High Wind — Anchorage, Alaska

2025-01-12 · Anchorage, Alaska

Event narrative

The Potter Valley and Arctic Valley weather stations (PMHA2 and ARCA2) reported wind gusts of over 80 mph for an extended period of time during the morning hours of January 12th. Arctic Valley was especially gusty and experience a wind gust of 107 mph at 11:00 AM AKST before the station stopped reported data. Other weather stations around these areas similarly reported strong wind gusts over 80 mph around the same time period. An NWS employee reported a 73 mph wind gusts at the site GW5352 ANCHORAGE, which resulted in a door to his shed being blown down. An article from Alaska Public Media reported many impacts across Anchorage including structure damage, downed powerlines which led to power outages, and down trees. One notable impact was the collapse of a pedestrian bridge in Rabbit Creek. There were two reports of injuries: a firefighter who was aiding a family in stabilizing a structure and a person who was impacted by an ambulance that was blown against them. The Anchorage School District closed schools on January 16th, citing issues related to power and slick parking lots. Link to the Alaska Public article: https://alaskapublic.org/news/anchorage/2025-01-13/you-cant-sit-and-relax-anchorage-cleans-up-after-turbulent-winds.

Wider weather episode

A large and strong low moved up the North Pacific into the eastern Bering Sea, peaking in strength as it moved up the Kuskokwim Delta. The orientation of the low's front was ideal for strong winds across Southcentral Alaska. Damaging winds were observed across parts of the Turnagain Arm, Kenai Peninsula, Matanuska Valley, and Anchorage. A significant amount of moisture also was transported by this system, causing issues with localized flooding and ponding of water on roads across parts of Southcentral. Snow fell in higher elevations, with multiple feet recorded in Thompson Pass. Colder temperatures prevailed after the front passed, allowing for heavy snowfall in Whittier on the morning of January 12. In Southwest Alaska, high surf, and minor coastal flooding in the Kuskokwim Delta Coast resulted from strong onshore winds. Low sea ice coverage was a factor in this flooding episode.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1234085. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.