Alert archive / Alaska / High Wind Warnings in 2023

High Wind Warning 1, NWS Fairbanks, AK

January 15, 2023

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this high wind warning at Jan 15, 2023, 9:16 PM AKST. It was in force for 27 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
Jan 15, 2023, 9:16 PM AKST (06:16 UTC)
Expired
Jan 17, 2023, 12:05 AM AKST
In force
27 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

The text

As transmitted.

741 
WWAK72 PAFG 160616
NPWWCZ

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
916 PM AKST Sun Jan 15 2023

AKZ207-161630-
/O.NEW.PAFG.HW.W.0001.230116T0616Z-230117T1200Z/
Chukchi Sea Coast-
Including the cities of Point Hope, Shishmaref, Kivalina, 
and Espenberg
916 PM AKST Sun Jan 15 2023

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 AM AKST TUESDAY...

* WHAT...North winds 40 to 50 mph with gusts to 70 mph.

* WHERE...Chukchi Sea Coast north of Kivalina.

* WHEN...Until 3 AM AKST Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Damaging winds could blow power lines. Power outages
  are expected. Buildings could be damaged. Travel will be
  difficult. Blowing and drifting snow will occur. Visibility 
  could briefly drop to one half mile or less. 

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds gusting to 70 mph are occuring at
  Point Hope. These strong winds will continue through Monday
  night. Wind speeds are much lower south of Kivalina. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

People should avoid being outside. If possible, remain in the 
lower levels of your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows.
Use caution if you must drive.

&&

$$
4 follow-up statements
757 
WWAK72 PAFG 161211
NPWWCZ

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
311 AM AKST Mon Jan 16 2023

AKZ207-170300-
/O.EXT.PAFG.HW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-230117T1500Z/
Chukchi Sea Coast-
Including the cities of Point Hope, Shishmaref, Kivalina, 
and Espenberg
311 AM AKST Mon Jan 16 2023

...HIGH WIND WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST TUESDAY...

* WHAT...North winds 40 to 50 mph with gusts to 70 mph.

* WHERE...Chukchi Sea Coast north of Kivalina.

* WHEN...Until 6 AM AKST Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Damaging winds could blow power lines. Power outages 
  are expected. Buildings could be damaged. Travel will be 
  difficult. Blowing and drifting snow will occur. Visibility 
  could briefly drop to one half mile or less.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around
trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of
your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows. Use caution if
you must drive.

&&

$$
704 
WWAK72 PAFG 161216 CCA
NPWWCZ

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE...CORRECTED
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
316 AM AKST Mon Jan 16 2023

AKZ207-170300-
/O.COR.PAFG.HW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-230117T1500Z/
Chukchi Sea Coast-
Including the cities of Point Hope, Shishmaref, Kivalina, 
and Espenberg
316 AM AKST Mon Jan 16 2023

...HIGH WIND WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST TUESDAY...

* WHAT...North winds 40 to 50 mph with gusts to 65 mph.

* WHERE...Chukchi Sea Coast north of Kivalina.

* WHEN...Until 6 AM AKST Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Damaging winds could blow power lines. Power outages 
  are expected. Buildings could be damaged. Travel will be 
  difficult. Blowing and drifting snow will occur. Visibility 
  could briefly drop to one half mile or less.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around
trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of
your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows. Use caution if
you must drive.

&&

$$
790 
WWAK72 PAFG 162155
NPWWCZ

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
1255 PM AKST Mon Jan 16 2023

AKZ207-171500-
/O.CON.PAFG.HW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-230117T1500Z/
Chukchi Sea Coast-
Including the cities of Point Hope, Shishmaref, Kivalina, 
and Espenberg
1255 PM AKST Mon Jan 16 2023

...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 6 AM AKST TUESDAY...

* WHAT...North winds 40 to 50 mph with gusts around 60 mph.

* WHERE...Chukchi Sea Coast north of Kivalina.

* WHEN...Until 6 AM AKST Tuesday.

* IMPACTS...Damaging winds could blow power lines down. Power 
  outages are expected. Buildings could be damaged. Travel will be
  difficult. Blowing and drifting snow will occur. Visibility 
  could briefly drop to one half mile or less.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

People should avoid being outside in forested areas and around
trees and branches. If possible, remain in the lower levels of
your home during the windstorm, and avoid windows. Use caution if
you must drive.

