Avalanche — Copper River Basin, Alaska

2024-06-22 · Copper River Basin, Alaska

Event narrative

Borderline Red Flag Warning criteria was met at the Gulkana ASOS from around 4 pm to 8 pm AKDT. Temperatues hovered near 75 degrees Fahrenheit with sustained northerly winds of 13 to 16 mph with a peak gust of 25 mph. Relative humidity ranged from 25% to 29% during this same time period.

Wider weather episode

An upper-level ridge extending up from the Eastern Bering Sea through Interior Alaska contributed to a period of warm and dry conditions for much of the state of Alaska during mid-June. A low in the southeastern Gulf of Alaska on helped to draw northerly winds, which combined with temperatures reaching into the low 80s to produce borderline Red Flag conditions in the Copper River Basin during the afternoon and evening hours of June 22.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1190572. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.