High Wind, Denali
- When
- April 18, 8:47 AM AST to 1:45 PM AST
- Where
- Denali forecast zone
- Measured
- 42 kt (48 mph)
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
High Wind in Alaska, April 18, 2002
As a ridge of high pressure developed south of the Alaska Range, a moderate pressure gradient developed between it, and a weakening warm front north of the mountains. This pressure differential, couple with the channelling effects of the mountain passes, helped produce high winds through the Alaska Range.
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS AFG wrote it up.
As a ridge of high pressure developed south of the Alaska Range, a moderate pressure gradient developed between it, and a weakening warm front north of the mountains. This pressure differential, couple with the channelling effects of the mountain passes, helped produce high winds through the Alaska Range. During this event the weather observer in Healy reported wind gusts up to 42 knots (48 mph) while the ASOS site in Delta reported a peak wind of 49 knots (56 mph).
Event by event
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
High Wind, Deltana and Tanana
- When
- April 18, 1:53 PM AST to 9:53 PM AST
- Where
- Deltana and Tanana forecast zone
- Measured
- 49 kt (56 mph)
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
What these are
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- High Wind in Nebraska, April 18, 2002
- Tornadoes and Flooding in Wisconsin, April 18 to 19, 2002
- Tornadoes and Hail in Iowa, April 18, 2002
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, April 18, 2002
- High Wind in Iowa, April 18, 2002
- Flash Flood and Damaging Winds in Maryland, April 18, 2002
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, April 18, 2002
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Michigan, April 18, 2002
- Damaging Winds and Lightning Strikes in Virginia, April 18, 2002
- High Wind in Nebraska, April 18, 2002
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Wisconsin, April 18, 2002
- Tornado and Hail in Kansas, April 18 to 19, 2002
More
Every storm in Alaska in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, April 2002
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5288650, 5288651.