# Blizzard Warning Issued for Shishmaref and Bering Strait Coast, Alaska

> The National Weather Service in Fairbanks has issued a Blizzard Warning for Shishmaref and the Bering Strait Coast, forecasting up to three inches of snow and wind gusts up to 60 mph. A larger low-pressure system is bringing high winds and winter weather hazards across Western Alaska.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-22T14:18:30.918351Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/blizzard-warning-issued-for-shishmaref-and-bering-strait-coast-alaska-a0d59cbc

The National Weather Service (NWS) Fairbanks AK issued a Blizzard Warning for Shishmaref and the Bering Strait Coast on October 22 at 6:02 AM AKDT [1]. This warning is in effect from 4 AM AKDT on Friday until 1 AM AKDT on Saturday [1].

Blizzard conditions are expected, with total snow accumulations reaching up to three inches [1]. Winds are forecast to gust as high as 60 mph [1]. These conditions could make travel very difficult and may lead to power outages [1]. Visibility could drop below one-quarter mile due to falling and blowing snow [1]. The NWS anticipates that the snow will change to rain early Saturday morning [1].

This specific warning is part of broader storm warnings issued by NWS Fairbanks for Western Alaska [3]. A low-pressure system is bringing high winds and winter weather hazards to large portions of the region [2]. Meteorologist Alekya Srinivasan with the NWS' Fairbanks office stated that the storm is relatively slow-moving, which could allow water to be pushed onto shore for a longer period, potentially raising water levels as much as 8 feet above normal high tide lines [2].

Wind gusts are forecast to reach nearly 70 mph on the west coast [2]. Specifically, gusts as high as 68 mph are expected in Gambell on St. Lawrence Island, while Nome and Kotzebue could see gusts between 55 and 65 mph [2]. Nome is also forecast to receive up to 4 inches of snow, which could create blizzard conditions there [2]. A blizzard warning was also issued for the Seward Peninsula from Thursday night through Monday [2]. Further south, the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta is expected to be affected mainly by strong winds and coastal flooding, with less snow [2]. The NWS expects the system to move out of the region by the end of the weekend [2].

## Evidence cited
1. NWS Blizzard Warning: Shishmaref; Bering Strait Coast (nws_alerts) — https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.5d8de0e95abdf7d7bfa324f36b5f321ebf129a7e.001.1
2. NWS forecasts nearly 70 mph wind gusts to west coast this week (knom.org) — https://knom.org/
3. Emergency Management News: October 22nd, 2026 (substack.com) — https://substack.com/