&&

$$
477 
WWAK72 PAFG 170905
NPWWCZ

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
1205 AM AKST Tue Jan 17 2023

AKZ207-171015-
/O.CAN.PAFG.HW.W.0001.000000T0000Z-230117T1500Z/
Chukchi Sea Coast-
Including the cities of Point Hope, Shishmaref, Kivalina, 
and Espenberg
1205 AM AKST Tue Jan 17 2023

...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 Jan 15, 12:29 PM AKST, 8 hours 47 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 15, 12:29 PM AKST, 8 hours 47 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
1229 PM AKST Sun Jan 15 2023

.SYNOPSIS...
A generally quiet Interior pattern will persist into the middle of
next week as slightly warmer than average temps continue. Some
blowing and drifting snow over Interior summits, however, will be
the main hazard. The Tanana Valley Jet will continue to blow, as
well. Otherwise, the main action continues over the coastal
regions as gale force northeast winds will keep blowing and
drifting concerns in place, especially near the Bering Strait and
across Saint Lawrence Island.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

Upper Levels and Analysis...
There is an Interior shortwave ridge in place with a series of
weak shortwave troughs moving northwest across the YK Delta. A
weak associated warm front is advecting moisture north along the
front which is producing light snow over the Delta into the
Bering Strait. There is a digging arctic trough, analyzed at 502
dam, moving south toward the Arctic Coast. At the surface, a 974
mb low is moving into Bristol Bay with a persistently strong
approximately 1046 mb high over the high Arctic.

Model Discussion...
The models are in very good agreement with the synoptic details
with the usual biases such as winds and precip being the bigger
differentiators. We favored the NAM nest and Canadian RGEM for
winds as they better depict strong coastal winds. We favored the
ECMWF for light precip, as most of the precip will be light and it
shows better coverage than the other models.

Central and Eastern Interior...
Continued warmer than average temps and overall quiet weather will
continue for the Interior. A moderate pressure gradient will
continue, however, which will support an ongoing Tanana Valley Jet
and Interior summit winds. Thus, blowing snow over summits will
continue into tonight before the gradient relaxes a little.
Otherwise, light snow chances will shift north of the White
Mountains tonight and Monday as a warm front aloft moves north.

West Coast and Western Interior...
A strong northeast gradient will continue which will support gale
force winds along the Bering Coast and over Saint Lawrence Island.
Winter weather advisories will remain in place as snow showers
increase visibility reductions along with increasing winds. Gusts
as high as 60 mph will impact Saint Lawrence Island Monday and
persisting through Tuesday. Elsewhere, light snow will shift over
the remainder of the West Coast and into the southern Brooks Range
Monday with accumulations up to 2 inches.

North Slope and Brooks Range...
Little change on the North Slope with easterly flow dominating. A
cold arctic trough will drop into the region and bring cooler
temps and wind chills tonight but it will not last long as south
flow redevelops Tuesday. Snow will accompany the south flow with 1
to maybe 2 inches of accumulation through Wednesday. With the
continued strong west arctic pressure gradient, the winter weather
advisory will remain in place through Monday evening.

Extended Forecast Days 4-7...
Thursday through Saturday will be much the same weather as the
Mainland remains in between and arctic trough to the north and a
Gulf of Alaska low farther south. Models are not in good agreement
yet for the weekend, but there is a signal that the pattern will
shift to a more active Pacific pattern as the atmospheric river
which has been impacting California shifts north toward the Gulf
Coast. This may mean more snow chances for the Interior beginning
Sunday or Monday. Stay tuned...

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ201-207-213.
     Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ219-221.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ200.
     Gale Warning for PKZ210.
     Gale Warning for PKZ220.
     Gale Warning for PKZ225.

&&

Ahsenmacher

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 15, 9:23 PM AKSTWinter Storm WarningAFG40 hr
Jan 16, 5:40 AM AKSTWind Chill AdvisoryAFG15 hr
Jan 16, 1:05 PM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG38 hr

Nearby

High Wind Warnings in Alaska, 2023Every high wind warning in 2023

Sources

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