The Kuskokwim Delta coast and the western capes of Bristol Bay were affected by a shortwave trough moving in from the Bering Sea ahead of a ridge. Gusty gale force winds and heavy snowfall resulted as the trough moved inland.
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 AFC wrote it up.
The Kuskokwim Delta coast and the western capes of Bristol Bay were affected by a shortwave trough moving in from the Bering Sea ahead of a ridge. Gusty gale force winds and heavy snowfall resulted as the trough moved inland. These factors led to blizzard conditions as well as very cold wind chills that impacted the aforementioned regions. Residual cold air from a prior Arctic low was another factor in the formation of these weather events. Whiteout conditions affected various communities across the coastal Kuskokwim Delta and the western capes of Bristol Bay for several hours on January 30th.
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 Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 28, 4:56 PM AKST, 10 hours 46 minutes earlier.
Southcentral and Southwest Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Anchorage AK 456 PM AKST Tue Jan 28 2025 .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA (Days 1 through 3/Tonight through Friday Morning)... A broad upper level low continues to slowly make its way southeastward towards interior Alaska. A shortwave moving through the bottom of the low will help pull it down across Southcentral this evening, ushering in more arctic air and increasing the chances for snow showers along Cook Inlet tonight, from the Mat-Su down to the southern Kenai Peninsula. As this feature rotates and lifts northeast, periods of light snow will be possible over the Copper River Basin. Accumulations are expected to be light; however, any snow could linger into Wednesday. As the low continues southeast into the Gulf on Wednesday, flow across the region will switch to more westerly and then northerly, rapidly increasing gap winds. Blizzard Warnings for Broad Pass and Isabel Pass down to Paxson are in effect from midnight tonight through 9 AM Thursday, and for Thompson Pass from 3 AM Wednesday until 3 PM Thursday. Snowfall from our recent storms will be easily resuspended with gusts reaching 30-55 mph, reducing visibility down to one quarter mile at times. With the cold air continuing to stream in, wind chills could reach as low as 40 below zero for interior locations and mountain passes. Whittier and Seward will also see strong gusty winds from tonight into Thursday morning. The low pressure system will track towards Southeast AK on Thursday and into Friday morning, pulling the cold air mass to the east. Gap winds will gradually decline through the day, with Thompson Pass being the last to die down. In addition to strong winds through gaps and passes, expect strong winds across the coastal water along with falling temperatures. The result will be the development of widespread freezing spray beginning Tuesday night and Wednesday. Heavy freezing spray is likely along the Alaska Peninsula from southern Cook Inlet through Shelikof Strait. && .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHWEST ALASKA/BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS (Days 1 through 3)... Key Points: * Cold Weather Advisories out for the Kuskokwim Delta tonight through Thursday morning and the lower Kuskokwim Valley Wednesday night through Thursday morning for wind chill values as low as 40F to 50F below zero. * Blowing Snow Advisory has been issued for the Pribilof Islands for Wednesday afternoon/evening, ending after midnight. * Winter Storm Watch has been issued for the Kuskokwim Delta Coast and Western Capes Thursday morning through late Thursday night for possible Blizzard conditions. A cold airmass is still in place over much of Southwest Alaska, keeping temperatures in the single digits or subzero today, with widespread subzero temperatures expected overnight. Very cold wind chills as low as -40F to -50F are expected across the Kuskokwim Delta tonight and spilling into the lower Kuskokwim Valley by Wednesday night. Temperatures are not expected to warm up until Friday afternoon as a warmer air mass moves in behind an approaching warm front. The aforementioned front is currently situated over the Western Aleutians, bringing rain and gale force winds to the region. The front will spend the next few days progressing eastward across the Bering towards Southwest, with no significant weakening until after making landfall. Thus, there is a higher chance for snow and blowing snow across the Pribilof Islands ahead of the warm air. Up to 4 inches of snow is possible, with winds gusting to 55 mph and visibilities reduced to one-half mile Wednesday afternoon/evening. Warmer air behind the front will transition snow to a rain/snow mix and then all snow by Wednesday night. The front reaches the Southwest Coast by Thursday morning, bringing snow and winds. There is much colder air in place over Southwest Alaska compared to the Pribilof Island and is expected to warm as a slower rate. This allows for higher potential for Blizzard conditions along the Kuskokwim Delta coast and Western Capes of Bristol Bay. Snow accumulations of up to 10 inches is possible, with winds gusting as high as 35 mph and visibilities reduced to one-quarter mile. Further inland towards Bethel may see periods of blowing snow with reduced visibilities and up to 7 inches of snow accumulation Thursday through Thursday night. -KM && .LONG TERM FORECAST (Days 4 through 7: Saturday Through Tuesday)... A well developed upper level ridge moves across Mainland Alaska through the weekend. Over the Bering, a broad upper low spins several shortwaves through the pattern, briefly flattening the Interior ridge. This first shortwave spreads areas of snow over the Western Alaska coasts and inland through the Yukon Valley. Snow will diminish by Sunday, as the ridge re-establishes itself. Another shortwave supports a front with areas of moderate rain and gusty winds over the Western and Central Aleutians and Bering through Tuesday. Areas of gale force winds develop closer to the low center in the Northwest Bering for Sunday, diminishing Monday. The gusty winds move into the Eastern Aleutians and Bering late Sunday into Monday, continuing into the Alaska Peninsula, Bristol Bay and the West coast for Tuesday. Most of the Mainland areas return to seasonably colder temperatures under partly to mostly cloudy skies. -KZ && .AVIATION... PANC...VFR conditions should persist through the TAF period. There is a chance a some flurries or very light snow showers this afternoon into the evening as a weak upper disturbance lifts over the area. A lower cloud deck could form as a result of snow shower activity, but VFR should be maintained. Gusty south-southwesterly up- inlet winds will turn northerly by this evening. A few gusts between 15 to 20 kts are possible Wednesday as a reinforcing shot of cold air works in by then. &&
2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
The Mekoryuk ASOS station (PAMY) reported 0 to quarter mile visibilities and winds gusting to the mid 40s for several hours from 7:30 AM AKST to 2:30 PM AKST on January 30th. Multiple webcams along the coast from Newtok to Goodnews Bay revealed whiteout conditions in the morning hours of January 30th.
The Cape Newenham ASOS station (PAEH) observed 0 to quarter mile visibilities with winds gusting to over 55 mph from 9:00 AM AKST January 30th to 1:00 AM AKST January 31st. Webcams in Goodnews Bay revealed near whiteout conditions at 10:30 AM on January 30th.
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, January 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: 1234666, 1234667.