High Wind in Alaska, December 23, 2002

Name: High Wind in Alaska, December 23, 2002
Start: 2002-12-23T15:00
End: 2002-12-23T20:00
Location: Alaska

December 23, 2002 · NWS AJK · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A wind gust to 61 mph (53 knots) was measured at the Hydaburg airport. This was the only location that reported high winds (winds greater than 60 mph) in Southeast Alaska on this date.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 AJK wrote it up.

A wind gust to 61 mph (53 knots) was measured at the Hydaburg airport. This was the only location that reported high winds (winds greater than 60 mph) in Southeast Alaska on this date.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Dec 23, 10:45 AM AST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 23, 10:45 AM AST, 4 hours 15 minutes before

SOUTHEAST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
1045 AM AST MON DEC 23 2002

.SYNOPSIS...
.SHORT RANGE...LATEST GOES LOOP SHOWS FRONTAL STRUCTURE LYING
NORTH-SOUTH ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF. THE SYSTEM RUNS SOUTH TO A
WAVE SOUTH OF 50/135. THIS LOW IS FORECAST TO MOVE NORTH TO JUST
WEST OF DIXON ENTRANCE BY 12Z TONIGHT. THIS TRACK WILL MOST
LIKELY STALL OUT THE FRONT OVER THE PANHANDLE COAST CONTINUING
THE PRECIPITATION THROUGH TONIGHT. LITTLE CHANGE IS EXPECTED IN
PRECIPITATION TYPE. RAIN FOR THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE WITH MIXED
RAIN/SNOW ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHERN SOUTHEAST ALASKA. THE MIXED
RAIN/SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE NORTHEAST GULF WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
TONIGHT. THERE EVEN COULD BE AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM AROUND
YAKUTAT TODAY. THE DYNAMICS FOR THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT HOWEVER
WILL BE WEAKER AS THE LOW SOUTH OF THE GULF MOVE NORTH.

.LONG RANGE...THE GENERAL TREND OF THE FORECAST LOOKS GOOD YET...
WITH SOME TIMING ISSUES WITH SYSTEM FOR WEDNESDAY (CHRISTMAS DAY)
FOR THE SYSTEM MOVING NORTH OUT OF THE EAST PACIFIC OCEAN REGION.
THE BLOCKING RIDGE OVER WESTERN NORTH AMERICA CONTINUING TO HOLD
FOR INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK...MAINLY FOR THE LOWER 48.  THE
TOP OF THE RIDGE IS RECEDING SOUTH THROUGH THE MID PART OF THE
WEEK.

THE REMAINS OF THE STALLED WEATHER FRONT ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
PANHANDLE TO DISSIPATE IN PLACE OR FINALLY GET PUSHED INLAND
TUESDAY.  RIGHT NOW IT LOOKS MORE LIKE IT WILL DISSIPATE RATHER
THAN MOVE INLAND.

THE NEXT SYSTEM IS WHAT IS CAUSING OUR TIMING PROBLEMS AVN IS
QUICKER ON THE NORTHERN MOVEMENT THAN THE MESO ETA. THE AVN IS
ALSO SLIGHTLY DEEPER BY ABOUT 5 MB. OVERALL WILL KEEP THE AVN BUT
WILL SLOW IT DOWN A BIT... AND PLACE IT OVER NORTHERN/CENTRAL
QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

IT SHOULD LIFT NORTH-NORTHEAST ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE
THURSDAY.  WEAK LOW PRESSURE WILL REMAIN IN THE NORTHERN GULF
KEEPING A WEAK ONSHORE FLOW ACROSS SOUTHEAST ALASKA. THE MAIN
FLOW REGIME IS INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THURSDAY.  THE UPPER
LEVEL TROUGH LIFTS THROUGH FRIDAY WITH A TRANSITORY RIDGE MOVING
ACROSS THE GULF AND INTO SOUTHEAST ALASKA SATURDAY.

THE MRF SHOWING THIS FRONT APPROACHING THE PANHANDLE SUNDAY WITH
SECONDARY DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM MONDAY FOR SOUTHEAST ALASKA.

.AJK...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
PUBLIC...WIND ADVISORY SOUTHERN PANHANDLE ENDING THIS AFTERNOON.
MARINE...DIMINISHING STORM SOUTHERN 1A3 THIS MORNING.

RHM - BMB

Event by event

1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Dixon Entrance to Cape Decision-Coastal Area

When: December 23, 3:00 PM AST to 8:00 PM AST
Where: Dixon Entrance to Cape Decision-Coastal Area forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 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

Every storm in Alaska in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, December 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: 5321611.