Blizzard — Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska

2024-04-01 to 2024-04-03 · Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska

Event narrative

A warm front off a hurricane-force low in the far western Bering Sea arrived at the Southwest coast midday on April 2. Winds dropped out at PAMY during the worst conditions; before doing so, visibility of less than a quarter mile, and gusts to 43 kts were recorded. Precipitation quickly tapered off around 10 pm in Mekoryuk with winds shifting out of the south-southwest and weakening. Bethel observed a period of moderate snow 1/2SM, though winds were 12-14 kt. Visibility improved as precipitation became lighter with the arrival of gusty southerly winds around midnight.

Wider weather episode

A frontal boundary pushing into the western Bering and a second low east of the Kuril Islands and south of Attu affected the Kuskokwim Delta Coast, Nunuvak Island, Western Capes and Shemya April 2-3, 2024. The first low brought gusty winds, snow and low visibilities, along with cold air for this time of year, to the western and central Bering. A second low bombed out (with the surface low pressure decreasing more than 24 mb in 24 hours) as the low moved towards Attu and Shemya. By Tuesday afternoon, April 2 the pressure gradient force field spanned from St Matthew Island and Nunivak to Attu. This led to a small corridor of sustained hurricane force winds for the for the western Aleutian Islands, including Shemya.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1176696. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.