High Wind — Nern P.w. Snd, Alaska

2023-03-09 to 2023-03-10 · Nern P.w. Snd, Alaska

Event narrative

The Thompson Pass DOT camp reported that their highest observed wind gust was 96 mph at camp. They also reported that the wind gusts were much stronger through the Thompson Pass gap. Meanwhile, the Valdez ASOS recorded a peak wind gust of 76 mph.

Wider weather episode

A Bora windstorm impacted Southcentral Thursday, March 9 through Friday night, March 10 as a shortwave trough dug southward across Southcentral Alaska, ushering Arctic air southward into the Gulf of Alaska. While areas around Southcentral experienced heightened winds, the windstorm primarily impacted the Valdez area and its vicinity, as the temperature differentiation increased and the subsequent pressure gradient differentiation heightened.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1105185. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.