High Wind in Alaska, November 22 to 24, 2002

Name: High Wind in Alaska, November 22 to 24, 2002
Start: 2002-11-22T02:35
End: 2002-11-24T02:05
Location: Alaska

November 22 to 24, 2002 · NWS AFC · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Strong pressure gradients, set up by a 973 low that developed in the eastern Pacific and a significant high over northern British Columbia produced strong easterly winds around Turnagain Arm and along the upper Anchorage Hillside. In zone 101, peak winds reached 64 mph at Glen Alps, 75 mph at the Bird Point RWIS site and 81 mph at McHugh Creek, also an RWIS site.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $50,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

Strong pressure gradients, set up by a 973 low that developed in the eastern Pacific and a significant high over northern British Columbia produced strong easterly winds around Turnagain Arm and along the upper Anchorage Hillside. The low, located just south of Sitkinak Island early Saturday, re-developed in Bristol Bay later Saturday afternoon and evening...slowly weakening thereafter.Winds gusted at or above 60 mph from Friday morning through very early Sunday.In zone 101, peak winds reached 64 mph at Glen Alps, 75 mph at the Bird Point RWIS site and 81 mph at McHugh Creek, also an RWIS site. Gusts as high as 66 mph were recorded at Site Summit. Trees were blown down in Girdwood, Hope and Tyonek, some causing downed power lines. Power was reportedly out to 2000 people. In Girdwood, several folks awoke to a mess of felled trees, some lying across cars and homes. Additionally, gusts of 55 mph were reported near the National Guard building on Fort Richardson. Gusts reached 58 mph at Rabbit Creek, part of the Upper Anchorage Hillside. Across zone 125, peak winds were estimated at around 100 mph near the Portage Visitor Center, were reported gusting to 74 mph at the old Portage railroad station, 63 mph at Whittier and 111 mph at the summit of Max's Mountain (3200'). Windows were reportedly blown out at the Whittier tunnel entrance, forcing maintenance workers to huddle in the control center. Water, driven through gaps in window frames, reportedly entered the Portage Visitor Center.Across zone 135, peak winds were reported at 72 mph by a weather system at the Prince William Sound Science Center at 5:03 pm Saturday. Cordova airport winds peaked at 43 mph less than an hour prior.

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 Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 22, 2:00 AM AST, 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 22, 2:00 AM AST, 35 minutes before

SOUTH/SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
900 PM AST THU NOV 21 2002

ANALYSIS...CURRENT SATELLITE PICTURES SHOWS THE FRONT ACROSS
EASTERN BRISTOL BAY, KACHEMAK BAY AND THE NORTHERN GULF OF
ALASKA. THE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN OVER THE SOUTHERN
INTERIOR TONIGHT.

FORECASTS...THE CURRENT SET OF MODEL CONTINUE TO KEEP MOST OF
CENTRAL ALASKA UNDER A WARM, MOIST FLOW THROUGH

A 988 MB LOW NEAR CHIGNIK WILL MOVE TO NEAR HOOPER BAY FRIDAY
AFTERNOON AND WILL DISSIPATE NEAR ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND.

ANOTHER 994 MB LOW OVER THE CENTRAL NORTH PACIFIC WILL MOVE TO
NEAR KODIAK ISLAND AND FRIDAY NIGHT AND DISSIPATE NEAR KING
SALMON SATURDAY MORNING.

A THIRD LOW PRESSURE CENTER COMING OUT OF THE CENTRAL NORTH
PACIFIC WILL MOVE TO NEAR KODIAK ISLAND AND DEEPEN TO 988 MB
SATURDAY AFTERNOON THEN WILL WEAKEN OVER THE SOUTHWEST INTERIOR
SATURDAY NIGHT.

.AFC...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...HIGH WIND WATCH FOR WESTERN ALEUTIANS.
MARINE...GALE 2B..3ABC..4.
         STORM 13.

NM NOV 02

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek

When: November 22, 2:35 AM AST to November 24, 2:05 AM AST
Where: Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek forecast zone
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Sern P.W. Snd

When: November 22, 5:00 AM AST to November 23, 10:40 PM AST
Where: Sern P.W. Snd forecast zone
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

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

When: November 22, 5:00 AM AST to November 23, 10:42 AM AST
Where: Wrn P.W. Snd & Kenai Mtns forecast zone
Measured: 96 kt (110 mph)
Property damage: $50,000
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, November 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: 5319155, 5319156, 5319157.