Alert archive / Alaska / High Wind Warnings in 2020

High Wind Warning 12, NWS Fairbanks, AK

November 23, 2020

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this high wind warning at Nov 23, 2020, 12:07 PM AKST. It took effect at Nov 24, 2020, 9:00 PM AKST. It was in force for 14 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Nov 23, 2020, 12:07 PM AKST (21:07 UTC)
In effect from
Nov 24, 2020, 9:00 PM AKST
Expired
Nov 25, 2020, 11:28 AM AKST
In force
14 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

The text

As transmitted.

060 
WWAK72 PAFG 232107
NPWWCZ

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
1207 PM AKST Mon Nov 23 2020

AKZ227-241600-
/O.UPG.PAFG.HW.A.0006.201125T0600Z-201125T2100Z/
/O.NEW.PAFG.HW.W.0012.201125T0600Z-201125T2100Z/
Upper Kuskokwim Valley-
Including the cities of McGrath, Nikolai, Takotna, 
and Farewell Lake
1207 PM AKST Mon Nov 23 2020

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM TUESDAY TO NOON AKST
WEDNESDAY...

* WHAT....South winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 70 mph
  expected.

* WHERE...Near the Alaska Range.

* WHEN...From 9 PM Tuesday to noon AKST Wednesday.

* IMPACTS...Winds could blow down trees. Travel could be
  difficult.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A High Wind Warning means hazardous high winds are occurring or
expected. Take precautions to protect life and prevent property
damage.

&&

$$
4 follow-up statements
664 
WWAK72 PAFG 241531
NPWWCZ

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
631 AM AKST Tue Nov 24 2020

AKZ227-250700-
/O.CON.PAFG.HW.W.0012.201125T0600Z-201125T2100Z/
Upper Kuskokwim Valley-
Including the cities of McGrath, Nikolai, Takotna, 
and Farewell Lake
631 AM AKST Tue Nov 24 2020

...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO
NOON AKST WEDNESDAY...

* WHAT...South winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 70 mph 
  expected.

* WHERE...Near the Alaska Range.

* WHEN...From 9 PM Tuesday to noon AKST Wednesday.

* IMPACTS...Winds could blow down trees. Travel could be
  difficult.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A High Wind Warning means hazardous high winds are occurring or
expected. Take precautions to protect life and prevent property
damage.

&&

$$
751 
WWAK72 PAFG 242102
NPWWCZ

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
1202 PM AKST Tue Nov 24 2020

AKZ227-251500-
/O.CON.PAFG.HW.W.0012.201125T0600Z-201125T2100Z/
Upper Kuskokwim Valley-
Including the cities of McGrath, Nikolai, Takotna, 
and Farewell Lake
1202 PM AKST Tue Nov 24 2020

...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO
NOON AKST WEDNESDAY...

* WHAT...South winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 70 mph 
  expected.

* WHERE...Near the Alaska Range.

* WHEN...From 9 PM Tuesday to noon AKST Wednesday.

* IMPACTS...Winds could blow down trees. Travel could be 
  difficult.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A High Wind Warning means hazardous high winds are occurring or
expected. Take precautions to protect life and prevent property
damage.

&&

$$
075 
WWAK72 PAFG 251434
NPWWCZ

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
534 AM AKST Wed Nov 25 2020

AKZ227-252100-
/O.CON.PAFG.HW.W.0012.000000T0000Z-201125T2100Z/
Upper Kuskokwim Valley-
Including the cities of McGrath, Nikolai, Takotna, 
and Farewell Lake
534 AM AKST Wed Nov 25 2020

...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKST TODAY...

* WHAT...South winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 70 mph 
  expected.

* WHERE...Near the Alaska Range.

* WHEN...Through noon today.

* IMPACTS...Winds could blow down trees. Travel could be 
  difficult.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A High Wind Warning means hazardous high winds are occurring or
expected. Take precautions to protect life and prevent property
damage.

&&

$$
445 
WWAK72 PAFG 252028
NPWWCZ

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
1128 AM AKST Wed Nov 25 2020

AKZ227-252130-
/O.CAN.PAFG.HW.W.0012.000000T0000Z-201125T2100Z/
Upper Kuskokwim Valley-
Including the cities of McGrath, Nikolai, Takotna, 
and Farewell Lake
1128 AM AKST Wed Nov 25 2020

...HIGH WIND WARNING IS CANCELLED...


$$

What forecasters said that day

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

NWS Fairbanks, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this high wind warning went out at Nov 23, 5:43 AM AKST, 6 hours 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 23, 5:43 AM AKST, 6 hours 24 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
543 AM AKST Mon Nov 23 2020

.SYNOPSIS...
The calm before the storm, as they say. This is the calm before
another North Pacific storm unleashes its fury across parts of
Western Alaska beginning Monday evening, spreading north along
the West Coast through Tuesday night, then moving eastward into
the Interior Wednesday and Thursday. The most potential energy
will be unleashed over the West Coast where near storm force
winds, high surf, some elevated water levels, and heavy snow with
blowing snow will impact many locations. Some warm air will bring
rain to parts of the Yukon Delta and Bering Coast/Saint Lawrence
Island, as well. This storm is the obvious focus of this forecast.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

Upper Levels and Analysis...
The NPAC is putting on a show this morning as a powerful
hurricane force bomb cyclone moves into the Gulf of Alaska. This
storm is completely missing the Interior, although the pressure
gradient it is forcing is inducing a weak Tanana Valley Jet and
some breezy southerly gap winds in the Alaska Range. The remnants
of a weakening shortwave trough which brought snow to the Eastern
Interior yesterday morning has moved to the Eastern Brooks Range.
Weak southerly flow/troughing aloft is moving over the West Coast.
Looking much further west, an occluded low is clearly visible on
satellite over the Kamchatka, with a trailing warm conveyor
belt/subtropical warm front along its periphery moving northeast.
This is the next storm which will impact the West Coast beginning
Monday night.

