Blizzard in Lower Yukon River, Alaska

Snow began falling during the early morning hours of the 10th with the heaviest snow developing a few hours later. By midday strong winds and heavy snow had become established throughout the Lower Yukon Valley. The Marshall AWOS (PADM) began reporting blizzard like conditions with wind speeds exceeding 35 mph and the visibility lowering to around 1/4 mile around midday. By mid afternoon Blizzard conditions were ongoing and the visibility fell to around 1/10 mile as winds gusted as high as 47 mph. The blizzard subsided a few hours later, but heavy snow and strong winds kept the visibility at or below one mile well into the evening hours.

The second week of February saw the first of 3 back to back major winter storms move across Alaska's West Coast and Interior. The week began with abnormally cold readings across the all of Northern and Central Alaska. By Monday a very strong storm system entered the Bering Sea and proceeded to move northeastward across the West Coast and the Interior of Alaska over the next several days. Initially the storm brought heavy snow and strong winds from the Bering Strait coastline down to the Yukon Delta region which resulted in blizzard conditions. As the storm moved deeper into the Interior the storm produced heavy snowfall and occasional snow squalls.