Blizzard and Winter Storm in Alaska, January 28 to 31, 2025

Name: Blizzard and Winter Storm in Alaska, January 28 to 31, 2025
Start: 2025-01-28T15:00
End: 2025-01-31T01:05
Location: Alaska

January 28 to 31, 2025 · NWS AFG · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS AFG wrote it up.

A very cold upper level low tracked from the Bering Coastline of Western Alaska into the interior towards the end of the month. This resulted in periods of locally heavy snow and strong winds which brought low visibilities due to blowing snow. In addition, the coldest air of the season arrived across northern Alaska in the wake of this storm as a large Arctic high settled in behind the storm system.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jan 28, 1:36 PM AKST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 28, 1:36 PM AKST, 1 hour 24 minutes before

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
136 PM AKST Tue Jan 28 2025

.SYNOPSIS...
We're entering a much quieter period of weather overall with
minimal hazards expected. The main trend this week will be cooling
temperatures. However, there will be blizzard conditions from
northerly winds in the southern half of the Alaska Range Passes
late tonight through Thursday afternoon. Blizzard conditions are
also expected along the Eastern Arctic Coast Wednesday through
Friday morning. Looking later into the week, a front will approach
the West Coast with snow and gusty winds for St. Lawrence Island
and the Yukon Delta Coast. Winter Storm Watches are issued for
those areas.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Key Weather Messages:

Central and Eastern Interior...

- Northerly wind through Windy and Isabel Passes will gust up to
  40 mph tonight through Thursday AM resulting in blizzard
  conditions at times along the Parks Highway near Cantwell and
  south of Trims Camp along the Richardson Highway.

- Light snow from Fairbanks east to the AlCan Border with an inch
  or less expected in Fairbanks and 1 to 2 inches in the Eastern
  Interior through Thursday.

- Temperatures plummet well below zero across the Interior this
  week with valleys dropping into the 30s and 40s below by
  Thursday and potentially near 50 below on Friday as skies clear.

West Coast and Western Interior...

- Conditions improve over the West Coast today with northerly wind
  in the Bering Strait Weakening. Light snow from the Seward
  Peninsula northward continues into this afternoon then
  diminishes in coverage. 1 to 2 inches of snow is expected.

- Temperatures plummet into the teens below zero tonight along the
  coast and 30s below zero in the inland valleys. Temperatures in
  the 40s and near 50 below are likely Thursday into Friday.
  Warmer weather is expected to return once again this weekend.

- A front with snow and blowing snow will approach St. Lawrence
  Island and the Yukon Delta Thursday afternoon. Winter Storm
  Watches have been issued for potential blizzard conditions
  Thursday afternoon into Friday morning.

North Slope and Brooks Range...

- Temperatures will be dropping into the 20s below along the
  coast, with 30s below in the Arctic Plain by Wednesday. A
  continued cold trend prevails on Thursday before a significant
  warm up to above 0F temperatures once again this weekend.

- Easterly winds for Point Thomson and Barter Island increase
  Wednesday afternoon with gusts upwards of 45 mph on Thursday. A
  blizzard warning is in effect for visibility to 1/4 mile or less
  through Friday morning.

Forecast Analysis and Confidence...
Mostly high confidence in the ongoing forecast. A trough of low
pressure is providing light snow over the West Coast and ushering
in much colder air from the Arctic. A subtle ripple in the
700/500mb flow will bring light snow from Fairbanks east to the
AlCan Border through Thursday with light accumulations expected.
The arctic low over the West Coast will then dive southeast
tomorrow resulting in very cold temperatures to end the week.
Typical cold spots in the Interior Valleys approach 50 below
Thursday and Friday. Fairbanks will likely approach or be colder
than 40 below on Friday. Any areas of clouds, especially stratus
will may keep some spots "warmer" than others (in the teens and
20s below zero) but pinpointing the exact locations of these
clouds is difficult and that would be the only low confidence
portion of the forecast that we have.

Looking past this weekend, a strong atmospheric ridge stays in
place over mainland Alaska through next week. A trough moves into
the western Bering Sunday. Shortwave features moving through the
trough and into the ridge will attempt to break down the ridge
through next week. These features will bring increased snowfall
chances to the west coast, particularly the southern Seward
Peninsula and the Western Brooks Range. There is much model
disagreement in timing and strength of these shortwaves making
snowfall and ridge breakdown uncertain. This will weaken surface
pressures and push the main body of the ridge further east
allowing for some warming in the Interior and North Slope to near
normal and for the West Coast to approach 32F.

Extended Forecast For Days 4 Through 7...

- Cold temperatures for the Interior and North Slope continue
  through the weekend. These will trend toward normal for this
  time of year early next week.

- Snowfall chances increase for areas of the West Coast and
  Western Interior. The most affected areas will be the south side
  of the Seward Peninsula and the southern slopes of the Western
  Brooks Range with higher elevation areas receiving more snow.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Blizzard Warning for AKZ848-850.
     Winter Storm Watch for AKZ825-827.
     Blizzard Warning for AKZ805.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ802-803-805-806-854-856.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ807.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ808-809-855.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ810-811-857.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ814-860.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ815.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ851-861.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ852-853.
&&

Bianco/Stokes

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 blizzard, 2 winter storm, 1 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Eastern Alaska Range South of Trims Camp

When: January 28, 3:00 PM AKST to January 29, 8:00 PM AKST
Where: Eastern Alaska Range South of Trims Camp forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 63.751, -143.251 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Alaska DOT closed the Richardson Highway from mile 186 to mile 218 due to very heavy snow and extremely low visibility in blowing snow. Snowfall totaled 6 inches and winds were estimated to have been between 60 and 70 mph.

Blizzard, Southern Denali Borough

When: January 29, 5:00 AM AKST to January 30, 12:00 AM AKST
Where: Southern Denali Borough forecast zone
Reported by: Department of Highways
Coordinates: 63.789, -150.192 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Alaska DOT reported Blizzard conditions through Windy Pass along the Parks Highway. DOT crews reported not being able to tell when the snow stopped due to the amount of blowing snow and poor visibility.

Winter Storm, Yukon Delta Coast

When: January 30, 10:10 AM AKST to January 31, 1:00 AM AKST
Where: Yukon Delta Coast forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 61.991, -164.553 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Chevak Airport AWOS (PAVA) reported Winter Storm conditions with visibilities dropping to between 1/4 and 1/2 mile for more than 12 hours while reporting heavy snow and fog. Sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph were common during this time frame.

Winter Storm, St. Lawrence Island

When: January 30, 10:20 AM AKST to January 31, 1:05 AM AKST
Where: St. Lawrence Island forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 64.833, -163.751 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Savoonga AWOS (PASA) reported almost 10 hours of heavy snow and visibilities between 1/4 and 1/2 mile. Winds were sustained at 30 to 35 mph with gusts to 40 mph. On occasion visibilities dropped to below a quarter mile due to the blowing snow.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Lower Kobuk Valley

When: January 30, 7:00 PM AKST to 10:00 PM AKST
Where: Lower Kobuk Valley forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS
Coordinates: 66.833, -161.001 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Selawik AWOS (PASK) reported a surface temperature of -36F and 18kt wind speed resulting in a wind chill of -70F.

What these are

Blizzard: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill: Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Alaska in 2025 Every state in 2025 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, January 2025

Sources

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: 1237138, 1237136, 1237144, 1237156, 1237167.