High Wind, Denali
- When
- February 7, 2:42 PM AST to 4:33 PM AST
- Where
- Denali forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
High Wind in Alaska, February 7, 2003
Locally high winds developed in channeled areas of the Central Alaska Range as a strong high pressure ridge developed to the south of the mountain range. The differential pressure between the ridge to the south, and trough to the north of the mountain range were sufficient enough to produce high winds.
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.
Locally high winds developed in channeled areas of the Central Alaska Range as a strong high pressure ridge developed to the south of the mountain range. The differential pressure between the ridge to the south, and trough to the north of the mountain range were sufficient enough to produce high winds. Wind gusts of 58 mph were reported by the Healy weather observer.
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 Feb 7, 2:30 PM AST, 12 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 7, 2:30 PM AST, 12 minutes before
NORTH ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
230 PM AST FRI FEB 7 2003
ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES FOR NORTHERN ALASKA AS HUGE RIDGE
OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC REMAINS THE DEFINING FEATURE FOR THE
FORECAST AREA...AND MAY WELL REMAIN SO FOR ANOTHER WEEK.
AT THE SURFACE...1000 MB LOW 150 MILES SOUTH OF COLD BAY WILL BE A
1006 MB CENTER NEAR UNALAKLEET BY 3PM SATURDAY AND 1008 MB CENTER
NEAR ARCTIC VILLAGE BY 3PM SUNDAY. WEAK COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SLOWLY
EASTWARD WITH THIS FEATURE. 1032 MB HIGH SOUTHWEST OF WRANGEL ISLAND
WILL BE 1035 MB CENTER JUST NORTH OF WRANGEL ISLAND BY 3PM SUNDAY.
NUMERICAL MODELS ARE HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME WITH THIS PATTERN WITH
NON-TRIVIAL INTER- AND INTRAMODEL DIFFERENCES. FOR EXAMPLE...18Z AVN
HAS SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT HANDLING OF LOW PRESSURE OVER NORTHWEST
ALASKA BY SUNDAY THAN 12Z RUN. 18Z ETA IS WEAKER WITH THE CLOSED LOW
OVER NW ALASKA COMPARED TO 12Z ETA...BUT STRONGER THAN ANY OTHER MODEL.
IN THIS FAST...HIGH HEIGHT FLOW THIS IS TO BE EXPECTED...WITH NO REAL
WAY TO CHOOSE BETWEEN THE MODELS EXCEPT ON GENERAL PRINCIPLES. WE
LEAN TO AVN BUT WITH LOW CONFIDENCE.
HAVE NOT SEEN TODAYS ECMF YET...BUT BASIC IDEA OF UPPER TROUGH ALONG
ABOUT 170W AND RIDGE ABOUT 135W SEEMS TO BE LOCKED IN THROUGH NEXT
WEEK. DIFFERENCES IN TIMING OF SHORT WAVES MOVING THROUGH THIS FLOW
ABOUND AND ARE UNRESOLVABLE AT THIS RANGE. WARMER THAN NORMAL CONTINUES
EVERYWHERE WITH WESTERN AREAS FAIRLY WET.
FOR THE NORTH SLOPE...SNOW IN MOST AREAS...THOUGH PROBABLY NOT ENOUGH
WIND FOR BLIZZARD. DETAILS WILL DEPEND IN PART ON JUST HOW THE SURFACE
LOW EVOLVES.
FOR THE WEST COAST...LOW MOVING FAR ENOUGH WEST THAT SNOW IN MOST ALL
ZONES NEXT 24 HOURS. EAST OF 160W THERE IS ENOUGH WARM AIR FOR AT
LEAST SOME FREEZING RAIN.
FOR THE INTERIOR...PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH ROUND TOP RIDGE FLOW
IS HISTORICALLY VERY POORLY HANDLED BY THE MODELS...BUT THE ETAS IDEA
OF A SHARP GRADIENT BETWEEN NO PRECIPITATION AND HEAVY (BY INTERIOR
ALASKA STANDARDS) CERTAINLY IS CLIMATOLOGICALLY REASONABLE. THE AIRMASS
IS WARM ENOUGH NEXT 24-36 HOURS THAT RAIN IS A REAL POSSIBILITY
ANYWHERE SOUTH OF THE BROOKS RANGE...AND ANY PRECIPITATION SOUTH OF
65N PROBABLY WILL BE RAIN AT LOWER ELEVATIONS. SINCE IT IS FEBRUARY...
ANY RAIN WILL FREEZE ON SURFACES EVEN WITH FREE AIR TEMPERATURES JUST
ABOVE FREEZING. MINIMAL HIGH WIND WARNING CONTINUES FOR ALASKA RANGE
PASSES.
.AFG...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...BLIZ WATCH 213 STARTING SATURDAY AM. FREEZING RAIN WARNING
ZONE 221. FREEZING RAIN WATCH ZONE STARTING LATE TONIGHT 222.
MARINE...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 14. GALE 14. BWA 9B...10A AND 10B.
RT FEB 03Event by event
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
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
- Dense Fog in California, February 7, 2003
- Dust Storm and Strong Wind in California, February 7, 2003
- Winter Storm in Massachusetts, February 7 to 8, 2003
- Heavy Snow in New York, February 7, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Tennessee, February 7, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Connecticut, February 7, 2003
- Winter Storm in Rhode Island, February 7 to 8, 2003
- Heavy Snow in New Jersey, February 7, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Virginia, February 7, 2003
- Winter Storm in Connecticut, February 7 to 8, 2003
- Heavy Snow in Michigan, February 7, 2003
- Flash Flood in Texas, February 7, 2003
More
Every storm in Alaska in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, February 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: 5340687.