Alaska, 2004

High Wind in Alaska, March 18 to 19, 2004

March 18 to 19, 2004 · NWS AFC · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

3 high wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
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 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 Mar 17, 5:00 PM AST, 7 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 17, 5:00 PM AST, 7 hours before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION SOUTHWEST ALASKA
500 PM AST WED MAR 17 2004

.DISCUSSION...
HEMISPHERIC MODELS SIMILAR THROUGH SUNDAY. BLOCKING HIGH DEVELOPS
OVER BERING SEA FRIDAY WITH DEEPENING TROFF OVER GULF OF ALASKA.
LITTLE CHANGE IN PATTERN THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.

THE BERING HIGH PUSHES MUCH COLDER AIR OVER SOUTHCENTRAL TONIGHT
THROUGH FRIDAY. HIGH MOVES OVER CENTRAL ALASKA OVER THE WEEKEND
CUTTING OFF COLD NORTH FLOW.  WITH BERING HIGH 1045 TO OVER 1050 AND
A LOW IN THE GULF WINDS WILL BE OF CONCERN FOR BOTH FORECAST DOMAINS.
STRONG THERMAL GRADIENT ALONG WITH NEGATIVE OMEGA AND A JET EXIT
REGION ARE NUDGING US TOWARD HIGH WIND WATCHES AND WIND ADVISORIES
FOR PAER ZONES. SHOULD ALSO BE SOME STRONG WIND GUSTS ALONG THE
ALEUTIAN RANGE TO IMPACT MOSTLY MARINE AREAS 3 AND 6.

THIS MORNING A PESKY AREA OF WEAK LOW PRESSURE NEAR KODIAK IS
BRINGING SNOW SHOWERS TO THE KENAI PENINSULA FROM HOMER TO SEWARD.
COLD NORTHERLY FLOW IS KEEPING FOG AND FLURRIES IN BETHEL. SNOW
SHOWERS CONTINUE IN THE COLD FLOW ACROSS THE EASTERN BERING SEA AND
ALONG THE AK PEN.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...GALES 3A 3B 5A 5B 12A 13A 13B.
     HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 2B1 2C4 5A 6A.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

KAC MAR 04

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Nern P.W. Snd

When
March 18, 12:00 AM AST to March 19, 4:00 PM AST
Where
Nern P.W. Snd forecast zone
Measured
70 kt (81 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Sern P.W. Snd

When
March 18, 12:00 AM AST to March 19, 4:00 PM AST
Where
Sern P.W. Snd forecast zone
Measured
78 kt (90 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Matanuska Valley

When
March 19, 12:00 AM AST to 4:00 PM AST
Where
Matanuska Valley forecast zone
Measured
65 kt (75 mph) measured sustained
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong high pressure in the Bering Sea along with a developing low in the Gulf of Alaska increased the pressure gradient over much of the area during the period creating high winds over the North Gulf Coast. Wasilla reached a peak wind of 63 kts ( 72 mph ) around 11 am Friday March 19th with estimated wind gusts to 75 mph across the Matanuska Valley late Thursday evening into the middle of the day Friday. Valdez Airport peaked at 40-45 mph during the event. The City of Valdez peaked at 59 mph during the event. Wind gusts of 80 mph were estimated in Zone 131 anytime from the middle of the morning Thursday March 18th until sometime Friday afternoon March 19th.Gradient winds estimated between 75 and 90 mph occurred in the Copper River Delta from the middle of the day Thursday March 18th into the morning hours on Saturday March 20th.

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 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, March 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: 5384990, 5384991, 5384989.