A stagnant weather pattern with a trough over the Bering Sea and a ridge over eastern Alaska resulted in a continuation of gusty winds across the northwest Arctic coastline. At times these winds combined with snow showers to produce additional blizzard conditions.
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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 stagnant weather pattern with a trough over the Bering Sea and a ridge over eastern Alaska resulted in a continuation of gusty winds across the northwest Arctic coastline. At times these winds combined with snow showers to produce additional blizzard conditions.
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 Feb 27, 2:10 PM AKST, 23 hours 10 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
210 PM AKST Thu Feb 27 2025
.SYNOPSIS...
Northern Alaska was mostly dry today, but satellite imagery
show increasing clouds with surface observations indicating a
gradual warming trend. A well defined warm front lifted into
Southern Alaska this morning and will continue lifting north
across the Brooks Range Friday morning. Increasing cloudiness and
warm southerly flow develops south of this feature, which should
result in spring like weather as temperatures warm to about 10-15F
above seasonal normals. A low pressure that's currently south of
the Alaska Peninsula combines with troughing over the Bering Sea
to result in a persistently amplified pattern. The Alaska Range
scours out most of the moisture lifting north across the state,
except for across the West Coast where the mountains have less
influence. Starting Friday night, a series of weak disturbances
spread light snow northward along the West Coast and portions of
the western interior. Across the North Slope, temperatures warm
this weekend with snow chances reaching the western North Slope
early next week.
.DISCUSSION...
Central and Eastern Interior...
- South winds gusting up to about 60 mph are occurring this
afternoon in Isabel Pass, but should diminish by Friday morning
- Increasing clouds and southerly flow allow for a warming trend
with a daily freeze-thaw cycle possible through late next week.
West Coast and Western Interior...
- Northeast winds gusting to 40 mph at Gambell result in minor
blowing snow this evening before diminishing overnight.
- Light snow chances spread northward along the West Coast Friday
night through the weekend and persist through much of next week.
North Slope and Brooks Range...
- Wind chills persistently in the -30F to -55F range through
Saturday night (west) and Sunday night (east).
- Blowing and drifting snow reducing visibility to a half mile or
less may return to Point Lay late Friday night through Saturday.
Forecast Discussion and Analysis...
Generally low impact weather prevails throughout the forecast period
as southerly flow increases between a Bering Sea low and ridging
over western Canada. Southerly flow across the Alaska Range has
already warmed temperatures above freezing within Isabel Pass and
warm temperatures are expected to become more widespread as the warm
front lift north tonight and Friday. The most widespread above
freezing temperatures are expected across portions of the southern
interior including Fairbanks, Delta Junction, the White Mountains
and locations in between. A persistent freeze-thaw cycle is
increasingly likely every day for about a week between Friday Feb
28th and Thursday Mar 6th. A series of shortwaves embedded within
the southerly flow allows for light snowfall spreading north along
the West Coast beginning Friday night. While snowfall intensity is
expected to be light, off and on chances appears to persist for much
of next week. This may allow for localized double-digit snowfall
totals over a 4-6 day time frame next week. The highest amounts are
expected across higher elevation locations between the YK-Delta and
the western Brooks Range including the Nulato Hills. While snow is
expected to be the predominant p-type, rain may mix in on the
eastern fringes of the precipitation shield especially at elevations
near sea level. This persistently amplified pattern appears to break
down later next week when ensemble means advertise upper level
troughing spreading across the region. Snow chances appear to spread
inland late next week as ridging breaks down.
Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None.
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ801.
Wind Advisory for AKZ849.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ805.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ806-807-811-812-854-856>858.
Gale Warning for PKZ815.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ816-817-851.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ860.
Gale Warning for PKZ861.
&&Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 1258 PM AKST Fri Feb 28 2025 AKZ813>826-828>830-020300- South Slopes of the Western Brooks Range-Noatak Valley- Kivalina and Red Dog Dock-Lower Kobuk Valley-Baldwin Peninsula- Northern Seward Peninsula-Upper Kobuk Valleys-Shishmaref- Bering Strait Coast-Southern Seward Peninsula Coast- Interior Seward Peninsula-Eastern Norton Sound and Nulato Hills- Yukon Delta Coast-Lower Yukon River-Lower Koyukuk Valley- Middle Yukon Valley-Lower Yukon and Innoko Valleys- Including Walker Lake, Noatak, Red Dog Mine, Kivalina, Red Dog Dock, Noorvik, Selawik, Kiana, Kotzebue, Deering, Buckland, Candle, Ambler, Shungnak, Kobuk, Shishmaref, Diomede, Wales, Brevig Mission, Teller, Nome, White Mountain, Golovin, Serpentine Hot Springs, Council, Haycock, Pilgrim Springs, Taylor, Unalakleet, Stebbins, St Michael, Elim, Koyuk, Shaktoolik, Mountain Village, Emmonak, Alakanuk, Kotlik, Scammon Bay, Hooper Bay, Nunam Iqua, Chevak, Russian Mission, St Marys, Pilot Station, Marshall, Huslia, Hughes, Galena, Nulato, Kaltag, Ruby, Koyukuk, Grayling, Holy Cross, Shageluk, and Anvik 1258 PM AKST Fri Feb 28 2025 ...Rounds Light Snowfall Expected for the West Coast... A series of weak disturbances bring persistent light snow chances to the West Coast this weekend into next week. Widespread snowfall totals of 1 to 4 inches are likely by Wednesday with locally higher amounts up to 8 inches possible. The period of steadiest snowfall is expected Sunday into early Monday morning that when combined with north winds gusting up to 35 mph may restrict visibility to half a mile or less. Warmer temperatures across interior Alaska may cause rain to mix with snow, mainly along and east of the Yukon River Valley. Stay up to date with the latest forecast by visiting our website, weather.gov/afg.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Gusty winds combined with light snow during the early afternoon hours to reduce the visibility to 1/4 mile, resulting in blizzard conditions at Point Lay (PPIZ). These conditions persisted for the rest of the day.
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, February 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: 1238983.