Blizzard — Central Beaufort Sea Coast, Alaska

2015-02-28 · Central Beaufort Sea Coast, Alaska

Wider weather episode

Strong cold advection and a very strong pressure gradient behind a 997 mb low moving east from Barrow to Banks Island coupled with a strong 1038 mb high pressure over northwest Alaska produced brief blizzard conditions over the western Arctic Coast, but hurricane force winds along with blowing snow and blizzard conditions on the eastern Beaufort Sea Coast (zone 204) during the evening of February 28th and early March 1st. The North Slope village of Kaktovik reported hurricane force winds knocking out power and sent dumpsters tumbling like dice, residents said. Event continued into March.

Zone 201: Blizzard conditions were likely at Atquasuk, during the afternoon and early evening of the 28th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less while winds gusted to 45 kt (52 mph) according to the AWWS.

Zone 202: Blizzard conditions were observed at Barrow for just 3 hours during the late afternoon and early evening of the 28th. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less while winds gusted to 37 kt (43 mph).

Zone 203...Blizzard conditions were observed in the Prudhoe Bay area during the late afternoon of the 28th and into the early morning of the 1st, as reported at Deadhorse and Nuiqsut. The visibility was reduced to one quarter mile or less in blowing snow. winds gusted to 53 kt (63 mph) at the Deadhorse ASOS.

Zone 204: The strongest wind at the Point Thomson Mesonet site gusted to 66 kts (76 mph) until the wind instrument stopped reporting. Blizzard conditions were likely at Barter Island, as the AWOS visibility was frequently one-quarter mile with winds gusting to 58 kt (67 mph) until the wind instrument stopped reporting.

Zone 206; Blizzard conditions likely occurred over areas east of the Dalton Highway, based on the duration and severity of observations from zone 203 and 204.

Event continued into March.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 568203. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.