Alaska, 2007

High Wind in Alaska, November 23 to 24, 2007

November 23 to 24, 2007 · NWS AFG · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A 1034 MB high about 600 miles north of Prudhoe Bay and a low pressure center moving north over western Alaska tightened the pressure gradient over the Arctic Coast. A small but very significant trough of low pressure just inland from the Arctic Coast strengthened at the beginning of the episode to contribute to the tight gradient, as well as acceleration of the wind under a low level inversion.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

A 1034 MB high about 600 miles north of Prudhoe Bay and a low pressure center moving north over western Alaska tightened the pressure gradient over the Arctic Coast. A small but very significant trough of low pressure just inland from the Arctic Coast strengthened at the beginning of the episode to contribute to the tight gradient, as well as acceleration of the wind under a low level inversion. A short wave feature on the second day of high winds enhanced the gradient and prolonged the high winds.

Zone 203: Deadhorse ASOS reached a peak wind of 52 knots (60 mph) at 0913AST.|Zone 204: Barter Island AWOS reported the highest gust as 59 knots (68 mph) and the highest sustained wind of 52 knots (60 mph) at 0955AST 11/24. The gust was the last of several occurrences over a 4-hour period.

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 Nov 23, 12:54 AM AKST, 3 hours 21 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 23, 12:54 AM AKST, 3 hours 21 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
554 AM AST FRI NOV 23 2007

.DISCUSSION...
HIGH ENERGY AMPLIFIED PATTERN CONTINUES ACROSS THE REGION...AND THIS
LOOKS TO CONTINUE FOR A WHILE. MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE BY THE END OF THE
WEEKEND IS THE RETROGRESSION/FORMATION OF RIDGE ALOFT OVER THE
NORTHERN INTERIOR. THIS CHANGE SHOULD RESULT IN MORE OF THE STORM
ACTION IN THE BERING SEA.

PRESENTLY...RIDGE STRETCHING FROM 81N/135W SWD TO OFF THE OREGON
COAST...WITH TROUGH ALOFT NEARING KODIAK ISLAND ALREADY KNOCKING
DOWN HEIGHTS OVER THE STATE. THIS IS ONLY TEMPORARY..WITH RIDGE
REBUILDING BEFORE THE WEEKEND IS DONE. AT THE SURFACE...994 MB LOW
NEAR PABE MOVG NORTHWARD. 1034 MB HIGH 600 NM NORTH OF PRUDHOE BAY
WITH RIDGE SEWD INTO MACKENZIE VALLEY. 1009 MB HIGH OVER CHUKOTSK
PENINSULA WITH RIDGE SOUTH TO JUST WEST OF NUNIVAK ISLAND.

MODELS IN REASONABLE AGREEMENT INTO SAT...BUT INCREASING
DIVERGENCE THEREAFTER. ALL MODELS HAVING TERRIBLE PROBLEMS WITH
THE HIGH ENERGY AND ONGOING RETROGRESSION OF THE RIDGE...SO NO
CONFIDENCE IN DETAILS BY EARLY NEXT WEEK. HOWEVER...LONG RANGE OUTLOOK
CONTINUES TO SHOW RIDGE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS CENTERED OVER
MAINLAND ALASKA...WITH 500 MB HEIGHTS NOW FORECAST TO APPROACH 300
METER ABOVE NORMAL WEEKS 1 AND 2. WOW. MORE RECORD HIGH TEMPS WILL
FALL IF THIS FORECAST VERIFIES...ESPECIALLY WEST OF 150W.

NORTH SLOPE...MODELS HAVE NO CLUE ABOUT STRONG EASTERLIES NOW
UNDERWAY EAST OF BARROW...AND WILL LIKELY WEAKEN WINDS TOO FAST.
WITH HIGH ANCHORED NE OF THE SLOPE...ZONES 203 AND 204 COULD GO
INTO THE WEEKEND WITH AT LEAST ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS. ADDITIONALLY...
ANY SNOWFALL LIKELY TO PRODUCE AN INSTANT BLIZ...SO WE WILL HAVE TO
WATCH THIS.

WEST COAST...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORIES CONTINUED FOR INLAND
ZONES...BUT THERE IS NOT A LOT OF PRECIP LEFT AT THIS POINT.
OTHERWISE COMPARATIVELY QUIET IN THE SHORT TERM. COULD GET QUITE
STORMY BEYOND DAY FOUR IF RIDGE SETS UP ALONG ABOUT 150W AS GFS
FORECASTS...WITH STRONG DEEP SOUTHERLY FLOW...THOUGH AT LEAST S OF
THE BERING STRAIT PRECIP WOULD LIKELY BE ALL RAIN.

INTERIOR...ADVISORY WINDS ALASKA RANGE ZONES SHOULD DROP OFF
SIGNIFICANTLY BY NOON. FALLING HEIGHTS WORKING ON PRETTY DRY LOW
LEVEL AIR...BUT AT SOME AREAS OF SNOW SEEM LIKELY NEXT 24 HOURS.
CURRENT DRY LOW LEVEL SHOULD ALLOW WHATEVER PRECIP THERE IS TO BE
SNOW...THO BRIEF RAIN POSSIBLE AS PRECIP STARTS.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ223-AKZ225-AKZ226.

FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FOR AKZ215-AKZ216-AKZ217.

HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ210-PKZ220.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ240-PKZ245.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ220.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ225-PKZ230-PKZ235.
&&

RT NOV 07

Event by event

2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast

When
November 23, 4:15 AM AKST to November 24, 5:35 PM AKST
Where
Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Measured
59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by
AWOS

High Wind, Central Beaufort Sea Coast

When
November 23, 9:13 AM AKST
Where
Central Beaufort Sea Coast forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
ASOS

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 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, November 2007

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: 61607, 61900.