High Wind — Haines Borough and Klukwan, Alaska

2026-01-14 · Haines Borough and Klukwan, Alaska

Event narrative

Light northerly winds across the downtown Haines area late on the 13th, spiked up out of the south just after midnight. The peak wind gust measured at the Haines Airport ASOS was 53kt (61mph) at 229am. The Haines Harbor Marine Exchange station peaked at 45.7kt (53mph) at 1201am (high for this station). Eldred Rock to the south of Haines, a marine location, measured a peak gust of 71.8kt (83mph) at 1220am.

DOT advised during the morning of the 13th that avalanche risk would remain high along the Haines Highway through the 14th due to warming temperatures. An avalanche did occur in the 5pm hour near 16 mile, closing the road. The high winds later continued the elevated avalanche risk.

Wider weather episode

After an active period of multiple systems moving through the area bringing periods of high winds to the southern panhandle, a stronger system arrived bringing high winds to majority of the Panhandle on the 13th into the 14th. This low center tracked northward through the eastern gulf, while deepening, along with a storm force front. The low center moved onshore along the NE Gulf Coast in vicinity of Yakutat overnight Tuesday the 13th. As the low jumped inland, winds spiked up through the inner channels, lasting longest for the Skagway area.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1317475. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.