High Wind — Western Alaska Peninsula, Alaska

1999-01-22 · Western Alaska Peninsula, Alaska

Wider weather episode

A major weather change, that began Tuesday, January 19th, gained momentum as the days moved ahead to Thursday, January 21st. A moderate 974mb low curved northeast to its position just south of Shemya at 3am Thursday. The front ahead of the low was preceded by brisk east to southeast winds. Brisk southeast winds spread northeast across the Bering, reaching the Pribilofs Thursday evening. Southeast winds also began to increase along the Alaska Peninsula, eastern Aleutians and southwest Alaska between 6pm and midnight Thursday. The winds were accompanied by brief periods of heavy snow and driving rain. Brief blizzard conditions were reported locally along the southwest Alaskan coast. By 3 am Friday, a rapidly intensifying 957mb low, which had been racing northeastward close to 50 mph, pulled up just west of Adak, in the central Aleutians, with its front arcing east and south to Umnak Island (western Fox Islands) then south southwest into the north Pacific. This front was preceded by strong southerly winds. Strong winds were also reported up to 360 miles across the south and southeast quadrants of the center. Strong low level west to northwest winds were evident from satellite pictures, in data void areas, near Amchitka. At the same time, very cold arctic air covered nearly the entire mainland and even Southeast Alaska. The arctic front at 3am Friday extended from Nunivak Island to about 60 miles south of King Salmon to Afognak Island and Middleton Island before dipping southeast into the Panhandle of the State. 90 degree temperature contrasts were seen in 3 am surface data plots for the Alaska Region prepared early morning surface map...ranging from a frigid 45 below at Northway (in the arctic air) to a relatively balmy 45 above at Dutch Harbor (in the polar airmass). These reporting stations are separated by a little more than 1500 miles. Brisk east to southeast winds, on the cold side of the arctic front, had spread into the Seward Peninsula and southwest mainland of the State. The low peaked close to 950 mbs in intensity while continuing north northeast to a position about 60 miles northwest of Nunivak Island just prior to midnight Friday. The frontal system associated with the storm, by this time, stretched in an arc through Savoonga to the northern tip of Norton Bay then south southeast through Iliamna to 300 miles south of Sand Point. Strong southerly prefrontal winds spread through the southwestern 2/3rds of the Alaska mainland.... while strong easterly winds on the cold side of the arctic front had spread across all but the northeastern 1/3rd of the mainland. Strong winds (in excess of 60 mph) were also reported around the low greater than about 240 miles from the storm center over the southern semicircle. By 3am Saturday, the storm was located near Hooper Bay, along the southwest Alaska coast, with its front arcing through Kotzebue Sound to Upper Cook Inlet then south and southwest into the Pacific. The arctic front at this time extended from the Queen Charlotte Islands of Canada to about 60 miles south of Yakutat, through northwest Prince William Sound, and into the northern Seward Peninsula. At 3pm Saturday, the low had split into two, weakening 972 mb centers. The original began to weaken rapidly near Elim. The second center was located just north of the Red Dog Mine in northwest Alaska, with the front, aloft over the arctic airmass, arcing near Prudhoe Bay to Fairbanks to Glennallen to Cape Saint Elias then south and southwest into the north Pacific. The arctic front had weakened considerably, extending from Hecate Strait to Cape Yakataga to just south of Mount McKinley to near Huslia to the original low near Elim then southwest into the Bering Sea. By this time, much of the strong southeasterly wind in advance of the polar and arctic fronts had diminished.Peak winds/storm data in:Aleutians - zone 20Adak Friday 8am - 9am West northwest gusts *80 mph.Dutch Harbor Friday 2:15pm - 2:35pm Southwest gusts 93 mph.Alaska Peninsula - zone 19Cold Bay Friday 11am - noon South gusts to *88 mph.Coastal Nomad (55.13N/158.45W) Fri a.m. South gusts 81 mph.Bristol Bay - zone 16Chignik Friday Noon - 1pm South gust *106 mph.Naknek Friday 9:30 am South southeast gust 77 mph. King Salmon Friday 11:11am Southeast gust *78 mph. HF antenna blown down. C206 landed but could not taxi due to high winds.Togiak Friday 3:55 - 4:15am Southeast gust *65 mph. Phone lines down.Cape Newenham Friday 4:15 am - 4:35 am Southeast gust *88 mph. Saturday 1 am - 1:15 am South gust *116 mph with frontal passageKuskokwim Delta - zone 11Cape Romanzof Thu. 12 am -12:15 am Southeast gust *91 mph. Friday 3 - 4am Southeast gust *74 mph. Kuskokwim Valley - zone 12McGrath Fri. mrg - Sat. ngt. (36 hrs) 11 inches (6.4" Friday + 4.6" Saturday) Susitna Valley - zone 13Chelatna Lake Friday and Saturday 28 inches (12" Friday + 16" Saturday) Palmer airport Friday 8:31 pm Southeast *61 mph.Wasilla Friday 10 pm East northeast 55 mph.Oilwell Road Fri-Sat close to 36 inchesKodiak Island - zone 18Kodiak Friday 4 - 5pm South gust *54 mph. Booth Lake Friday 1 - 2 pm Southeast gust 70 mph.Cook Inlet - zone 15Glen Alps Friday 9:55pm - 10:55pm East gust 100 mph. Road closed at about 6:15 pm.Upper De Armoun Fri. 9:55 pm Gust 78 mph.Oceanview Friday Gust 52 mph.Eagle River Friday 9 pm Gusts 50 - 60 mph.Lower Hillside Friday Gust 77 mph. Anch. Int. airport Friday 9:09 pm Southeast *59 mph.Merrill Field Friday 10:49 pm East southeast *53 mph. Portage ASOS Friday 11:46 pm East *84 mph.Rabbit Creek Friday 9pm - 10pm Southeast 73 mph.Central Gulf Coast - zone 17Cordova Saturday 2:12 am East southeast *59 mph.Middleton Isl. Saturday 2:15 - 2:35 am South gust *63 mph.Whittier Friday 11 - midnight East northeast 58 mph. Copper River Basin - zone 14Gulkana Saturday 4:41 am South gust *56 mph.