Blizzard — Kivalina and Red Dog Dock, Alaska

2026-01-26 · Kivalina and Red Dog Dock, Alaska

Event narrative

Snowfall combined with increasing winds throughout the day at Kivalina and surrounding areas. By early afternoon the Kivalina ASOS (PAVL) began reporting blizzard conditions with the visibility dropping to around 1/4 mile and wind gusts reaching 40 to 50 mph. These conditions persisted for several hours with the visibility finally improving during the evening and overnight hours.

Wider weather episode

A deep upper-level low over the Eastern Arctic tracked southwest toward the Bering Strait during the last week of January. This system pushed a cold front across the region, producing very strong winds along and immediately behind the boundary. These winds triggered initial blizzard conditions along the Northwest Arctic coast, which then spread westward toward the western Seward Peninsula.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1313555. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.