High Wind — Denali, Alaska

2015-11-08 · Denali, Alaska

Wider weather episode

A 959 mb low pressure center moved into the northern Bering Sea early on the 8th of November. The associated weather front moved across the west coast during

the afternoon and evening hours of the 8th. This resulted in a swath of strong southwest winds across the Yukon Delta which lasted into the 9th. As the weather front moved north on the 8th blizzard conditions developed across the Baldwin Peninsula in the late morning and lasted until evening. In addition, the mid-level winds for the entire system extended east to the Alaska Range where strong chinook flow produced high winds in passes during the afternoon and evening of the 8th.

High winds were reported at:

Zone 214: A peak wind of 67 kt (77 mph) was measured at the Cape Romanzof Mesonet site during the afternoon of the 8th. Additionally, the AWOS at Mountain Village reported a gust to 45 kt (52 mph) and the AWSS at Scammon Bay reported a gust to 47 kt (54 mph).

Zone 225: A peak wind gust to 65 kt (75 mph) occurred at the Antler Creek DOT site at MP 244 along the Parks Highway.

Zone 226: The strongest wind at the Texas Condo U.S. Army Mesonet Site was 68 kt (78 mph).

Coastal Flooding or Storm Surge:

Zone 214: Scammon Bay: The winds raised water levels 5 to 7 feet above normal along the coast of the Yukon Delta and at Scammon Bay the surge was an estimated 7 feet above normal water levels on the 9th of November. Five boats sank, 2 drifted away and 1 was lost due to this storm surge. Damage amount for these boats is estimated.

Blizzard:

Zone 209: Blizzard conditions were reported at Kotzebue, along with high winds. The wind gusted as high as 64 kt (74 mph) at the ASOS.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 607741. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.