High Wind — Anchorage, Alaska

2025-01-24 to 2025-01-26 · Anchorage, Alaska

Event narrative

A weather station in the Anchorage Hillside reported an extended period of gusty winds of over 50 mph that started January 24th and lasted until January 26th. The station reported a max wind gust for three consecutive observations from 3:11 PM AKST to 3:21 PM AKST on January 25th. Other weather stations in the area reported similarly high gusts of over 70 mph around the same timeframe. Wind gusts over the Anchorage International Airport exceeded 60 mph on January 25th.

Wider weather episode

From January 23rd to January 26th, a cluster of low pressure systems with multiple separate centers moved into the Bering Sea. Parts of this cluster included a low with two centers that moved in from the west and a north Pacific Low that rose from the Southwest. As they approached the Southwestern Alaskan mainland, a frontal system set up and pressure gradients oriented in such a way that winds became gusty in the Alaska Peninsula during the afternoon hours of January 23rd. The lows combined and took a northerly turn on the 24th. The frontal system remained in place for the next two days and another north Pacific low rose from the south on January 25th. The low stalled out over the Alaska Peninsula and took advantage of an atmospheric river to drive heavy snowfall into Southwest and Southcentral Alaska through January 26th. A period of gusty winds were also felt in the Anchorage region on January 25th.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1241910. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.