Winter Storm — Western Arctic Coast, Alaska

2023-01-17 · Western Arctic Coast, Alaska

Event narrative

Strong winds and blowing snow were reported across the Seward Peninsula on the 17th. Brevig Mission reported wind gusts as high as 67 mph. The strong winds caused the visibility as to one half mile for several hours.

Wider weather episode

High Pressure over the northern Chukchi Sea combined with trough of low pressure over the Seward Peninsula brought high winds to the Chukchi Sea Coast. Initially, the strong winds were accompanied by blowing snow resulting in blizzard conditions; however, as time passed, the visibility improved even through the winds increased in speed.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1079249. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.