High Wind in Alaska, December 23 to 24, 1998

A vigorous upper low brought an end to inversion conditions that plagued much of southcentral Alaska for over a week. Dense fog was reported around the Anchorage area Monday night and Tuesday morning and again Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. Colder air aloft began to rush through the Chugach Mountain Range passes and around the passes through the northwest Alaska Range. Although persistent high pressure had weakened in the southeast Mainland, surface pressure falls in the southwestern part of the State more than compensated and actually strengthened low level pressure gradients. Wind gusts reached 60 mph at a new mesonet site near Colony High School in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley late Wednesday and early Thursday. Wind gusts also were strong in the extreme northern Kuskokwim Valley near McGrath...where a remote sensor recorded a gust of 51 mph.