High Wind in Alaska, November 5, 2002

Name: High Wind in Alaska, November 5, 2002
Start: 2002-11-05T01:55
End: 2002-11-05T12:15
Location: Alaska

November 5, 2002 · NWS AFG · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Large high pressure over the Arctic Ocean strengthened while a weakening occlusion moved north over western Alaska, causing increasing east winds over the area. Zone 204: Barter Island AWOS recorded gusts to 60 mph.

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.

Large high pressure over the Arctic Ocean strengthened while a weakening occlusion moved north over western Alaska, causing increasing east winds over the area. High Winds were reported at:Zone 201: Point Lay AWOS recorded gusts around 50 mph.Zone 204: Barter Island AWOS recorded gusts to 60 mph.

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 Fairbanks, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 4, 7:25 PM AST, 6 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 4, 7:25 PM AST, 6 hours 30 minutes before

NORTH ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
230 PM AST MON NOV 4 2002

DOMINANT SYNOPTIC-SCALE FEATURES CONTROLLING TODAYS WEATHER INCLUDE A
VERTICALLY STACKED LOW OVER THE ALASKA PENINSULA AND A 500MB RIDGE AXIS
EXTENDING FROM NORTHWEST CANADA TO NORTHWEST ALASKA.

INTERIOR...ARCTIC BOUNDARY EXTENDS FROM WEST TO EAST ALONG
ABOUT 66N. BY 12Z TUESDAY THE 500MB RIDGE AXIS WILL HAVE MOVED NORTH TO
A WHITEHORSE TO BARROW LINE. RESULT WILL BE AN INCREASE IN SOUTHERLY
FLOW ALOFT ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THIS SOUTHERLY STEERING FLOW WILL
PUSH THE ARCTIC FRONT NORTH TO BETWEEN THE BROOKS RANGE AND ARCTIC COAST
BY WEDNESDAY. OCCLUDED FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE ALASKA PENINSULA LOW
WILL OVER-RUN THE ARCTIC FRONT TONIGHT. WILL KEEP FREEZING RAIN WARNING
TONIGHT FOR SOUTHERN ZONE 220...AND INITIATE A NEW FREEZING RAIN WARNING
FOR SOUTHERN ZONE 219. BY TUESDAY THE OVER-RUNNING ASSOCIATED WITH THE
ARCTIC FRONT WILL WEAKEN.

WITH WARM TEMPERATURES AND FREEZING RAIN IN THE INTERIOR...CHINOOK WINDS
CANT BE FAR BEHIND. WILL ISSUE HIGH WIND WATCH FOR ZONES 225 TO 226
TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY NIGHT. SOUTHEASTERLY ORIENTATION OF WINDS
AT 700MB WILL HINDER CHANCE FOR WARNING IN EASTERN ZONE 226.

ARCTIC COAST...WINDY FOR NEXT FEW DAYS. WILL ISSUE WIND ADVISORIES FOR
ZONES 201>204 BEGINNING TONIGHT AND LASTING FOR SEVERAL MORE FORECAST
PERIODS. WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL MOVE IN ALOFT...BUT LOW STRATUS AND
FLURRIES MAY PERSIST BELOW THE WARM ADVECTION ALOFT.

WEST COAST...PRECIPITATION FROM ZONE 210 NORTHWARD MOSTLY SNOW
TONIGHT...WITH AS MUCH AS 1 TO 3 INCHES ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. WIND
ADVISORIES COMING DOWN TONIGHT EXCEPT FOR THE POINT HOPE REGION. ANY
PRECIPITATION TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WILL LIKELY BE ALL RAIN AS ALASKA
PENINSULA LOW IS PUMPING WARM AIR NORTHWARD ALONG ALASKAS WEST COAST.

MID RANGE FORECASTS...
MODELS ALL AGREE ON A PATTERN CHANGE THAT MOVES THE 500MB LOW WHICH HAS
BEEN ANCHORED OVER THE ALEUTIANS AND ALASKA PENINSULA EASTWARD INTO THE
GULF OF ALASKA. CONCURRENT WITH THIS CHANGE IS A RETROGRESSION OF 500MB
RIDGING FROM NORTHWEST CANADA TOWARD MAINLAND ALASKA AND THE CHUKCHI
SEA. SUCH CHANGES AT 500MB SHOULD PRECLUDE ANY MORE CHINOOK WINDS IN THE
ALASKA RANGE ZONES AS WELL AS ANY MORE FREEZING RAIN EPISODES.
ALSO...THIS NEW PATTERN OFFERS NO HOPE FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL. 12Z AVN
IS QUITE AGGRESSIVE IN DEVELOPING A 500MB LOW OVER THE NORTHEAST GULF OF
ALASKA. THE AVNS ARRANGEMENT WOULD BRING A COLD NORTHEAST FLOW INTO THE
INTERIOR. ECMWF ALSO BRINGS COLD AIR INTO THE EASTERN INTERIOR...BUT
FROM A SHORT WAVE 500MB TROUGH MOVING SOUTH OUT OF THE CANADIAN
ARCHAPELAGO. FOR NOW WILL USE THE MRF MODEL AND SHOW A TREND FOR COOLING
TEMPERATURES BUT NO RADICAL MOVE INTO THE DEEP FREEZE.

.AFG...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...FREEZING RAIN WARNING TONIGHT ZONES 219...220.
         HIGH WIND WATCH BEGINNING TUESDAY ZONES 225...226.
MARINE...GALE WARNING AREAS 14...9AB...10B...11A.
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING AREAS 11A...10B.
         SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY AREA 10A.
         BRISK WIND ADVISORY AREA 11B.

ES NOV 02

Event by event

2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast

When: November 5, 1:55 AM AST to 11:15 AM AST
Where: Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Western Arctic Coast

When: November 5, 11:15 AM AST to 12:15 PM AST
Where: Western Arctic Coast forecast zone
Measured: 42 kt (48 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, 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: 5322430, 5322429.