*Original ASOS/AWOS values multiplied by 1.25 to account for average 5 second interval for peak wind calculation..Damage/Injuries/Deaths as a result of the storm follow...(Courtesy of the Seventeenth District Command Center Operations Brief Significant Search and Rescue)SAR: F/V NOWITNA - TAKING ON WATER, 70NM W OF COLD BAY (later reported vessel sank)SITUATION: 22/0412 local time - The vessel's initial distress stated they were taking on water, donning survival suits, and were preparing to abandon ship. An HH-60 helo from Kodiak, pre-staged in St Paul for Operation Northern Safeguard, launched and the CGC Mellon, 100nm away, diverted to scene but were unable to launch their HH-65 due to heavy weather and sea state. An HC-130 was also launched from Kodiak to provide cover and de-watering pumps if needed. The F/V Dona Martita tried to assist but the 20ft seas and 45kt winds prevented any attempts at rescue. The HH-60 arrived on scene and finding the vessel's deck awash elected to hoist the crew immediately rather than deploy pumps and attempt to de-water the vessel. After a successful hoist evolution all 6 crewman were safely transported to Cold Bay in good condition. The post rescue plan is to attempt to relocate the vessel tomorrow and provide a position for a commercial salvage operation if the vessel afloat. 222235V case closed. Wx: wind SE 45kts, seas 20ft. 6 lives saved.SAR: MEDEVAC 49YOM F/V ENDURANCE, 70NM NW OF COLD BAYSITUATION: 22/0904 local time - The patient was suffering from acute appendicitis and the Flight Surgeon recommend immediate medevac. Despite heavy seas near helo launch limits, the CGC Mellon managed to launch their HH-65 helo. The patient was flown to Cold Bay and was transferred to Lifeflight for further transport to Anchorage. 2221200V case closed. Wx: Wind S 50kts, Seas 20ft. 1 life saved.SAR: MEDEVAC 30YOM F/V KODIAK ENTERPRISE, 75NM W OF COLD BAYSITUATION: 22/1330 local time - A wave broke over the deck of the vessel and knocked the crewman and assorted gear into the hold of the vessel. The crewman was knocked unconscious and rescued by the crew. The crewman wasn't breathing and had no pulse. The EMT onboard administered CPR for six minutes and revived the patient. The HH-65 helo departed Cold Bay, after completing NPSC 0205, and hoisted the patient and transported him to Cold Bay. An awaiting Lifeflight Learjet transported the patient from Cold Bay to Anchorage. 221845V case closed. Wx: Winds S 75kts, Seas 25-30ft, Vis 5nm. 1 life saved.SAR: MEDICO 29YOM F/V NORSEMAN, 64NM SE OF ST PAULSITUATION: 23/0413 local time - 24hrs earlier, a rough wave broke over the 120ft F/V Norseman's deck and knocked the 29YOM crewman into a crab pot. The crab pot's bars hit the crewman across the lower part of his chest and he was experiencing severe chest and left arm pains. The pain was mild as long as the crewman remained still. The duty CG Flight Surgeon recommended 24hrs of bed-rest and apply a cold compress to crewman's affected areas. F/V Norseman was placed on a 4hr commsked while they safely transited to Dutch Harbor. 240100V Case closed. Across east Anchorage, particularly along the hillside, damage reports received so far indicate minor property damage. Along the Glen Highway, a camper was blown off the road in front of an Alaska Region employee Friday. Downed trees caused several power outages and structural damage to adjacent houses/buildings in their fall paths. Several satellite dishes were sent into other parts of town. A report from a resident at about Huffman and Hillside Drive (beginning of the Upper Anchorage Hillside) reported that the strong wind destroyed two of his large antenna systems...one of which was a 12 foot diameter solid fiberglass dish and the other an array of 12 yagi antennas (which he says he used for Earth-Moon-Earth communications?). The yagis did not present a large wind load. Blizzard conditions, followed by areas of freezing rain, plagued the southwest coast as the storm hit. Coastal flooding and movement of pack ice toward shore also caused local problems along the southwest coast of the State. Up to 4 feet of coastal storm surge water was reported over the ice near Bethel along the Kuskokwim River. The forecast of impending hazardous weather prompted the cancellation of the Kuskokwim 500 dog race normally held at this time of year. As a matter of fact, race officials commented on how strange it was to cancel the race...when skies were so clear and conditions so favourable the day before the storm hit. A Kwethluk man died when his snowmachine went into the overflow. Two others with him managed to climb to safety. Snowfall across much of Southcentral Alaska and the Kuskokwim Valley...still in the arctic air and in advance of the front associated with the storm...ranged from 9 inches to locally close to 3 feet in about a 24 hour period. Heaviest snows were reported just east of the Alaska Range...near and north of the Petersville Road.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5680234. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.