High Wind in Alaska, November 3, 2004

Name: High Wind in Alaska, November 3, 2004
Start: 2004-11-03T01:00
End: 2004-11-03T17:00
Location: Alaska

November 3, 2004 · NWS AJK · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

A 957mb low moved into Bristol Bay and was able to sweep a strong front up through Southeast Alaska. High wind gusts were measured in many locations (from the south) as this front tracked through.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 8

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 AJK wrote it up.

A 957mb low moved into Bristol Bay and was able to sweep a strong front up through Southeast Alaska. High wind gusts were measured in many locations (from the south) as this front tracked through. No significant damage was reported.

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 Juneau, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 2, 10:45 AM AST, 14 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 2, 10:45 AM AST, 14 hours 15 minutes before

SOUTHEAST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
1045 AM AST TUE NOV 2 2004

.SYNOPSIS...
.SHORT RANGE...WEAKENING SECTION OF DIFFUSE OCCLUSION OVER
EASTERN GULF OF ALASKA MOVING ONSHORE BY 00Z.  THE WEAKENING IS
CAUSED PRIMARILY BY A STRONG WARM SECTOR RIDGE APPROACHING FROM
THE WEST.  GOES LOOPS SHOW STRONG CYCLOGENESIS IN BRISTOL BAY
THAT IS SENDING A STRONG OCCLUSION ONSHORE OVER THE YUKON
KUSKOKWIM DELTA...AND THAT IS SENDING THE STRONG WARM SECTOR
RIDGE EAST TOWARD OUR FORECAST DOMAIN.

953 MB LOW NEAR KING SALMON 06Z TONIGHT WITH STRONG TRIPLE POINT
OF OCCLUSION NEAR MIDDLETON ISLAND.  NC TO HIGH WIND WARNING FOR
ZONE 17 LATE TONIGHT AS TRIPLE POINT TRACKS EASTWARD THROUGH THE
ZONE WHILE LOW IN THE 950S DEVELOPS IN COOK INLET.

FROPA THROUGH JUNEAU TO SITKA LINE ABOUT 20Z-22Z WED IS
STRETCHING THIS FRONT FARTHER AWAY FROM THE PARENT LOW SO HIGH
WINDS IN PNHDL NOT A CATEGORICAL FORECAST FOR WED...LIKELY HIGH
WINDS IN PNHDL THAT ARE NC TO CURRENT HIGH WIND WATCH PACKAGE.

POST FROPA THE COLD OUTBREAK SHOULD CHANGE PAYA TO UNMIXED SNOW
SHOWERS LATE WED NIGHT.  SNOW MIXING IN LATE WED NIGHT NORTH OF
FREDERICK SOUND.

.LONG RANGE...DEEP 970 MB LOW CENTER MOVING THROUGH NW CANADA
WITH RESIDUAL LOW IN NE GULF THURSDAY MORNING. FRONT TRAILING
ACROSS SOUTHERN PANHANDLE CONTINUES SE AND SHOULD BE OUT OF FA BY
THURSDAY AFTERNOON. SECONDARY COLD FRONT ACROSS EASTERN GULF
COAST AND SOUTHERN YUKON SINKING SOUTH INTO NORTHERN PANHANDLE BY
THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND INTO SOUTH CENTRAL PANHANDLE BY FRIDAY
AFTERNOON AS 1022 MB HIGH MOVES ACROSS SOUTHERN YUKON. NEXT
DEVELOPING SYSTEM IN NORTH PACIFIC STARTING TO LIFT NORTH SUNDAY
AND INTO SOUTHERN PANHANDLE SUNDAY NIGHT. THIS SYSTEM FORECAST TO
BOMB TO LOW 960S AS IT MOVES NORTH THROUGH EASTERN GULF COAST
SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY AND FINALLY MOVING INTO SOUTHERN CANADA
MONDAY AFTERNOON. ASSOCIATED WARM FRONT LIFT THROUGH PANHANDLE
SUNDAY NIGHT AND THROUGH NORTHERN AREAS MONDAY MORNING WITH COLD
FRONT SWEEPING ACROSS AREA FROM WEST THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT.

