Alert archive / Alaska / High Wind Warnings in 2020

High Wind Warning 8, NWS Juneau, AK

March 2, 2020

NWS Juneau, AK issued this high wind warning at Mar 2, 2020, 4:31 AM AKST. It was in force for 11 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
Mar 2, 2020, 4:31 AM AKST (13:31 UTC)
Expired
Mar 2, 2020, 3:03 PM AKST
In force
11 hr
Issued by
NWS Juneau, AK

The text

As transmitted.

882 
WWAK77 PAJK 021331
NPWAJK

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Juneau AK
431 AM AKST Mon Mar 2 2020

AKZ018-030100-
/O.NEW.PAJK.HW.W.0008.200302T1331Z-200303T0100Z/
Taiya Inlet and Klondike Highway-
Including the city of Skagway
431 AM AKST Mon Mar 2 2020

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM AKST THIS AFTERNOON...

* WHAT...South winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.

* WHERE...Skagway area.

* WHEN...Until 4 PM AKST this afternoon. Peak winds expected mid-
  day.

* IMPACTS...Travel will be difficult. Unsecured boats and 
  aircraft could break loose. 

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Areas of blowing and drifting snow near 
  White Pass.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A high wind warning means a hazardous high wind event is expected
or occurring.

&&

$$

For more information from the National Weather Service visit
https://weather.gov/ajk
1 follow-up statement
764 
WWAK77 PAJK 030003
NPWAJK

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Juneau AK
303 PM AKST Mon Mar 2 2020

AKZ018-030115-
/O.CAN.PAJK.HW.W.0008.000000T0000Z-200303T0100Z/
Taiya Inlet and Klondike Highway-
Including the city of Skagway
303 PM AKST Mon Mar 2 2020

...HIGH WIND WARNING IS CANCELLED...

The high wind warning is cancelled. The very strong gusty winds 
have begun to slowly decrease. Wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph are 
possible through the late afternoon and evening hours but gusts to
60 mph are not expected. 

$$

For more information from the National Weather Service visit
https://weather.gov/ajk

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 Juneau, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this high wind warning went out at Mar 1, 2:59 PM AKST, 13 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 1, 2:59 PM AKST, 13 hours 32 minutes before
Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Juneau AK
259 PM AKST Sun Mar 1 2020

.SHORT TERM...The frontal band responsible for bringing rain, snow
and strong winds across the Panhandle has largely pushed through
the area, but will leave behind widespread showers and gusty winds
as it departs. Despite strong southerly flow, temperatures rose
more slowly than anticipated, which helped snow linger in some
locations longer than had been initially progged, though it should
be noted that most areas have nevertheless transitioned to rain.
The NE Gulf low associated with the aforementioned front will
remain in place throughout next few days, maintaining the pressure
gradient required for strong westerly onshore flow over the gulf
and associated rain showers throughout much of the Panhandle. A
weak shortwave trof will swing around the southern flank of this
low and impact the Panhandle Monday afternoon into Tuesday. The
associated vorticity in association with diffluence aloft from an
upper level jet, will help to further enhance this shower
activity, though expect precipitation to remain predominantly rain
given the ongoing Southerly flow.

Winds: Gale force winds over outer coastal waters will steadily
subside through the overnight hours Sunday into Monday, though
winds of small craft advisory strength will continue on in their
stead. Throughout the overnight hours and tomorrow, winds will
continue to broadly trend downwards in most of the inner
channels. The exceptions to this will be Stephens Passage, which
could continue to see winds of 25 knots, and Lynn Canal, which
will see sustained winds as high as 35 to 40 knots which will only
slowly abate through the overnight hours Monday into Tuesday.
Given this flow pattern, strong wind headlines will be needed for
Skagway, Haines, Sitka and Juneau during the afternoon and
overnight hours Sunday night.

As of the time of writing, warmer air is moving in with the
strong Southerly flow throughout the panhandle. Although
temperatures will swing towards a gradual trend downwards through
the end of the forecast period on Wednesday, rain should remain
the predominant precip type in most locations through Tuesday
afternoon, with periods of mixed precipitation possible during the
overnight hours in some places. Beyond this, cooler air surging
around the low in the Gulf will make itself increasingly felt
throughout SE Alaska, and its impacts will need to be closely
monitored.

Models were in generally good agreement and mostly in line with
previous forecast. Forecast confidence is average on the synoptic
scale, though small scale fluctuations in temperatures will make
pinpointing precise precipitation types for all locations across
the panhandle a challenge.

.LONG TERM.../Tuesday through Sunday night/Extended forecast
begins during a period of unsettled weather as a low to the west
will continue to send a series of troughs and fronts toward SEAK.
Continued onshore flow will keep up an ample amount of moisture
over the region for much of the week. Exact timing of any
particular feature is still uncertain at this time, however,
because of an ongoing, slight cooling trend also occurring through
the week, this could have a tremendous impact on precip type.
During daytime hours, most locations will be warm enough through
Wednesday to maintain a p-type of rain, while at night through
this time frame a change over to snow or at least a mix will be
more likely.

