High Wind — Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska

2025-02-26 · Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska

Event narrative

The Alaska Marine Highway Ferry Columbia could not dock as scheduled on the morning of the 26th due to winds and seas. The Inter Island Ferry was cancelled for the day in anticipation of the storm. There were several flight cancellations in and out of Ketchikan due to the wind. A ship report in a cove on the north side of Gravina Island estimated 60mph winds at 1250pm. Peak winds at other mesonet stations in the area ranged from 46 to 53 mph.

Wider weather episode

A high end gale to storm force system moved in from the south, bringing damaging winds in the morning of the 26th to the southern panhandle while heavy precipitation rates brought snow to the north.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1257717. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.