctic coastline of the North Slope resulting in blizzard conditions across much of…
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The episode as NWS AFG wrote it up.
A strong low from the North Pacific moved into Bristol Bay sending a warm front north through the Interior where strong Chinook winds developed through the Alaska Range gaps and up into the central interior of Alaska. Meanwhile strong high pressure over the Beaufort Sea helped produce strong east winds along the Arctic coastline of the North Slope resulting in blizzard conditions across much of the arctic coastline of Alaska.
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 Apr 15, 1:49 PM AKST, 13 hours 56 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
249 PM AKDT Tue Apr 15 2025
.SYNOPSIS...A strong low from the North Pacific will move to
Bristol Bay Wednesday afternoon. This will spread a sprawling warm
front north along the West Coast and Western Interior bringing
mixed precipitation and messy conditions. Across the Interior,
strong Chinook flow will bring southerly gap winds as high as 80
mph through Alaska Range Passes and at Delta Junction and near
Healy. High pressure over the Beaufort Sea will bring strong
easterly winds and blizzard conditions to the Arctic Coast
Thursday and Friday.
&&
.KEY WEATHER MESSAGES...
Central and Eastern Interior...
- Strong gap winds Wednesday afternoon to Thursday morning with
gusts of 70 to 80 mph possible through Alaska Range Passes and
near Delta Junction and Healy. High Wind Warnings have been
issued.
- Temperatures warm through the week with highs in the mid 40s to
mid 50s by Thursday.
West Coast and Western Interior...
- A Northern Pacific low moves in on Wednesday with widespread
rain and snow.
- Higher terrain above 1500 feet will remain mostly all snow.
- SW Alaska and Western Interior should begin as all snow
Wednesday morning into the afternoon, then change to rain in
the valleys/under 1500 feet during mid to late afternoon.
- Coastal areas will be a bit colder and stay snow through the
evening.
- Nome and the Seward Peninsula will be right on the changeover
line. Eastern Seward Peninsula looks to change to rain
Wednesday night, while the western Seward Peninsula may stay
all snow.
Snowfall Totals:
- There will be a wide range with the potential for 6 inches or
more above 1500 feet. 2 to 8 inches along the coast (Heaviest
along the YK Delta Coast). 1 to 4 in Western Interior Valleys.
- Most precipitation ends Thursday night into Friday.
North Slope and Brooks Range..
- Blizzard Warnings have been issued for Thursday through Friday
along the Arctic Coast. Easterly winds will gust as high as 50
mph. Expect 1 to 2 inches of snow accumulation.
- Light snow in the Brooks Range is likely Thursday morning and
may become heavier in the afternoon.
- Snow looks to diminish in coverage during the evening and
overnight.
&&
.FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION...A ridge of high pressure aloft
is slowly building over the eastern Interior, but will be stunted
by a strong vertically stacked low that will move to Bristol Bay
Wednesday afternoon. This feature will be the main driver of
weather across Alaska through the week. Ahead of this low, a stout
warm front will bring abundant moisture to Western Alaska. While
climatologically a dry time of year, precipitable water values
with this warm front are 4 standard deviations above normal, and
precipitation will fall as a mix of rain and snow leading to messy
conditions. Over the Central and Eastern Interior, strong Chinook
conditions and a 7-9 mb gradient across the Alaska Range will
bring southerly winds gusting as high as 80 mph through Alaska
Range passes as well as what will likely be the warmest
temperatures so far this spring across the Interior. High Wind
Warnings have been issued for Alaska Range Passes. A surface high
near 80 degrees north latitude will strengthen and drift south
over the Beaufort Sea to bring strong east winds to the Arctic
Coast Thursday morning through Friday night. This will coincide
with precipitation from the warm front as it moves north. Have
issued Blizzard Warnings anticipating blowing snow and low
visibility across the entire Arctic Coast during this 36 hour time
period.
Models are in good to excellent agreement on the overall pattern
aloft, though the GFS lags behind other models on spreading
precipitation from the warm front north of the Brooks Range. We
will lean the forecast away from this solution and use a blend of
more of the ECMWF/NAM/Canadian. We will use the Canadian for winds
along the Arctic Coast and a blend using mostly the NBM for
temperatures.
&&
.EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7...A broad trough will reform over
Alaska and the storm track looks to continue to be active tracking
into Bristol Bay. Weak ridging will form over the Interior Monday
and Tuesday. Temperatures look to be near normal with above normal
precipitation. Periods of light rain cannot be ruled out across
the Interior next week. Otherwise, weather related impacts look
to be minimal.
Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Blizzard Warning for AKZ801.
Blizzard Warning for AKZ802>805.
High Wind Warning for AKZ847-849.
High Wind Warning for AKZ837.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ801.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ802.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ803>805-817.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ806-812-854-856>858.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ816-851>853.
Gale Warning for PKZ850.
&&
ChriestThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 blizzard, 3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Blizzard conditions became established at the Chevak AWOS (PAVA) along the Yukon Coast during the early morning hours. These conditions persisted until midday with a peak wind gust of 48 mph reported.
Strong gap winds emerged out of Isabel Pass and crossed into the Tanana Valley near Delta Junction where the Delta Junction ASOS (PABI) reported a peak wind gust of 70 mph. Nearby mesonet site MGTA2 registered a maximum wind gust of 76 mph. Trees were reported down at Delta Junction and south of Greely. In addition social media showed a green house with the roof ripped off near Delta Junction.
Very strong gap winds developed through Windy Pass with the Antler Creek Mesonet (ACRA2) reporting wind gusts over 70 mph during the morning hours as strong southerly flow crossed the Alaska Range. A peak wind gust of 79 mph was recorded at 7:20 AM.
Very strong gap winds developed through Isabel Pass with the Donnelley Dome Mesonet (K24KX) reporting wind gusts over 70 mph for almost 20 hours as strong southerly flow crossed the Alaska Range. A peak wind gust of 85 mph was recorded at 12:25 PM on the 16th.
The Port Thompson AWOS (PAAD) reported the onset of blizzard conditions with winds gusting to 35 mph and visibilities in blowing snow of one quarter mile or less during the morning hours of the 16th. These condition lasted for over 48 hours as the east winds remain constant between 35 and 40 mph.
The Wainwright ASOS (PAWI) reported blizzard conditions developing in the morning hours and continuing into the late evening. A peak wind gust of 49 mph was reported during the later stages of the blizzard.
Strong winds developed in the mid morning hours and eventually began gusting to between 35 and 45 mph creating blizzard conditions for over 12 hours at Point Lay (PPIZ).
Winds picked up resulting in blowing snow and blizzard conditions during the early morning at Barrow ASOS (PABR). Blizzard conditions persisted for almost 18 hours before visibilities increased. The peak wind recorded during the event was 45 mph.
The Deadhorse ASOS (PASC) reported blizzard conditions for approximately 12 hours with consistent wind gusts of 35 to 40 mph and visibilities at or below one quarter mile in blowing snow. The peak wind gust was reported to be 44 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, April 2025
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: 1257599, 1256498, 1256495, 1256496, 1257595, 1257579, 1257575, 1257591, 1257594.