Alaska, 2003

High Wind in Alaska, December 12 to 13, 2003

December 12 to 13, 2003 · NWS AFG · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A strong high pressure center of 1038 mb north of Banks Island created a moderate pressure gradient across the Eastern Arctic Coast. on the night of the 11th and the morning of the 12th, a trough developed inland from the coast and persisted through the early hours of the 14th, creating strong east winds at Kaktovik.

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 AFG wrote it up.

A strong high pressure center of 1038 mb north of Banks Island created a moderate pressure gradient across the Eastern Arctic Coast. on the night of the 11th and the morning of the 12th, a trough developed inland from the coast and persisted through the early hours of the 14th, creating strong east winds at Kaktovik. The Barter Island AWOS reported high winds during this time, with a maximum gust of 61 knots (70 mph) on the afternoon of the 12th.

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 Dec 12, 6:00 AM AST, 5 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 12, 6:00 AM AST, 5 hours 55 minutes before
NORTH ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
600 AM AST FRI DEC 12 2003

.DISCUSSION...

UPPER AIR: JET WILL CONTINUE FAR TO THE SOUTH THROUGH THE
FORECAST PERIOD.

SURFACE: 981 MB LOW 475 MILES NORTHEAST OF SHEMYA WILL MOVE TO
300 MILES WEST OF GAMBELL THIS AFTERNOON. A WEAK TROUGH EXTENDING
FROM THE LOW TO NUNIVAK ISLAND WILL DISSIPATE TONIGHT. THE LOW
WILL MOVE INLAND OVER RUSSIA TONIGHT. A 985 MB LOW 125 MILES
NORTH OF SHEMYA AT 3PM THIS AFTERNOON WILL STRENGTHEN TO 976 MB
BY 3AM SAT MORNING AND TO 973 MB BY 3AM SUN MORNING. HIGH
PRESSURE CENTERED WELL NORTH OF THE STATE WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
THE FORECAST PERIOD.

NORTH SLOPE: EAST WINDS AROUND HIGH PRESSURE TO THE NORTH WILL
PRODUCE BLOWING SNOW TODAY THROUGH SAT. WINDS WILL BE HIGHEST
OVER THE EASTERN ARCTIC WITH GALES OVER AREA 112.

WEST COAST: LOW PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHWESTERN BERING SEA WILL
BE TOO FAR AWAY TO CAUSE MUCH EFFECT. A FEW FLURRIES WILL BE
POSSIBLE...MAINLY OVER SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND.

INTERIOR: ONLY FLURRIES AND LIGHT WINDS EXPECTED THROUGH THE
FORECAST PERIOD.

MARINE: EDITED GRIDS TO TAKE OUT REFERENCES TO SNOW, BUT ADDED
BLOWING SNOW FOR AREAS 111 AND 112. ALSO UPPED WINDS TO GALE
FORCE FOR AREA 112. OUTSIDE OF THE NORTH COAST...WINDS WILL BE
RATHER LIGHT. LOW OVER WESTERN BERING SEA WILL PRODUCE SMALL
CRAFT SEA HEIGHTS FOR AREA 14.

.AFG...WATCH/WARNING/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...GALE WARNING AREA 11B CAPE HALKETT TO DEMARCATION POINT.
         BRISK WIND ADVISORY AREA 11A CAPE LISBURNE TO CAPE
            HALKETT.
         SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY AREA 14 SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND WATERS.

DA DEC 03

Event by event

1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast

When
December 12, 11:55 AM AST to December 13, 8:00 PM AST
Where
Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Measured
61 kt (70 mph) measured gust
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

More

Every storm in Alaska in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, December 2003

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: 5336639.