EXPECT GALE FORCE SE WINDS THROUGH INNER CHANNELS THURSDAY THAT
DIMINISH TO SMCR THURSDAY AFTERNOON. WESTERLY GALES IN OFFSHORE
WATERS BUILD SEAS TO AT LEAST 30 FEET THEN DIMINISH THURSDAY
NIGHT. WINDS LIGHTEN UP TO LESS THAN 20 KTS AS SECONDARY COLD
FRONT DROPS SOUTH FRIDAY. STILL HAVE MODERATE ONSHORE FLOW ALOFT
OVER COLD AIR AND EXPECT SNOWFALL APPROACHING WARNING LEVELS
(CURRENT GRIDS HAVE AROUND 8 INCHES IN 12 HOURS) FOR PAYA
THURSDAY AND ADVISORY LEVELS (3-5  INCHES) FOR NORTHERN PANHANDLE
THURSDAY NIGHT. WILL KEEP CHANCE RAIN SHOWERS FOR SOUTHERN FRIDAY
GOING TO SHOWERS OF RASN LIKELY FRIDAY NIGHT.

AS HIGH BUILDS INTO SOUTHERN YUKON FRIDAY AND SAT EXPECT DRIER
AND COLDER AIR MASS TO SETTLE OVER NORTHERN PANHANDLE FRIDAY AND
ACROSS SOUTHERN ON SATURDAY.

BY SUNDAY NEXT STRONG SYSTEM LIFTING NORTH AND WILL BRING CHANCE
RAIN AND SNOW TO SOUTHERN EARLY SUNDAY THAT GOES TO HEAVY RAIN
AND STRONG SE WINDS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. FARTHER NORTH EXPECT
ANOTHER ROUND OF SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACROSS NORTHERN PANHANDLE LATE
SUNDAY WITH INCREASING NORTHERLIES AHEAD OF LOW. THIS TOO CHANGES
OVER TO ALL RAIN EARLY MONDAY AS GALE FORCE SOUTHERLIES WORK
THEIR WAY INTO NORTHERN INNER CHANNELS WITH LYNN CANAL OPENING UP
BY MONDAY EVENING.

.AJK...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
PUBLIC...HIGH WIND WARNING LATE TNGT AND WED MORNING...AKZ017
...HIGH WIND WATCH WED...AKZ020>028 ...BLIZZARD WATCH
WED...AKZ018 ABOVE 2500 FEET
MARINE...STRM...PKZ052 ...GALE...PKZ022-043-051-310 ...SCA...ALL
REMAINING WATERS

JT/MM

Event by event

8 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Cape Fairweather to Cape Suckling Coastal Area

When: November 3, 1:00 AM AST to 3:00 AM AST
Where: Cape Fairweather to Cape Suckling Coastal Area forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Taiya Inlet and Klondike Highway

When: November 3, 9:15 AM AST to 10:00 AM AST
Where: Taiya Inlet and Klondike Highway forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Haines Borough and Lynn Canal

When: November 3, 10:30 AM AST to 11:30 AM AST
Where: Haines Borough and Lynn Canal forecast zone
Measured: 64 kt (74 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Juneau Borough and Northern Admiralty Island

When: November 3, 10:30 AM AST to 12:00 PM AST
Where: Juneau Borough and Northern Admiralty Island forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Salisbury Sound to Cape Fairweather Coastal Area

When: November 3, 11:00 AM AST to 12:00 PM AST
Where: Salisbury Sound to Cape Fairweather Coastal Area forecast zone
Measured: 55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Cape Decision to Salisbury Sound Coastal Area

When: November 3, 11:00 AM AST to 12:00 PM AST
Where: Cape Decision to Salisbury Sound Coastal Area forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind, Inner Channels From Kupreanof Island to Etolin Island

When: November 3, 3:00 PM AST to 3:30 PM AST
Where: Inner Channels From Kupreanof Island to Etolin Island forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Dixon Entrance to Cape Decision Coastal Area

When: November 3, 3:30 PM AST to 5:00 PM AST
Where: Dixon Entrance to Cape Decision Coastal Area forecast zone
Measured: 58 kt (67 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, November 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: 5425465, 5425466, 5425467, 5425470, 5425468, 5425469, 5430559, 5428864.