Blizzard — Pribilof Islands, Alaska

2013-02-22 to 2013-02-23 · Pribilof Islands, Alaska

Event narrative

This long duration Blizzard on St Paul Island was produced by the occluded front remaining just south of the Islands on February 22 through the early morning hours of the 23rd. By late morning the low was moving east of the Island and while this kept the front from passing through St Paul it tightened the back side gradient around the western edge of the low that afternoon and brought conditions back to blizzard levels after a slight reprieve the morning of the 23rd. The most severe conditions for St Paul were at 10:53 PM February 22 when visibility was 1/4 mile in blowing snow driven by Northeast winds sustained at 39 and gusting to 47 MPH.

Neither the Village Public Safety Officer for St Paul or for St George reported any damage or injuries.

Wider weather episode

A 961 mb low near the Western Aleutian Islands the morning of February 22 moved to just south of the Pribilof Islands that night and then slowly weakened as it continued to move eastward. The structure of the occluded front originating with this low was such that it kept a tight gradient over St Paul Island much longer than St George Island. This low is a separate low than the ones referenced in the episode Series of fast moving lows impacting Bristol Bay to Prince William Sound Feb 19-23.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 435903. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.