March began with a strong low pressure system moving into the southeastern Bearing Sea. This storm system stalled along Alaska's west coast for several days as a large high pressure system remained stationary across the Beaufort Sea.
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.
March began with a strong low pressure system moving into the southeastern Bearing Sea. This storm system stalled along Alaska's west coast for several days as a large high pressure system remained stationary across the Beaufort Sea. Steady snow fell along the west coast for several days while an increasing pressure gradient resulted in very strong east and northeast winds that brough blizzard conditions to may communities along the west coast.
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 Mar 2, 1:02 PM AKST, 3 hours 38 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
102 PM AKST Sun Mar 2 2025
.SYNOPSIS...
Active weather for the West Coast continues this week as current
falling snow is the predecessor for a long duration blizzard
beginning on Tuesday from St. Lawrence Island through the Bering
Strait. Point Hope also gets increasing winds and blowing snow but
this will begin late Tuesday night/early Wednesday morning. From
Mountain Village to Shageluk, snow will transition to a mix of
rain and snow showers which continue through Tuesday night. A
glaze of ice is possible in the Villages along the Yukon River.
Periods of snow will persist along the coast, especially from the
Seward Peninsula northward through Tuesday, then towards St.
Lawrence Island Tuesday night through Thursday. Along the Arctic
Coast, easterly winds increase Tuesday night and continue through
Thursday with blizzard conditions possible from Nuiqsut east. The
Interior will be warm and dry through Wednesday.
&&
Key Weather Messages
Central and Eastern Interior...
- Warm and dry with high temperatures approaching 40 degrees from
the White Mountains to the Alaska Range.
- Southerly gap winds in the Alaska range up to 55 mph in both
Windy and Isabel Pass through 3 AM Monday.
- Tanana Valley Jet with winds gusts up to 35 mph through Tuesday
afternoon, then up to 40 mph by Tuesday night.
North Slope and Brooks Range...
- Blowing snow persists in Point Lay today but will improve
tonight into tomorrow.
- Easterly winds increase along the coast, especially from Nuiqsut
east Tuesday night through Thursday with blizzard conditions
possible. Blowing snow is possible in Utqiagvik but confidence
is lower there.
- Winds increase in Point Hope late Tuesday night/Wednesday
morning with blowing snow becoming more likely. Blizzard
conditions are possible with this as well.
West Coast and Western Interior...
*Winter Weather Advisories for blowing snow and mixed
precipitation issued for portions of the Yukon and Winter Storm
Watches for blizzard conditions issued for St. Lawrence Island
and the Bering Strait Coast.*
- Snow and blowing snow this afternoon/evening from Anvik
south/west to the coast with visibility to 1/2 mile or less at
times.
- Rain and snow showers expected tonight through Tuesday morning
from Mountain Village to Shageluk with a glaze of ice possible.
- Snow progresses northwest to the Seward Peninsula and up to
Kivalina this afternoon/evening with 2 to 5 inches expected
through Monday afternoon. Highest amounts expected in the
terrain.
- Blizzard conditions expected from St. Lawrence Island to the
Bering Strait Coast beginning Tuesday morning and continuing
through at least Thursday afternoon. Wind gusts up to 55 mph and
whiteout conditions are likely.
Forecast Discussion and Analysis...
A warm pattern continues as a ridge sits over the Interior and
extends into Canada. The North Slope remains seasonably chilly
as they remain north of the ridge in the Interior and underneath a
ridge in the Arctic providing easterly flow. Temperatures will
warm above zero as we approach the middle of the week. Otherwise,
the next round of impactful weather has begun in Western Alaska.
A low in the SE Bering will be moving into SW Alaska and has
provided periods of snow and gusty winds resulting in blowing snow
for portions of the Yukon Delta and Middle Yukon Valley. Snow
will continue to move north this afternoon and evening and will be
heavy at times along the Coast. As this snow exits, it may end
briefly with light rain south/east of the Nulato Hills. Winter
Weather Advisories are issued through Tuesday for a glaze of ice
which is possible from Mountain Village to Shageluk and north to
Kaltag/Nulato. Something a little less certain is the chance for
mixed precipitation from Unalakleet to Selawik. Warm air will
continue to surge north on Monday, but there won't be an abundance
of moisture so any precipitation would be in the form of showers.
But there is still a slight chance for mixed precipitation
between those locations with no hazardous ice accumulations
expected. We will also be monitoring McGrath for mixed
precipitation and the potential for ice accumulations tonight
through Monday night, though most of the precipitation will remain
to their west. Otherwise, periods of rain continue south/east of
the Nulato Hills through Tuesday morning with ice accretion
possible on the coldest ground surfaces. Elsewhere along the West
Coast, periods of snow will persist through the middle of the week
with additional snow accumulations likely each day, especially
from St. Lawrence Island north/east. Colder air moves back into SW
Alaska on Wednesday as an upper low moves towards the Coast from
the Bering. The Interior will remain warm and dry through
Wednesday with breezy conditions in the Alaska Range Passes and
around Delta Junction.
Extended Forecast Days 4-7...
Blizzard conditions continue on Thursday and potentially into
Friday in the Bering Strait. Strong winds for the Eastern Beaufort
Sea Coast will bring the potential for blizzard conditions from
Nuiqsut east on Thursday. we will then be monitoring a front
moving into the Interior on Thursday and Friday. In the Interior,
we will be monitoring a front moving in from the Gulf of Alaska
on Thursday and Friday. This has the chance to bring snow for much
of the area. Confidence is low around Fairbanks, but higher in
the Northern Interior and higher terrain. Nonetheless, this does
not look too impactful.
Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None.
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Wind Advisory for AKZ849.
Winter Storm Watch for AKZ820-821-827.
Blizzard Warning for AKZ825.
Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ826-830.
Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ829.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ801-805-806-812-816-817-850-853-854-
858.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ802.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ804-852.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ813-859.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ851.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ856.
&&
BiancoThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
PAVA reported winds greater than35 mph and visibilities of 1/4 mile or less from 4:40 PM to 8:20 PM on March 2nd. During the height of the blizzard, winds were sustained at 47 mph with gusts to 53 mph and visibility below 1/4 mile.
Blizzard conditions developed at PFKT (Brevig Mission Airport) prior to dawn and continued through midday. The visibility remained at or below 1/4 mile with falling snow and winds gusting as high as 63 mph.
The Kivalina AWOS (PAVL) reported winds in excess of 35 mph with gusts to 45 mph throughout the day. Heavy snow from the previous few days began to blow and the visibility remained at or below 1/4 mile for more than 8 hours.
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, March 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: 1245583, 1245589, 1245590.