Model Discussion...
The numerical weather models have not changed much overall over
the past 24 hours, which means they remain in poor agreement with
the significant storm expected to move into the West Coast Monday
and Tuesday, then inland Wednesday and Thursday. The one trend
from yesterday is all model solutions are shifting west with the
low track, and they are also trending stronger, with the strongest
model solutions dropping below 950 mb as the surface low tracks
into the Gulf of Anadyr and the Bering Strait. This affects the
amount of warm frontal snow that moves into the Western Interior,
as well as the strongest winds. For this forecast, we continue to
favor a "middle ground" approach, with the NAM 06z continuing to
situate between the west/strong GFS and weaker hi-res WRF
solutions. However, the forecast was shifted west as well as
stronger in the wind fields over the West Coast and Bering.

Central and Eastern Interior...
High clouds with some low stratus over river valleys is over most
of the region this morning. A strong Gulf low will move into the
Panhandle this evening with a very subtle easterly wave tracking
into the far southeast Interior late this afternoon and evening.
This will spread some very light snow into the Northway area and
possibly as far north as Eagle. Cold high pressure builds in
Tuesday and Tuesday night. A strong Bering storm will begin to
move east on Wednesday, and this will induce a very strong
pressure gradient across the Alaska Range. The Tanana Valley jet
will also increase to near 45-60 MPH through favored areas such as
Delta Junction. The gradient will relax Wed night as the trough
shifts east, also bringing precipitation to the Interior with
predominantly snow although some mixed rain/snow is possible. Stay
tuned...

West Coast and Western Interior...
The big show is about to begin as a powerful NPAC cyclone moves
northeast into the Bering Strait, with the leading warm front
bring the first shot of winter weather with heavy snow and strong
east winds bringing a combo of snow and blowing snow. Parts of
northern Norton Sound will likely see a foot or more of snow with
significant blowing and drifting. Expect a changeover to rain
along the Yukon Delta, Saint Lawrence Island, and along the
immediate Bering Strait coast. As the front lifts north,
significant blowing snow will move into Kotzebue Sound, and with
falling snow, expect near blizzard conditions by Tuesday morning
as east winds increase to 45-60 mph. The front moves east into
the Interior on Wednesday, bringing accumulating snow with a mix
of snow/freezing rain over parts of the Yukon Valley Tue night and
Wed.

North Slope and Brooks Range...
Quiet weather over the Slope continues with areas of stratus and
fog. Fog, however, is mostly located along the immediate coast as
easterly winds advect moisture inland off ice leads. A strong
front will move up along the NOrthwest Arctic coast, and this will
induce a strong easterly pressure gradient on Tuesday and lasting
through Thu. Expect gale force winds with gusts approaching 45-50
mph along much of the immediate coast. Expect some local areas of
blowing and drifting snow with some light snow accumulations over
the far western coast beginning Wednesday evening.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...A front will bring rises
in water levels on Tuesday and Wednesday. The winds will be from
the southeast, but expect high water levels along the Yukon Delta.
In Norton Sound and along the Bering Strait Coast, expect high
surf and beach erosion issues with water levels 3-5 feet above the
normal high tide.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

High Wind Watch for AKZ223-AKZ225-AKZ226-AKZ227.

High Surf Advisory for AKZ211-AKZ213.

Winter Storm Watch for AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ209-AKZ216.

Coastal Flood Advisory for AKZ214.

Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ214-AKZ215.

Winter Storm Warning for AKZ210-AKZ211-AKZ212-AKZ213.

Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ200-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230-
PKZ235.

Small Craft Advisory for PKZ220.

Storm Warning for PKZ210.

Gale Warning for PKZ200.

&&

AHSENMACHER NOV 20

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Nov 22, 3:26 PM AKSTCoastal Flood AdvisoryAFG71 hr
Nov 23, 4:11 AM AKSTGale WarningAFG59 hr
Nov 23, 4:11 AM AKSTStorm WarningAFG34 hr
Nov 23, 11:56 AM AKSTHigh Wind WarningAFG55 hr
Nov 23, 12:59 PM AKSTBlizzard WarningAFG51 hr
Nov 23, 1:48 PM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG25 hr
Nov 23, 1:48 PM AKSTGale WarningAFG4 days
Nov 23, 1:48 PM AKSTGale WarningAFG49 hr
Nov 23, 1:48 PM AKSTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFG14 hr
Nov 23, 1:48 PM AKSTStorm WarningAFG25 hr

Nearby

High Wind Warnings in Alaska, 2020Every high wind warning in 2020

Sources

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