High Wind in Alaska, February 3 to 4, 2002

Name: High Wind in Alaska, February 3 to 4, 2002
Start: 2002-02-03T22:00
End: 2002-02-04T11:00
Location: Alaska

February 3 to 4, 2002 · NWS AFC · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 AFC wrote it up.

A strong 968 mb low moved north northwest through the Gulf of Alaska late Sunday and Monday morning, making landfall and weakening rapidly 90 miles north of King Salmon at 9 am Monday. A moderate frontal system, preceded by locally strong easterly winds and heavy precipitation, extended in an eastward arc from the low, making landfall past Anchorage and through Prince William Sound Monday morning and early Monday afternoon. Moderate to strong pressure rises accompanied passage of both the low and front.In addition to the "maxima" for each zone, 4" - 10" of new snow was reported at both Moose Pass (125) and Cooper Landing (121). 7" of new snow was reported along higher elevations of the greater Homer area (121). Freezing rain and sleet was reported from Anchorage to Eklutna (101).Pilot Rock C-Man system at the mouth of Resurrection Bay recorded south southeast wind gusts of 69 mph between 11 pm Sunday and midnight Monday. 64 mph gusts were reported in normally sheltered area of Girdwood at the DOT site between 1 and 2 am Monday. Wind gusts at the remote Seal Island site in southern Prince William Sound reached 62 mph between 1 and 2 am Monday as the front moved by. Maxima for event in each zone...101 - Southeast 66 mph between 10:00 - 11:00 am AST Monday at Glen Alps.121 - Southeast 50 mph gust 90 mph and 18"-24" of new snow at Silvertip reported morning DOT road weather information. Strong gusts probably occurred late night Sunday/early morning Monday with frontal passage. 125 - East southeast gust 116 mph at Max's Mountain (3300' level) around midnight AST Monday, 02/04/02. Elsewhere...southeast gust 88 mph at Portage ASOS between 12:05 AST and 12:28 AST Monday, 2/4/02 (power outage after this). Later call to the lodge reported stronger winds after this... estimated 95 mph.135 - Estimated 75 mph between 1:00 and 4:00 am AST Monday, 2/4/02.

Event by event

4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Kenai Peninsula

When: February 3, 10:00 PM AST to February 4, 11:00 AM AST
Where: Kenai Peninsula forecast zone
Measured: 78 kt (90 mph)
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

High Wind, Sern P.W. Snd

When: February 3, 10:00 PM AST to February 4, 5:00 AM AST
Where: Sern P.W. Snd forecast zone
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

High Wind, Wrn P.W. Snd & Kenai Mtns

When: February 3, 11:00 PM AST to February 4, 10:00 AM AST
Where: Wrn P.W. Snd & Kenai Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 101 kt (116 mph)
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

High Wind, Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek

When: February 4, 1:00 AM AST to 11:00 AM AST
Where: Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek forecast zone
Measured: 57 kt (66 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, February 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: 5280021, 5280023, 5280022, 5280020.