Thursday, an arctic front begins to descend from the north before
stalling out over the middle of the region Saturday. The previous
"slight" cooling trend will be replaced by a surge of much colder,
drier, continental air, plunging night time lows into the teens
for most of the north-central and northern panhandle by Friday
night. Daytime highs in the southern part of the region will be
for the most part unaffected, however north of the boundary,
highs for many will struggle to get out of the 20s. These chillier
temperatures for next weekend will also be accompanied by our
first real opportunity for some clear skies in what seems like
forever. By the very end of the forecast period, temperatures will
begin to relent slightly as the flow begins to shift back around
to the south. This will begin to bring clouds back in from the
west come Sunday ahead of our next potential rain/snow maker.

Winds during the extended forecast period will be trending to
mostly benign at the start of the forecast period, save for the
small craft advisory level winds in the coastal waters that are
typical this time of year, but even those begin to subside by
Tuesday night. The arctic front coming in on Thursday will be
accompanied by a very strong pressure gradient which will be
problematic through Cross Sound and Lynn Canal. These conditions
should begin to relax Sunday as the gradient starts to weaken.

&&

.AJK Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
PUBLIC...Strong Wind until 6 PM AKST this evening for AKZ022-027.
     Strong Wind until 3 PM AKST this afternoon for AKZ017-023-025-
     028.
     Strong Wind from 6 PM AKST this evening through late tonight for
     AKZ023-025.
     Strong Wind through late tonight for AKZ019.
     Strong Wind through late tonight for AKZ018.
     Blizzard Warning until 3 PM AKST this afternoon for AKZ018.
MARINE...Gale Warning for PKZ012-013-021-022-043-051-052.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ011-031>036-041-042-053.

&&

GFS/JDR

Visit us at http://www.weather.gov/Juneau

In the hours before

Local storm report, Mar 2, 12:31 AM AKST, 4 hours before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
1231 AM AKST MON MAR 2 2020

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1043 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 SSW SKAGWAY           59.45N 135.32W
03/01/2020  M70.00 MPH                          AK   C-MAN STATION

            MARINE EXCHANGE SENSOR AT THE SKAGWAY HARBOR MEASURED
            NUMEROUS GUSTS OVER 60 MPH BETWEEN 1253AM AND 2PM SUNDAY.
            A PEAK GUST OF 70MPH WAS MEASURED AT 1043AM AND 1153AM.

1130 AM     BLIZZARD         WHITE PASS              59.63N 135.16W
03/01/2020                                      AK   DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

            SKAGWAY DOT REPORTED VISIBILITY HAD BEEN DOWN TO A
            QUARTER MILE AT TIMES. IMPROVED AS OF 330PM SUNDAY.

1137 AM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 WSW SKAGWAY           59.45N 135.33W
03/01/2020  M60.00 MPH                          AK   ASOS

            SKAGWAY AIRPORT MEASURED A PEAK GUST OF 60 MPH.

0340 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST WHITE PASS              59.63N 135.16W
03/01/2020  M48.00 MPH                          AK   DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

            KLONDIKE HIGHWAY DOT RWIS SENSOR AT WHITE PASS MEASURED
            WIND GUSTS OF 35MPH AND GREATER SINCE 840PM SATURDAY AND
            A PEAK GUST OF 48MPH AT 340PM.

1013 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST 1 SSW SKAGWAY           59.45N 135.32W
03/01/2020  M60.00 MPH                          AK   C-MAN STATION

            MARINE EXCHANGE SENSOR AT SKAGWAY HARBOR MEASURED A PEAK
            GUST OF 60MPH SUNDAY EVENING.

&&

NAF
Local storm report, Mar 2, 12:43 AM AKST, 3 hours 48 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
1243 AM AKST MON MAR 2 2020

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1100 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST WHITE PASS              59.63N 135.16W
02/29/2020  M53.00 MPH                          AK   DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

            KLONDIKE HIGHWAY DOT RWIS SENSOR AT WHITE PASS MEASURED
            WIND GUSTS OF 35MPH AND GREATER SINCE 840PM SATURDAY. A
            PEAK GUST OF 53MPH AT 11PM SATURDAY AND A PEAK GUST OF
            48MPH AT 340PM SUNDAY.

&&

NAF

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 1, 3:25 PM AKSTSmall Craft AdvisoryAJK3 days
Mar 1, 3:25 PM AKSTSmall Craft AdvisoryAJK49 hr
Mar 1, 5:41 PM AKSTHigh Wind WarningAJK4 hr
Mar 2, 2:45 AM AKSTGale WarningAJK13 hr
Mar 2, 2:45 AM AKSTSmall Craft AdvisoryAJK67 hr
Mar 2, 2:56 AM AKSTSmall Craft AdvisoryAJK12 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.