Another fast moving low pressure system (966 MB) raced from the Pacific, northward through the Gulf, and inland near Cape Suckling. The associated front that was lifted up through Southeast Alaska mainly caused high winds along our higher terrain.
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.
The episode as NWS AJK wrote it up.
Another fast moving low pressure system (966 MB) raced from the Pacific, northward through the Gulf, and inland near Cape Suckling. The associated front that was lifted up through Southeast Alaska mainly caused high winds along our higher terrain. Minimum criteria high winds did occur in a few spots, and with soils so saturated more treefall damage occurred. Some peak wind gusts from this frontal passage: Ketchikan Airport (roof) 63 mph, Five Finger Lighthouse, 62 mph, Sisters Island 59 mph, Hydaburg 58 mph, and Yakutat at 54 mph.
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 23, 11:00 AM AST, 14 hours earlier.
SOUTHEAST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
1100 AM AST WED NOV 23 2005
.SHORT RANGE...UPR PATN CONTS. STG L/W UPR RDG CONTS ACRS PAC
NW...ERN BC...AND NW CAN. ALSO THERE IS A STG TROF XTNDG FM MAIN
LOW OVR SWRN AK ACRS THE N PAC BYND 40N. THIS PATN IS CONTG TO
GENERATE STG/MOIST LOWS/STRMS SYSS THAT MOV NEWD ACRS THE ERN GLF
AK AND SE AK.
WED MRNG THERE IS A STRM RMNT MOVG INLD OVR THE CNTRL GLF CST.
THIS LOW WL CONT NEWD AND WKN RPDLY. THERE IS A RDG BHND THIS
LOW AND AHD OF THE NXT STRM THAT IS CAUSING STG PRES RISES OVR
THE GLF AK AND SE AK. THESE RISES WL CONT THE WNDS OVR SE AK
THRU WED AFTN/EVENG BUT GENLY IN THE ADV CAT.
SAT PIC SHOWS NXT STRM SYS DVLP OVR THE PAC INVOF 42N 148W.
THIS SYS IS ALREADY ABT 5MBS DEEPER THAN THE LTST GFS. EVEN
THEN THE GFS MDL IS THE MDL OF CHOICE THIS MRNG. IT SHOWS THE
NXT STRM MOVG NWD OVR THE N CNTRL GLF AK THRU THU MRNG AND SCND
WKR LOW DVLPG AND MOVG ONSHR OVR THE NRN BC CST. THIS SOLN IS
IN LINE W/ THE ECMF AND CAN MDLS. THE NAM MDL IS ODD OUT W/ WKNG
LEAD LOW AND DVLPG SCNDRY LOW TO BCM DMNT SYS AS IT MOVS OVR NRN
BC CST 12Z FRI.
THEREFORE XPCT A 975MB LOW INVOF 42/148 TO MOV NWD AND DVLP INTO
THE LOW/MID 960MBS AS IT MOVS OVR THE N CNTRL GLF AK THRU THU
MRNG. A SCNDRY LOW WL DVLP BHND THE LEAD STRM AND SHLD DVLP INTO
THE LOW/MID 970MBS AS IT MOVS OVR THE NRN BC CST THU NGT OR FRI
MRNG.
THEREFORE THERE WL ALSO BE ANOTHER RA/WND RAIN EVENT OVR MOST OF
SE AK AND ERN GLF CST. XPCT THE STGST WNDS ALNG THE OTR CST AND
ERN GLF CST BUT GUSTS WL PROB BE IN THE HIGH WND CAT FOR ALL OF
THE INNR CHNLS XCPT LYNN CANAL. ADDNLY THERE WL BE ANOTHER PCPN
EVENT FOR MOST OF THE NRN PHNDL AND THE ERN GLF CST BGNG THU NGT.
THIS WL CONT THE RISK OF DEBRIS FLOWS AND SOME LOCAL FLOODING IN
THESE AREAS...BUT THE PCPN FM THIS SYS SHLD BE LESS THAT PRIOR
EVENTS.
.LONG RANGE...A SURFACE RIDGE WILL BUILD OVER SOUTHEAST ALASKA
BEHIND THE DEPARTING LOW FRIDAY MORNING AS THE COLD FRONT LIFTS
OVER SOUTHEAST ALASKA THROUGH THE DAY. THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH
THROUGH THE DAY OVER MOST OF THE PANHANDLE EXCEPT FOR NORTHERN
LYNN CANAL WHERE THEY CAN EXPECT STILL SOME GUSTY WINDS.
THE UPPER LEVEL LOW OVER THE ALASKA PENINSULA WILL SLOWLY DRIFT
TO THE SOUTHEAST AND INTO THE NORTHERN GULF THROUGH SATURDAY
NIGHT. THERE IS COLD AIR ASSOCIATED WITH THIS UPPER LOW AND
SHOWERS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA. THESE SHOWERS COULD
BE MIXED WITH SNOW WILL MOVE OVER SOUTHEAST ALASKA FRIDAY
AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE THROUGH MOST OF THE WEEKEND. THE UPPER
FLOW WILL BACK TO THE SOUTHEAST ALONG WITH A WEAK SURFACE LOW
DRIFTING INTO THE EASTERN GULF BY SUNDAY SO THE SHOWERS WILL
BECOME MORE SCATTERED THROUGH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. BY SUNDAY
NIGHT ALL PRECIP COULD STOP WITH INCREASE IN OFFSHORE FLOW.
FORECASTER CONFIDENCE FOR THE REST OF THE IS VERY LOW AS THERE IS
A LOT OF SPREAD IN MODEL SOLUTIONS.
.AJK...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
PUBLIC...HI WND WRNG LYNN CANAL DMSHG WED AFTN.
HI WND WTCH ALL BUT LYNN CANAL BGNG EARLY THU SPRDG TO
ERN GLF CST THU MRNG.
MARINE...STRMS WRNG DVLPG ALL CSTL WTRS LATE WED NGT.
STRMS DVLPG AREA 51 THU MRNG
GALES W/ STRM GSTS DVLPG ALL INNR CHNLS XCPT LYNN CANAL
EARLY THU MRNG.
GALES DVLPG AREA 52 THU MRNG.9 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, November 2005
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: 5485272, 5484925, 5484926, 5484927, 5484928, 5484923, 5484924, 5484922, 5485273.