High Wind in Alaska, December 1, 2004

Name: High Wind in Alaska, December 1, 2004
Start: 2004-12-01T01:15
End: 2004-12-01T05:15
Location: Alaska

December 1, 2004 · NWS AFC · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A strong storm moved from the Alaska Peninsula into western Cook Inlet then inland. This created a strong gradient resulting in high winds along the Anchorage Hillside and Turnagain Arm.

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 AFC wrote it up.

A strong storm moved from the Alaska Peninsula into western Cook Inlet then inland. This created a strong gradient resulting in high winds along the Anchorage Hillside and Turnagain Arm.

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 30, 5:00 PM AST, 8 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 30, 5:00 PM AST, 8 hours 15 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA
500 PM AST TUE NOV 30 2004

.DISCUSSION...
THE MODEL CONTINUE TO DIFFER ON THE STRENGTH AND POSITION OF LOW
MOVING INTO THE KENAI PENINSULA WEDNESDAY. WE ARE GOING WITH THE GFS
MODEL BUT WILL KEEP THE CENTRAL PRESSURE ABOUT 8 MB HIGHER THAN THE
MODEL INDICATES. THE MODEL ARE IN BETTER AGREEMENT ON THE STRENGTH
AND MOVEMENT OF THE SECOND STORM SYSTEM.

THE UPPER LOW OVER THE NORTHERN BERING SEA WILL DRIFT INTO THE SEWARD
PENINSULA THURSDAY. A WEAK UPPER RIDGE OVER THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC AND
THE GULF OF ALASKA WILL PERSIST THROUGH THURSDAY. THIS PATTERN WILL
MOVE STORM SYSTEMS DEVELOPING SOUTH OF THE ALEUTIAN INTO SOUTHERN
ALASKA OR NORTHERN GULF OF ALASKA.

A 998 MB LOW 50 MILES SOUTH OF DUTCH HARBOR WILL MOVE TO 60 MILES
SOUTHWEST OF KING SALMON AND STRENGTHEN TO 987 MB TUESDAY NIGHT AND
TO NEAR ANCHORAGE AND WEAKEN TO 992 MB WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THE LOW
WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST INTO THE YUKON TERRITORY WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

A 1002 MB LOW OVER THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC WILL MOVE TO 300 MILE
SOUTHEAST OF ADAK AND DEEPEN TO 968 MB WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND WILL
MOVE TO NEAR KODIAK ISLAND AND WEAKEN TO 971 MB THU AFTERNOON.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...STORM 3BC..
         GALE 2B..2C..3A..4A..5AB..6AB..12AB..13AB.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

NM NOV 04

Event by event

1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek

When: December 1, 1:15 AM AST to 5:15 AM AST
Where: Anchorage Muni to Bird Creek forecast zone
Measured: 67 kt (77 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

Every storm in Alaska in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, December 2004

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: 5428315.