Fairbanks snow beat the forecast; coastal villages are still restoring power, and a Hooper Bay coastal flood watch begins Thursday morning.

Developing Story Note: This report covers new developments involving an active series of Bering Sea storms affecting Alaska. Information may change as forecasters and emergency officials release additional findings. Latest verified products: NWS Fairbanks coastal hazard messages issued 4:20 a.m. AKDT and the NWS Anchorage offshore forecast issued 3:22 a.m. AKDT, both Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026.

The next storm in a relentless October sequence is lining up for Western Alaska. The National Weather Service says the remnants of Typhoon Champi will enter the Bering Sea on Wednesday and reach the West Coast Thursday into Friday, with seas forecast to build as high as 29 feet south of 56 degrees north latitude, according to the Bering Sea offshore waters forecast issued Tuesday morning.

Coastal villages are still recovering from last Friday's storm. In Hooper Bay, a Coastal Flood Watch runs from Thursday morning through late Friday night, with water possibly reaching 4 to 6 feet above the normal high tide line. The watch warns that "low-lying areas may be inundated, including the airport access road."

For households, the concern is cumulative — forecasters noted that this week's system was the third storm of note in about a week, so beaches and bluffs already worn down by erosion face another round of high water before they have recovered.

Interior Snow Beat the Forecast by a Few Degrees

The NWS Fairbanks office reported in its area forecast discussion issued at 2:57 p.m. AKDT Monday that its forecast had changed significantly because temperatures stayed 2 to 4 degrees colder than expected. By 2 p.m. Monday, about 5 inches of new snow had been measured at the office on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, and storm totals were expected to approach 4 to 8 inches for much of the Fairbanks North Star Borough.

Farther north, the Winter Storm Warning for the south slopes of the Central Brooks Range described two waves of snow: 4 to 8 inches Saturday into Sunday morning, a lull, then another 4 to 8 inches Monday, for totals of 8 to 16 inches. Those warnings expired at 10 p.m. AKDT Monday.

The hazard is now shifting from snowfall to ice. Clearing skies Tuesday night into Wednesday are expected to drop lows into the teens and 20s, refreezing slush on roads. "Difficult winter travel conditions will continue into Tuesday. Drive safe," the Fairbanks office wrote. A Wind Advisory for the Alaska Range passes runs from 7 a.m. AKDT Wednesday to 7 a.m. AKDT Thursday, with southerly gusts up to 65 mph, and forecasters say gusts above 70 mph are possible again Thursday into Saturday.

Bering Sea Waves Taller Than a Two-Story House

Offshore, the numbers are large — on Tuesday, seas of 14 to 26 feet are forecast between 171 degrees west and the International Date Line north of 56 north, under a Gale Warning. After a brief lull, seas south of 56 north are forecast at 15 to 29 feet Thursday and 21 to 28 feet Friday. The NWS defines a sea forecast as the average of the highest one-third of waves, so individual waves can run higher.

Forecasters explain the pattern simply. A ridge of high pressure over the northeast Pacific keeps steering storms into Western Alaska, and the Champi system merged with another low before entering the Bering Sea. Forecasters expect it to peak at 960 to 970 millibars. Nature World News previously reported how Typhoon Choi-wan's remnants fed a Bering Sea storm earlier this month.

The timing matters for the Bering Sea crab fleet. Crab seasons opened Oct. 15, with about 45 vessels expected in a season that could be worth more than $250 million, KUCB reported. NWS Anchorage puts the odds of Aleutian gusts above 60 mph at 40 to 80 percent on Wednesday.

Kivalina, Nome and Hooper Bay Face the Sharpest Risks

Damage from Friday's storm is still being addressed. According to the State Emergency Operations Center, a construction tower collapsed in Kivalina and damaged power lines, and about 175 people sheltered overnight at the school, Alaska's News Source reported. Part of the village remained without power Monday, which also affected the water plant. The Alaska Village Electric Cooperative said crews were heading to Kivalina, Shishmaref and Goodnews Bay, and the Nome-Council Road was closed at Mile 17 because of a washout.

New alerts overlap that recovery. A High Wind Warning for the Bering Strait Coast, Diomede and St. Lawrence Island remains in effect until 4 p.m. AKDT Tuesday, with gusts up to 60 mph. High Surf Advisories from Kivalina to the Yukon Delta run until 4 a.m. AKDT Wednesday, calling for breaking waves 2 to 4 feet above the normal high tide line and 3 to 5 feet at Elim. A Hydrologic Outlook notes high streams between Nome and Council, though no flooding is forecast.

The greatest risk falls on low-lying coastal communities, homes near eroding shorelines, families relying on a single power source for heat and water, and anyone traveling the Nome-Council Road, Alaska Range highways, or open water this week.

Track Near Nunivak Island Could Spare Norton Sound

The biggest unknown is Champi's exact path. Recent model runs concentrate the track near Nunivak Island, which would bring mostly offshore winds north of Hooper Bay and limit flooding along Norton Sound. Storm surge would still keep water above normal, and forecasters say shoreline erosion remains likely. The NWS says it is still too early for specific impact details, so watches could be expanded, upgraded or dropped.

Residents should check NWS alerts and Alaska 511 before travel, secure loose objects, and move gear away from the shoreline before Thursday's high tides. Do not drive through water of unknown depth. People with storm damage should photograph it and report it to local officials, and evacuation decisions should follow local emergency managers.

Developing Story Timeline

Oct. 27, 4:20 a.m. AKDT: NWS Fairbanks continues High Surf Advisories and the Hooper Bay Coastal Flood Watch.

Oct. 26, 2:57 p.m. AKDT: NWS Fairbanks reports 4 to 8 inch snow totals near Fairbanks.

Oct. 23: A Bering Sea storm causes power outages and flight cancellations across Western Alaska, Alaska Public Media reported.

The bottom line: the Interior snow is over, but Western Alaska faces another stormy stretch Thursday and Friday while repairs continue. The track near Nunivak Island is the key detail to watch in the next forecast updates.

What Readers Want to Know

When will the Champi remnants reach Alaska? The system enters the Bering Sea Wednesday, with Western Alaska impacts Thursday into Friday, according to NWS Fairbanks.

Which community has a Coastal Flood Watch? Hooper Bay, from Thursday morning through late Friday night, with water possibly 4 to 6 feet above the normal high tide line.

How much snow fell around Fairbanks? About 5 inches at the NWS office by 2 p.m. Monday, with storm totals near 4 to 8 inches for much of the borough.

How big will the waves get? Offshore seas could reach 29 feet south of 56 north on Thursday. That figure is an average of the highest waves, so some will be larger.

Is Kivalina's power back? Not fully as of Monday night. Crews from the Alaska Village Electric Cooperative were en route, and some residents remained at the school shelter.