High Wind in Aleutian Islands, Alaska

A moderate front, stretching northeast across the extreme north-central Pacific, brought strong northerly winds to areas of the central and eastern Aleutian Islands Monday and Tuesday.At the Dutch Harbor Spit site, in the lee of Mount Balleyhoo, wind gusts of 60 mph or stronger began with the 11 am ADT observation Monday, peaking at an even 100 mph on the 10 am ADT Tuesday half hourly observation. Wind gusts at this site finally diminished to below 60 mph after 2 am ADT Wednesday. Wind directions were highly variable at this reporting site due to mesoscale circulations set up by eddies moving down the mountainside. Winds at the Captain's Bay site, set up to help forecast winds around Unalaska bay, gusted briefly to 70 mph between 1:30 pm ADT and 2pm ADT Monday. Winds at the site gusted above 60 mph from 11:30 am ADT Monday until 10:30 am ADT Tuesday. Directions gradually changed from northeast to northwest during the period. At Atka, further west along the Aleutian Chain, northeast wind gusts above 60 mph were recorded at the AWOS site from just after 8:15 am ADT Monday until 9:15 pm ADT the same day. Peak northerly winds at the site reached 97 mph between 7:55 pm ADT and 8:15 pm ADT Monday.