Blizzard in Central Beaufort Sea Coast, Alaska

Winds increased during the evening hours of December 11th, with gusts reaching 66 mph on the 12th of December. Blowing snow due to the strong winds resulted in blizzard conditions at Deadhorse (PASC), where visibility dropped below a quarter of a mile for an extended period of time that extended into the early morning hours of December 13th.

A low pressure system tracked north from the Gulf of Alaska on December 12th and settled over the interior of central Alaska on December 13th. A nearly stationary band of moderate to heavy snowfall set up over portions of the central and eastern Interior producing an extended period of accumulating snowfall. At the same time a strong Arctic High to the north produced very strong winds along the North Slope which resulted in blowing snow and blizzard conditions.