Winter Weather — Bristol Bay, Alaska

2023-02-09 to 2023-02-10 · Bristol Bay, Alaska

Event narrative

The Clark's Point AWOS observed reduced visibility to 1/2 mile in snow and blowing snow and sustained northeast winds of 25 to 30 mph for 6 straight hours between 2 AM and 8 AM AKST 2/10. Manokotak observed moderate to heavy snow and 1/2 mile or less visibility from 2:10 AM to 7:05 AM AKST on the same morning.

Wider weather episode

A strong low pressure and frontal system moved up from the North Pacific and along the Aleutians while it's associated front moved up the Alaska Peninsula, then past Kodiak Island and into the southern Mainland. Various impacts were felt across large portions of the southern Alaska and Bering areas, ranging from blizzard conditions across the Pribilof Islands and Kuskokwim Delta to heavy snow and blowing snow across Bristol Bay, Kodiak Island and much of the Kenai Peninsula. Well entrenched Arctic air sitting in place across most of Mainland Alaska out ahead of this system helped to support a large baroclinic zone along and ahead of this system's frontal feature, supporting the moderate snowfall totals observed across Bristol Bay, Kodiak Island and portions of the Kenai Peninsula.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1100039. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.