Winter Storm in Baldwin Peninsula, Alaska

The Kotzebue ASOS (PAOT) reported periodic blizzard conditions throughout the afternoon hours of December 23rd as heavy snowfall occurred. Winds were sustained at 30 mph with the visibility occasionally dropping to 1/4 mile.

A large upper ridge over the northern Pacific extended into the Bering Sea which set the stage for a series of fronts to top the ridge and affect Western and Interior Alaska with several waves of wintry weather. The first front approached the west coast of Alaska with strong winds and Blizzard conditions on the 21st of December. A more potent system came ashore the following day thanks to a strong eastward moving shortwave moving from eastern Siberia into the western interior of Alaska. This second system brought mainly heavy snowfall to western Alaska, but strong gusty winds were noted as well. Finally a third low and cold front moved into the interior as the previous system had flattened the upper ridge. This allowed for ample moisture to enter the Interior allowing for heavy snowfall across the central Interior December 24th and 25th.