High Wind in Alaska, March 17 to 19, 2001

Passage of a strong arctic front began the transition into colder weather for the southern Alaska mainland, Prince William Sound and much of the Gulf of Alaska. As the front passed, temperatures initially rose...followed by rapid drops in dew points and increasingly strong northerly winds. In frontal passages of this nature, strongest winds typically develop through lower cold air corridors from the mainland seaward.Winds picked up in areas east of Cordova, along the Copper River Highway, late Saturday as the front passed. By Sunday, wind gusts over 40 mph were recorded along the typical north wind area between the airport and town. Long standing computer estimates of winds out of the Copper River Delta indicated winds from 65 to 90 mph from Saturday night through Monday midday. Blowing sand and blowing dust were recorded near this area in observations taken at the Cordova airport, which is over 12 miles east of town on the Copper River Highway. Isolated reports indicated winds reached close to 80 mph late Saturday around the Million Dollar Bridge.In Valdez, peak winds reached 64 mph at the Valdez airport between 10:15 and 10:35 pm Sunday. Poor visibility and winds "northeast 30 gust 52" were reported at 7:55 am Monday from an observer in Thompson Pass.