Blizzard — Pribilof Islands, Alaska

2024-03-18 · Pribilof Islands, Alaska

Event narrative

The Saint Paul ASOS did not report visibility during this event. Winds gusted 35 knots (40 mph) or greater with whiteout conditions seen on FAA webcam imagery between 10 am and 2 pm on March 18, during which temperatures were also below freezing. At 6 pm, an NWS employee at the Saint Paul Weather Service Office measured between 4 to 6 inches of snow from the event.

Wider weather episode

A front moving ahead of a low entering the southern Bering Sea approached the Pribilof Islands from the south on March 18. A cold air mass in place ahead of the front coupled with the sea ice edge only a few miles from the islands allowed for a short period of blizzard conditions to develop as strong east-northeasterly winds and snow moved in. The front reached the Southwest Alaska coast later that afternoon, leading to blizzard conditions along the Kuskokwim Delta coast through the early morning hours of March 19.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1163830. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.