High Wind in Cook Inlet-susitna Valley, Alaska

Cold arctic air pushed southward across southcentral Alaska Monday and Tuesday...as very strong high pressure built into the northcentral interior. Brisk northeasterly winds were observed across many areas of southcentral Alaska Monday and Tuesday. Wind gusts reached at least 69 mph just west of Kenai in Cook Inlet (reported by the "Northern Lights"...a vessel owned by TOTE shipping). Palmer recorded wind gusts of 60 mph at 6 minutes after midnight early Wednesday...causing the ASOS to report " snow and clear skies" (due to snow blowing over the precipitation sensor). Gusts of 73 mph were recorded at the Valdez airport at 2:38 am Wednesday. At least one tree blew into a house around Anchorage, where gusts reached at least 50 mph (reported at Anchorage International airport) at 5:54 pm Tuesday).