High Wind — East Turnagain Arm, Alaska

2025-01-12 · East Turnagain Arm, Alaska

Event narrative

The Portage ASOS Station (PATO) reported strong winds that frequently gusted to over 70 mph for a four hour period between 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM AKST on January 12th. Other stations around the same area reported similar wind speeds in the same timeframe. Alyeska Resort had even higher winds with gusts over 100 mph from 4:00 AM to 9:00 AM AKST the same day. An article from Alaska Public Media reported that Alyeska Resort closed, citing extreme winds, downed trees, and debris on the slopes which make conditions unsafe for skiing and snowboarding. 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 1234087. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.