High Wind in Thompson Pass, Alaska

An observation site at Thompson Pass MP 2 (RHRA2) started gusting over 70 mph at 6:30 PM AKST February 19. The strongest gust was 97 mph which occurred at 11:50 AM February 20. Winds gusted over 70 mph until 6:00 PM February 20. - An employee of the Alaska Department of Transportation said they experienced 70 to 90 mph wind gusts with complete whiteout conditions at times last night/this morning. Still plenty of transportable snow too.

An upper level Arctic trough dug through Southcentral Alaska and into the Gulf starting February 19. This caused Arctic air to surge through Southcentral into the Gulf while pressure gradients tightened between a strong ridge in the Bering and a surface low that developed in the Northeast Gulf. These factors led to widespread gusty gap winds in Prince William Sound and Kodiak Island. In addition, the thermal and pressure gradients between the Matanuska Valley and the Copper River Basin strengthened enough to allow for strong, gusty northeast winds in the Matanuska Valley.