High Wind — Kodiak Island-eastern Alaska Peninsula, Alaska

1999-02-20 to 1999-02-21 · Kodiak Island-eastern Alaska Peninsula, Alaska

Wider weather episode

An intense 962 mb low moved into the central Aleutians Friday, decelerating and curving north to 120 miles southwest of the Pribilofs early Saturday as a 955 mb center. The low then began to slowly drift north to a position 150 miles northwest of Saint Paul Island early Sunday. The front associated with this intense storm moved through Dutch Harbor/Unalaska at around 9 pm Friday then through Bristol Bay to just north of Nunivak Island back into the central Bering Sea around the low.Strong southeast winds preceded the front, gusting to 115 mph in Iliuliuk Bay near Dutch Harbor. The gusts were measured by the Coast Guard Cutter "Mellon" and also at the APL dock on the Bay's southwest coast. The "Heikfu" was awaiting a load of frozen fish, when gusts began to rapidly increase Friday afternoon. The vessel began to drag anchor and went aground near Rocky Point. The Dutch Harbor harbormaster relayed that 'it was a good thing that there were only wind waves involved, instead of swells which could have more permanently grounded the vessel'. Fortunately, no lives were lost and no fuel was spilled...however it was several days later before the vessel was re-floated and moved to a repair dock.On the south side of the low, adjusted wind gusts reached 56 mph at Dutch Harbor and 65 mph at Adak. Winds were accompanied by driving snows, creating brief blizzard conditions. Communications to and from Dutch Harbor/Unalaska were cut off for about 6 hours as heavy snow piled up on the 'earth station relay' which feeds and downloads transmissions from a satellite.Prefrontal winds were also very strong along the Alaska Peninsula. Adjusted winds at Cold Bay reached 75 mph just prior to the frontal passage. Sustained southwest winds of 58 mph on the back side of the low were reported by several ships just northwest of the Peninsula.Midday Saturday, prefrontal, southeast, adjusted wind gusts reached as high as 73 mph at Cape Newenham, right at the border of the Bristol Bay and Kuskokwim Delta zones. Winds are typically accelerated by terrain in this area, however adjusted winds at King Salmon reached 46 mph, with 60 mph adjusted gusts recorded at Iliamna. Just offshore of the Kuskokwim Delta, adjusted prefrontal wind gusts at Mekoryuk reached 58 mph. Early Saturday evening, gusts reached 76 mph at Cape Romanzof, another area where winds are accelerated by terrain.On Kodiak Island, adjusted prefrontal wind gusts were clocked at 61 mph at the airport. Booth Lake RAWS recorded gusts of 55 mph.Across the Kenai Peninsula, locally strong winds were also reported. Gusts reached close to 40 mph around Homer...along with 8 inches of snow in town and 18 inches of new snow along the Ridge. Heavy snow began Saturday and ended Sunday around Kachemak Bay.Further north, wind gusts reached 64 mph at the Portage Visitors Center several times Saturday. Saturday evening, wind gusts of 55 mph were recorded at Glen Alps (Upper Anchorage hillside).

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5679454. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.