High Wind — Western Alaska Peninsula, Alaska

1999-04-01 · Western Alaska Peninsula, Alaska

Wider weather episode

A moderate to strong front, associated with a moderate low, moved through the eastern Aleutians Wednesday on its way northeastward into the State. By 9am Thursday, the front had elongated into the central mainland, extending in a long arc from just east of Norton Sound to Fairbanks then southeast through Yakutat and southward into the eastern Gulf of Alaska and northeast Pacific. Increasingly strong southeast winds developed ahead of the front...diminishing abruptly as the front passed.Unofficial reports indicated that winds around the city of Cordova, late Wednesday and Thursday, channelled through Eyak Lake, may have reached in excess of 80 mph. In the Cordova Boat Harbor, a houseboat registered a 67 mph gust Wednesday night. Winds at the Middleton Island AWOS and at the deep water buoys located at the southeast entrance to Prince William Sound gusted up to 63 mph late Wednesday and Thursday.Along the upper Anchorage Hillside, wind gusts reached 78 mph at Glen Alps Wednesday evening through early Thursday morning, with the front passing around 3am Thursday. At the Portage Visitor Center, blizzard conditions were reported for most of Wednesday and into early Thursday...as adjusted ASOS winds peaked at 98 mph just prior to the frontal passage. Winds around Seward also gusted close to 40 mph from the south as the front moved through Resurrection Bay Thursday morning.Winds were gusty in other areas ahead of the front, gusting between 40 and 50 mph across Kodiak Island from noon to just before midnight Wednesday.Across the Alaska Peninsula, adjusted ASOS wind gusts topped out at 52 mph Wednesday as reported at Cold Bay.In the Bristol Bay zone, adjusted east wind gusts at the Iliamna ASOS reached 61 mph.Heavy snow again fell across much of the Susitna Valley north of Anchorage...where travel advisories were posted Friday. Reports received indicated heavy snow from Wasilla to Cantwell...with many areas picking up 4-6 inches in 6 - 9 hours Friday. Heavy snow was again reported around Prince William Sound with another 1-2 feet of new snow reported at several areas.In the Copper River Basin, peak winds reached 40 mph from the south at the Gulkana airport Wednesday and again Thursday.The parent low reached at least as low as 972 mbs about 200 miles south of Seguam Island 3am Wednesday, then moved to about 60 miles south of Port Heiden at 3am Thursday...where it began to weaken. Part of the original occlusion, to the north northwest of the center, merged with the arctic front late Wednesday. Cold air, modified across the open waters of the north Pacific and Gulf of Alaska, wrapped around the parent low and caused the arctic front to form south of the low late Wednesday. Brisk west and northwest winds developed along the back side of the low and behind the north northwest/south southeast extending arctic front. Wind gusts reached 60 mph at both Adak and Dutch Harbor Wednesday and early Thursday on the back side of the low.Brisk north wind gusts were reported across the Pribilofs Wednesday, with speeds reaching 63 mph. Adjusted ASOS northwest wind gusts peaked at 58 mph around Cold Bay Thursday morning, finally dropping below 40 mph just after noon Thursday.Adjusted north wind gusts of 63 mph were also reported at the Cape Romanzof AWOS just after midnight early Thursday morning. Wind chills at Cape Romanzof also dipped down to 40 below.At Cape Newenham, adjusted wind gusts reached 51 mph Thursday.As the cold air moved through, gusty westerly winds reached an adjusted 48 mph at King Salmon late Thursday (noon to midnight).These gusty northwest winds spread into Kodiak Island Thursday and Friday. ASOS adjusted speeds of 53 mph were reported at the Coast Guard Base in Kodiak from just before midnight Thursday through much of Friday.Winds picked up around Prince William Sound, with westerly gusts reaching 52 mph at Middleton Island Friday morning.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5689531. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.