Blizzard — Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska

2024-03-18 to 2024-03-19 · Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska

Event narrative

The Mekoryuk AWOS observed blizzard conditions with one quarter mile visibility or less with winds 30 knots (35 mph) or greater from around 4 pm on March 18 until just after midnight on March 19. Temperatures began to warm into the mid 30s Fahrenheit as snow turned to rain on the morning of March 19, leading to improved conditions.

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 1163831. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.