Blizzard — St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait, Alaska

2021-12-04 to 2021-12-06 · St Lawrence Is. Bering Strait, Alaska

Event narrative

Blizzard conditions and high winds occurred from St. Lawrence Island to the Bering Strait coast. This was the second strong weather system to impact the region the first week of December. The weather stations in the villages of Savoonga, Wales, and Teller all reported a visibility near zero along with very strong winds. Widespread southeast winds gusting from 70 to 80 mph were observed. Peak wind gusts ranged from 98 mph at Tin City, 76 mph at Savoonga, 70 mph at Gambell, and 74 mph at Wales during the late afternoon and evening of December 4th. Power outages were reported at Wales along with significant snowdrifts in the communities.

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 1000797. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.