High pressure building north into Alaska created a strong gradient across northwestern Alaska, resulting in a fetch of strong east winds along the North Slope where blowing snow created blizzard conditions while storm fore winds blew parallel to the Northwest Arctic and Bering coastlines.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
High pressure building north into Alaska created a strong gradient across northwestern Alaska, resulting in a fetch of strong east winds along the North Slope where blowing snow created blizzard conditions while storm fore winds blew parallel to the Northwest Arctic and Bering coastlines.
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 3, 4:10 AM AKST, 1 hour 45 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
410 AM AKST Mon Feb 3 2025
.SYNOPSIS...Low clouds and patchy fog is impacting the central
Interior today and will likely return overnight. A continued warm
up is expected through much of week. Very strong winds along
frontal boundary west of the state gust of 60 to 75 mph from the
Bering Straits to Northwest Coastal Slope. Those should persist
through today and into the is evening. Impulse of energy will
spread more precip to the southern Seward Peninsula Monday night,
and another to the Yukon Delta region Tuesday. Snow chances
increase once again over the Western and Central Interior on
Wednesday as another organized band appears to move into the
western part of the state and then to the interior late
Wednesday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Key Weather Messages:
Central and Eastern Interior...
- Temperatures moderate into the teens above for highs through
the short term. The Yukon Flats will remain 10 to 20 degrees
colder than other areas.
- Low clouds and patchy fog will continue across much of the
region Monday and return overnight. The next chance of snow
will be on Wednesday. There is some uncertainty on exact amounts
at this point, but a few inches are possible.
West Coast and Western Interior...
- Frontal boundary is bringing very strong winds from St Lawrence
Island and the Bering Straits. Gusts of 55 to 65 mph are being
reported. A High Wind warning is in effect for the western tip
of Seward Peninsula and Little Diomede. Rain and Snow with
local blowing snow for Monday and Tuesday.
- Another shortwave will bring more snow and blowing snow to the
west coast on Tuesday into Wednesday.
North Slope and Brooks Range...
- Frontal boundary is bringing very strong winds from the Bering
Straits to the Northwest Coastal zone including Cape Lisburne.
Gusts of 60 to 75 mph are being reported. A High Wind warning is
in effect for the Seward Peninsula and Little Diomede Northwest
Coastal zone including Cape Lisburne.
- Temperatures continue warm bringing highs of 20 to 30 degrees
into the start of the week.
- Southwesterly winds will increase gusting to around 30 to 35 mph
will develop late Monday and continue into Tuesday along the
north slope. There could be some low visibility in blowing snow.
Will continue to monitor.
Forecast Analysis and Confidence...
A tight pressure gradient will continue over the west coast with
a warnings for strong winds, and local blowing snow and some
mixed precipitation through the weekend. 850 mb temps will
increase this weekend into next week moderating the temps above
normal once again for much of Northern Alaska. The upper level is
dominated by a strong ridge over the Central Gulf of Alaska and
shortwaves riding up over the west coast along the perimeter of
the ridge through Monday. The ridge axis will shift to the east on
Tuesday and westerly flow will develop over the state. A strong
shortwave will move across the Interior on Wednesday bringing the
next shot of snow for parts of the Interior.
Extended Forecast For Days 4 Through 7...
Looking further into the extended, the ridge axis will shift to
the east on Tuesday and westerly flow will develop over the state.
A strong shortwave will move across the Interior on Wednesday
bringing the next shot of snow for parts of the Interior. A weak
upper low will also track across the north slope on Thursday. 850
mb temps will drop again Thursday into Saturday. Overnight lows
could drop back into the 20s to 30s below over parts of the
Interior under any clear skies for Friday and into the next
weekend. The upper level ridge will reamplify over the west coast
Friday into Saturday. The west coast could remain unsettled with
another front later in the weekend.
Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None.
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...High Wind Warning for AKZ801.
High Wind Warning for AKZ820-821.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ801-802-812-850.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ803-809-852.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ804.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ805-808-853-855.
Gale Warning for PKZ806-854.
Gale Warning for PKZ807-856.
Gale Warning for PKZ810.
Gale Warning for PKZ811.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ813.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ814-860.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ815.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ817.
Gale Warning for PKZ857.
Gale Warning for PKZ858.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ859.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ861.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 blizzard, 2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds consistently gusted at or above 60 mph for approximately 18 hours with a peak gust of 77 mph registered at Cape Lisburne LRRS (PALU).
Winds consistently gusted at or above 50 mph for approximately 7 hours with a peak gust of 64 mph registered at Wales (PAIW).
Blizzard conditions began in the late evening and continued well into the night at Nuiqsut (PAQT). Observations consistently showed 40 mph winds gusts and visibility at around 1/4 mile. ASOS observations were lost overnight, but webcams provided visual reference that the blizzard conditions continued well into the night.
The Barter Island AWOS (PABR) reported near constant wind gusts of 45 mph to 50mph and visibilities fluctuating between 1/10th and 1/4th mild through the night as Blizzard conditions persisted. Heavy snow as also falling at the same time.
Blizzard conditions prevailed for about 9 hours at Gambell where the local AWOS (PAGM) recorded 1/4 mile visibility and wind gusts between 45 mph and 50 mph.
Barter Island experienced a short lived blizzard while heavy snow continued to fall. Winds gusted to around 40 mph for approximately 3 hours while the visibility dropped to 1/4 mile at Barter Island (PABA).
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: 1237295, 1237298, 1237304, 1237305, 1237303, 1237306.