Blizzard in Bering Strait Coast, Alaska

Blizzard conditions impacted the Bering Strait Coast, where a blizzard warning was in effect from 0431AKST on February 20 through 0843AKST on February 22, 2026. Local Storm Reports indicated blizzard conditions occurred in Wales. The Buckland Airport AWOS (PAIW) reported visibilities of less than one-quarter mile in heavy snow and freezing fog starting at 1741AKST on February 20. At that time, the station recorded sustained winds of forty-five miles per hour with gusts to fifty-one miles per hour. The Teller Airport AWOS (PATE) reported visibilities of one-quarter mile or less in heavy snow and freezing fog beginning at 0930AKST on February 21, with blizzard conditions continuing through 2320AKST. During the peak of the event at Teller at 0940AKST on February 21, the station measured sustained winds of sixty miles per hour with a peak wind gust of sixty-seven miles per hour while reporting one-quarter mile visibility in heavy snow and freezing fog. 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.