Alert archive / Alaska / High Wind Watches in 2011

High Wind Watch 17, NWS Anchorage, AK

April 3, 2011

NWS Anchorage, AK issued this high wind watch at Apr 3, 2011, 2:17 AM AKDT. It took effect at Apr 4, 2011, 4:00 AM AKDT. It was in force for .

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 3, 2011, 2:17 AM AKDT (10:17 UTC)
In effect from
Apr 4, 2011, 4:00 AM AKDT
Expired
Apr 3, 2011, 4:08 PM AKDT
In force
Issued by
NWS Anchorage, AK

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

090 
WWAK72 PAFC 031017
NPWALU

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
217 AM AKDT SUN APR 3 2011

AKZ181-031130-
/X.CAN.PAFC.HW.W.0023.110403T1100Z-110404T0800Z/
ALASKA PENINSULA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...COLD BAY...SAND POINT
217 AM AKDT SUN APR 3 2011

...HIGH WIND WARNING IS CANCELED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS CANCELED THE HIGH
WIND WARNING.

THE HIGH WIND WARNING HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A BLIZZARD WARNING.

$$

AKZ185-040000-
/X.CON.PAFC.HW.W.0023.000000T0000Z-110404T0000Z/
EASTERN ALEUTIANS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...UNALASKA...NIKOLSKI
217 AM AKDT SUN APR 3 2011

...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM AKDT THIS
AFTERNOON...

A HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM AKDT THIS
AFTERNOON. 

A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ALONG THE SOUTHERN ALASKA PENINSULA
IS PRODUCING DANGEROUS WINDS TO THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS. EXPECT
NORTHWEST WINDS OF 55 TO 65 MPH WITH FREQUENT GUSTS OF 80 TO
90 MPH. THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BEGIN MOVING AWAY THIS
AFTERNOON...HELPING WINDS TO SLOWLY WEAKEN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED
OR OCCURRING. PEOPLE ARE URGED TO SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS THAT COULD
BE BLOWN AROUND OR DAMAGED BY THE WIND.

&&

$$

AKZ191-040200-
/X.NEW.PAFC.HW.A.0017.110404T1200Z-110404T2100Z/
WESTERN ALEUTIANS-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...SHEMYA AND AMCHITKA
217 AM AKDT SUN APR 3 2011

...HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY
AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY
AFTERNOON. 

AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OFF THE KAMCHATKA PENINSULA WILL TRACK
TOWARDS THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY. STRONG
WESTERLY WINDS OF 50 TO 65 MPH WITH FREQUENT GUSTS TO 75 MPH ARE
POSSIBLE BEFORE THIS SYSTEM ROTATES INTO THE CENTRAL BERING SEA
MONDAY AFTERNOON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A HIGH WIND WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HAZARDOUS
HIGH WIND EVENT. PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO CLOSELY MONITOR THIS
WEATHER SITUATION. PREPARATION FOR THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS
WEATHER EVENT SHOULD BEGIN NOW. 

&&

$$

JAM
1 follow-up statement
877 
WWAK72 PAFC 040008
NPWALU

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
408 PM AKDT SUN APR 3 2011

AKZ185-040115-
/X.CAN.PAFC.HW.W.0023.000000T0000Z-110404T0000Z/
EASTERN ALEUTIANS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...UNALASKA...NIKOLSKI
408 PM AKDT SUN APR 3 2011

...HIGH WIND WARNING HAS EXPIRED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS ALLOWED THE HIGH
WIND WARNING TO EXPIRE. 


$$

AKZ191-041315-
/X.UPG.PAFC.HW.A.0017.110404T1200Z-110404T2100Z/
/X.NEW.PAFC.HW.W.0024.110404T0600Z-110404T1500Z/
WESTERN ALEUTIANS-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...SHEMYA AND AMCHITKA
408 PM AKDT SUN APR 3 2011

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 AM
AKDT MONDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 AM AKDT
MONDAY. THE HIGH WIND WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OFF THE KAMCHATKA PENINSULA WILL TRACK TO
THE NORTH OF THE REGION THROUGH EARLY MONDAY MORNING. STRONG
WESTERLY WINDS OF 40 TO 55 MPH WITH FREQUENT GUSTS TO 75 MPH ARE 
EXPECTED FROM LATE EVENING THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS MONDAY
BEFORE SLOWLY SUBSIDING THROUGH THE DAY ON MONDAY.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED
OR OCCURRING. PEOPLE ARE URGED TO SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS THAT COULD
BE BLOWN AROUND OR DAMAGED BY THE WIND.

