Blizzard in Bering Strait Coast, Alaska

The Wales AWOS site (PAIW) first reported blizzard conditions at 20:10L on 2/16 and continued through 17:39L on 2/17. Blizzard conditions were met at 23:10L on 2/16. Winds were consistently greater than 35 mph with visibilities at or below 1/4 miles for well over 3 hours. A peak observation was recorded at 21:30L on 2/16 with 56 mph sustained winds gusting to 66 mph, heavy snow, ice fog, and visibility less than 1/4 miles. Wind observations went down from 21:35L on 2/16 to 02:35L on 2/17, but winds were gusting well over 50 to 60 mph on each end of the outage. Additionally, blizzard conditions stopped briefly between the hours of 04:30L to 0800L on 2/17, but quickly started again shortly afterwards.

A strong Bering Sea low moves into the Gulf of Anadyr, allowing for a strong front to move into Western Alaska. As the front approached the West Coast, strong east/southeast winds brought blizzard and whiteout conditions to much of the Seward Peninsula south. A secondary push of moisture brought by a shortwave system pushed off the Bering Sea low allowed for widespread heavy snow across St. Lawrence Island, the southern Seward Peninsula, and parts of the Western Interior. As the front pushed eastward across the state, snow squalls developed over portions of the Central Interior, leading to periods of heavy snowfall and gusty winds.