Blizzard — Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley, Alaska

2021-12-04 to 2021-12-06 · Baldwin Pen. & Selawik Valley, Alaska

Event narrative

Blizzard conditions and high winds occurred across Kotzebue Sound. The weather station at the village of Kotzebue reported a visibility near zero along with very strong winds. Wind gusts peaked from the east to 70 mph during the morning of December 5th with frequent gusts from 60 to 70 mph during the morning hours.

Wider weather episode

A very strong low pressure system moved north through the Bering Sea and across the Chukotsk Peninsula and Bering Strait December 4th through the 6th. The central pressure of the low dropped to 949 millibars as it moved across the eastern Chukotsk Peninsula the afternoon of December 5th and then weakened as it continued to track north into the Chukchi Sea. A strong weather front associated with this system swept across the West Coast, Interior, and the North Slope of Alaska. This resulted in heavy snow, strong winds, blizzard conditions, and minor coastal flooding at some locations along the Bering Sea coast.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1000794. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.