&&

$$

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this high wind watch went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this high wind watch went out at Apr 2, 5:00 PM AKDT, 9 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 2, 5:00 PM AKDT, 9 hours 17 minutes before
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
500 PM AKDT SAT APR 2 2011

.SURFACE FEATURES AND MODEL DISCUSSION...
MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH 60 HOURS. ALL RECOGNIZE A LARGE 970
MB LOW JUST SOUTH OF THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS. LOW INTENSIFIES TO 966 MB
AS IT MOVES NORTHEASTWARD TO NEAR CHIGNIK BY LATE TONIGHT. LOW THEN
GRADUALLY WEAKENS TO 988 MB AS IT MOVES INTO THE EASTERN GULF OF
ALASKA MONDAY AFTERNOON. MODELS ALSO AGREE ON MOVING A SECOND LOW OUT
OF THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC INTO THE WESTERN BERING SEA SUNDAY EVENING
AT ABOUT 976 MB. MODELS THEN BEGIN TO DIVERGE ON HOW QUICKLY TO MOVE
THIS FEATURE ACROSS THE BERING. PREFER THE SLOWER GFS SOLUTION WHICH
KEEPS THE LOW WEST OF LONGITUDE 180 THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...
DOMINANT WEATHER MAKER TODAY IS A LARGE 966 MB LOW JUST SOUTH OF THE
EASTERN ALEUTIANS. AS OF 2 PM...ASSOCIATED WEATHER FRONT EXTENDED
FROM UNIMAK PASS ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN BERING SEA...ALONG THE
KUSKOKWIM DELTA AND BRISTOL BAY COASTS...AND ACROSS KODIAK ISLAND.
FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SWING QUICKLY NORTH AND EASTWARD TONIGHT AND
TOMORROW WHILE THE LOW CENTER ITSELF TRANSLATES SLOWLY EASTWARD.
PLENTY OF RAIN AND SNOW ALONG AND IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT. A MIX OF
RAIN AND WET SNOW IS PRESENTLY FALLING FROM THE ALASKA
PENINSULA. BRISTOL BAY REGION...KODIAK ISLAND...AND INTO
THE NORTHERN GULF. GUSTY NORTHEAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS ALSO A MAJOR
CONCERN IN THIS SECTOR...ESPECIALLY THROUGH CHANNELED AREAS SUCH AS
TURNAGAIN ARM...PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND...AND THE LAKE ILIAMNA AREA.
DOWNSLOPE WINDS IN SOUTHCENTRAL EXPECTED TO PREVENT PRECIP FROM
DEVELOPING IN THE ANCHORAGE...WESTERN KENAI PENINSULA...MAT
VALLEY...AND EASTERN SUSITNA VALLEY ZONES. UPSLOPING ALONG THE
EASTERN SLOPES OF THE ALASKA RANGE WILL ENHANCE SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE
WESTERN SUSITNA VALLEY.
STRONG NORTHEAST TO NORTHWEST WINDS ALONG THE REAR FLANK OF THE LOW
ARE EXPECTED TO REACH SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 75 MPH OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE
EASTERN ALEUTIANS AND ALASKA PENINSULA.
THE COMBINATION OF COOL TEMPERATURES...STRONG WINDS...AND COPIOUS
MOISTURE HAD RESULTED IN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ALONG THE KUSKOKWIM
DELTA COAST AND ALSO ACROSS THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS. LOW VISIBILITIES
WILL LINGER THROUGH THE NIGHT AND THROUGH THE DAY TOMORROW FOR THE
DELTA. VISIBILITIES HOWEVER ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE OVERNIGHT FOR THE
EASTERN ALEUTIANS AS PRECIP BEGINS TO TAPER OFF FROM THE WEST LATER
THIS EVENING.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...
.UPPER LEVELS AND LONG TERM FORECAST...
BROAD LONG WAVE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH ENCOMPASSES BERING SEA AND EXTENDS
SOUTHWESTWARD INTO NORTH PACIFIC WHILE UPPER LEVEL RIDGING HOLDS OVER
THE NORTH PACIFIC AND MAINLAND ALASKA. RIDGE BREAKS DOWN BY MONDAY
MORNING AS TROUGH PRESSES EASTWARD. WEAK BUT NEARLY ZONAL FLOW
DEVELOPS BY MIDWEEK. SURFACE PATTERN LOOKS TO REMAIN PROGRESSIVE
THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD BUT UPPER LEVEL STEERING FLOW SHOULD KEEP
STRONG SYSTEMS SOUTH OF THE ALEUTIAN CHAIN AND GULF OF ALASKA.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...BLIZ WARNING 155 185. HIGH WIND WATCH 181 185.
MARINE...GALE 125 138 140 150 160 172 175 179 180 185.
         STORM 120 130 132 155 165 170 171 176.
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 179 185.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

ASB APR 11

The office that day

Everything else NWS Anchorage, AK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 2, 4:00 PM AKDTGale WarningAFC3 days
Apr 2, 4:00 PM AKDTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFC24 hr
Apr 2, 4:00 PM AKDTStorm WarningAFC48 hr
Apr 2, 4:00 PM AKDTStorm WarningAFC48 hr
Apr 2, 5:27 PM AKDTHeavy Freezing Spray WarningAFC3 days
Apr 3, 4:00 AM AKDTGale WarningAFC12 hr
Apr 3, 4:00 AM AKDTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFC24 hr
Apr 3, 4:00 AM AKDTStorm WarningAFC12 hr
Apr 3, 4:00 AM AKDTStorm WarningAFC24 hr

Nearby

High Wind Watches in Alaska, 2011Every high wind watch in 2011

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.