Blizzard — Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast, Alaska

2019-04-11 to 2019-04-13 · Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast, Alaska

Event narrative

Strong east winds gusting as high as 58 mph combined with falling snow resulted in blizzard conditions with visibility below 1/4 of a mile at times. The strongest winds and lowest visibility were reported at the Pt. Thompson (PAAD) oil field.

Wider weather episode

Strong high pressure centered over the eastern Beaufort Sea combined with low pressure stretched across the Arctic Coastal plain resulted in persistent easterly winds gusting 40 to 60 mph along the eastern Arctic coast. The combination of strong winds and falling snow created areas of blowing snow and blizzard conditions at times for two days. Winds diminished and conditions improved when the pressure gradient weakened.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 827178. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.