Winter Storm in Lower Kobuk Valley, Alaska

A significant winter storm impacted the Lower Kobuk Valley, where a Winter Storm Warning was in effect from 0431AKST on February 20 through 2059AKST on February 22, 2026. The Robert Curtis Memorial Airport AWOS (PFNO) in Noorvik first reported visibilities reduced to one-half mile in snow and freezing fog with sustained winds of twenty-nine miles per hour gusting to thirty-five miles per hour at 0739AKST on February 21. During the peak of the event, the station measured sustained winds of twenty-three miles per hour with a peak gust of thirty-five miles per hour and one-half mile visibility in snow and freezing fog. The first verifying observation for the warning occurred at 0739AKST on February 21. Hazardous conditions, including blowing snow and reduced visibilities, persisted until the warning was downgraded on February 22. No fatalities, injuries, or property damage were reported.

A winter storm system tracked across the West Coast, North Slope, and Interior Alaska from February 20 through February 25, 2026. The episode began with widespread blizzard conditions impacting the West Coast and North Slope regions, where powerful winds and significant blowing snow reduced visibilities to near zero. As the system pushed inland, it transitioned into a heavy snow event for the Central and Eastern Interior. Notable snowfall reports included thirteen and one-half inches measured northwest of Ester and nearly nine inches reported by storm spotters in the Tanana Valley. Additionally, measurements from the Nenana Snotel indicated a seven-inch snow depth increase over a twenty-four-hour period during the height of the storm. These conditions created hazardous travel and significant impacts to infrastructure across the state. No fatalities or injuries were reported during this episode.