High Wind — Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska

2026-01-11 · Ketchikan Gateway Borough, Alaska

Event narrative

The Ketchikan Airport ASOS measured high winds for about 2 hours around mid-day on the 11th. This included peak gusts of 53kt (61mph) at 1208pm and 149pm. The roof wind at the airport peaked at 55kt (63mph), also in the 1pm hour. The Marine Exchange station just across Tongass Narrows measured a peak gust of 56.6kt (65mph) at 102pm. The COOP at the northern end of Ketchikan noted damaging wind at their 3pm report on the 11th and 12th, including a report of partial tree fall.

Wider weather episode

A low center with an occluding frontal system tracked northward into the eastern Gulf of Alaska through the 11th. The low was slowly weakening as it approached, but caused a short period of high winds over portions of the southern panhandle.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1317483. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.