High Wind in East Turnagain Arm, Alaska

The Portage ASOS (PATO) reported a wind gust measuring 82 mph at 12:31 PM AKST January 6th. Weather stations at Alyeska Resort reported wind gusts of over 90 mph around the same time. High winds led to the closure of Alyeska Resort due to a power outage. An animal shelter at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center was destroyed by high winds.

A series of weather systems impacted Southcentral from January 6th to January 7th. Southerly flow from a surface low brought warmer air into the region, increasing temperatures, particularly aloft, which made conditions favorable for mixed precipitation including freezing rain. A trough with its associated front pushed into the Southcentral coast the morning of the 6th, bringing heavy precipitation and even more warm air to Southcentral. Locations including Valdez, Thompson Pass, Anchorage, the Matanuska Valley and West Kenai Peninsula saw mixed precipitation including freezing rain that led to difficult driving conditions and accidents. This was followed by a strong low that pushed into the Gulf in the afternoon hours of the 6th, which brought hurricane force winds to Southcentral. The Anchorage Hillside, Portage, and East Turnagain Arm areas received very strong winds that gusted in excess of 75 mph.