A low pressure system tracked northeast from the Bearing Sea into the central Yukon over the course of several days. Initially this system brought strong onshore winds to the Bearing coastline along with a mixed bag of wintry precipitation for the Seward Peninsula.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
A low pressure system tracked northeast from the Bearing Sea into the central Yukon over the course of several days. Initially this system brought strong onshore winds to the Bearing coastline along with a mixed bag of wintry precipitation for the Seward Peninsula. As the week progressed a strong arctic high pushed onto the Arctic coastline from the north resulting in very strong easterly flow for the North Slope along with lots of blowing snow to produce widespread 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 9, 4:03 AM AKST, 5 hours 57 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
403 AM AKST Sun Feb 9 2025
.SYNOPSIS...A strong ridge of high pressure aloft remains over
Alaska with tropical moisture moving up the west side of the ridge
along the West Coast. Interior remains dry, while mixed
precipitation continues along the West Coast on Sunday. Winter
Weather Advisories remain in effect through early Sunday evening
for the Seward Peninsula and through 3pm for the Yukon Delta
Coast. Strong winds will continue over the west coast through
Tuesday, as well as periods of mixed precip. Clear skies, strong
inversions, and seasonably warm temperatures are expected in the
Interior.
.DISCUSSION...
Key Weather Messages...
Central and Eastern Interior...
- Cooler overnight temperatures in the teens to 20s below in
valleys expected through the weekend and most of next week with
clearer skies.
- Dry conditions with clear skies expected through next week.
West Coast & Western Interior...
- Winter Weather Advisories are in effect for Sunday for the
Seward Peninsula and Yukon Delta for snow and blowing snow
followed by mixed precip and light ice accumulations.
- Gusty Southeast winds will continue into Monday and another
round of mixed precip possible from the Seward Penn south.
North Slope and Brooks Range...
- Above normal temperatures will move in across the area with the
system moving up the West Coast. Precipitation expected to be
snow with this progressing system, with a slight chance of
freezing rain. Snowfall expected along Southern portions of
the Western Brooks Range and the Western Arctic Coast.
- The northerly progression of the weather system across the west
coast will tighten pressure gradients, resulting in southerly
gap winds through Anaktuvuk and Atigun Passes through Sunday.
- Windy conditions with gusts to 50 mph expected near Point Hope
Sunday late morning through Monday night.
Forecast Analysis and Confidence...High pressure continues to
build over the eastern Interior under a strong ridge aloft.
Upper level ridge begins to shift to the east, while on the west
coast impulses of energy continue to ride northward along with
warmer air through Tuesday. Precipitation is on track across the
west coast and Seward Penn through this evening. Precip looks to
end earlier over the Yukon Delta Coast, we have trimmed the end
time to 3 pm this afternoon.
Extended Forecast Days 4-7...Ridging persists, bringing dry and
clear conditions with slightly above normal to well above normal
temperatures. The ridge will likely break down from the east late
Thursday and Friday with colder conditions possible. There is a
slight chance of some light snow east of Tanana as this happens.
Periods of strong east winds with blowing snow along the North
Slope, West Coast, and over Interior Summits are likely toward the
end of the week.
Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None.
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ820>822-827.
Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ825.
PK...Gale Warning for PKZ801.
Gale Warning for PKZ802.
Gale Warning for PKZ803.
Gale Warning for PKZ804.
Gale Warning for PKZ805.
Gale Warning for PKZ806.
Gale Warning for PKZ807.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ808-816-817-852-853-855.
Gale Warning for PKZ809.
Gale Warning for PKZ810.
Gale Warning for PKZ811.
Gale Warning for PKZ850.
Gale Warning for PKZ851.
Gale Warning for PKZ854.
Gale Warning for PKZ856.
Gale Warning for PKZ857.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ858.
&&
jkThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 blizzard, 1 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
NWS Employee in Nome reported steady freezing rain through the morning hours with .25 inch accumulation of ice at the noon observation. Roads were reported to be very slick with heavy ice accumulations on trees and power lines.
Strong east winds combined with heavy falling snow to produce blizzard conditions through the afternoon and into the night. Visibilities remained at or below 1/4 mile for an extended time period with wind gusts consistently at or above 40 mph at Nuiqsut (PAQT. Meanwhile at Deadhorse (PASC) winds gusted as high as 60 mph.
Alaska DOT reported wind speeds of 43 mph and near zero visibility Over Eagle Summit. As a result the highway at Eagle Summit was closed for several hours until conditions improved.
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: 1238910, 1238913, 1238921.