High Wind — Western Arctic Coast, Alaska

2024-12-21 to 2024-12-22 · Western Arctic Coast, Alaska

Event narrative

Strong southerly winds reached the northern Bering coastline during the early morning hours of December 21st and continued into the late morning of December 22nd. Point Hope (PAPO) measured a max wind gust of 73 mph during the afternoon of the 21st.

Wider weather episode

On December 20th a strong surface low tracked across the Alaska Peninsula and into the southern Bering Sea. This low eventually tracked into the Bering Strait while a large area of high pressure was anchored over eastern Siberia. The resulting pressure gradient induced very strong southerly winds through the Bering Strait.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1227106. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.