A strong pressure gradient between a 1045 mb high in the Yukon and a 996 mb low in the Gulf of Anadyr produced a period of high winds along the Bering Strait Coast. The strongest winds were observed at Wales.
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 AFG wrote it up.
A strong pressure gradient between a 1045 mb high in the Yukon and a 996 mb low in the Gulf of Anadyr produced a period of high winds along the Bering Strait Coast. The strongest winds were observed at Wales. A peak wind gust of 60 kts (69 mph) was observed at the Wales AWIS.
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 Dec 17, 3:23 AM AKST, 5 hours 37 minutes earlier.
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK 323 AM AKST WED DEC 17 2008 .DISCUSSION... CURRENT SURFACE AND UPPER AUR PROGS IN GENERALLY GOOD AGREEEMENT THROUGH 00Z SAT. MODEL RUN TO RUN CONTINUITY OVER NORTHERN ALASKA OUT THROUGH 12Z FRI IS GOOD. UPPER RIDGE AXIS EXTENDING FROM THE COOK INLET AREA TO WAINWRIGHT WILL MOVE SLOWLY EAST...AXIS WILL LIE FROM PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND TO BARTER ISLAND BY 00Z FRI. STRONG SURFACE HIGH CENTERED OVER THE YUKON TERRITORY WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTHEASTWARD INTO NORTHWEST CANADA. WEAK 996 MB LOW SOUTHWEST OF SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND WILL MOVE NORTHWARD TO NEAR CAPE SCHMIDT ON THE NORTHERN CHUKOTSK PENINSULA COAST BY 06Z THU WEAKENING TO 1000 MB...THEN BECOMING A TROUGH THEREAFTER. THIS TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN AS IT LIFTS NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE BEAUFORT SEA THROUGH 12Z FRI. A MODERATE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE WEST COAST AND ADJACENT MARINE AREAS WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN WED NIGHT INTO THU. LATEST POES ORBIT INDICATING WEAK TANANA VALLEY JET IN ZONES 221-223-SOUTHWESTERN ZONE 222 WHICH WILL LIKELY PERSIST THROUGH THE DAY BEFORE WEAKENING TONIGHT. SNOW EXPECTED OVER MUCH OF THE WEST COAST TODAY MAY SPREAD TO THE WESTERN INTERIOR TONIGHT AS THE UPPER RIDGE MOVES SLOWLY EAST. FREEZING PRECIPITATION IS POSSIBLE OVER PORTIONS OF THE WEST COAST AND INTERIOR WITH TEMPERATURES FROM 850 MB ON DOWN NEAR OR LOCALLY ABOVE FREEZING. COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210. BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230- PKZ235-PKZ240-PKZ245. && RF DEC 08
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A strong pressure gradient between a 1045 mb high in the Yukon and a 996 mb low in the Gulf of Anadyr produced a period of high winds along the Bering Strait Coast. The strongest winds were observed at Wales. A peak wind gust of 69 mph was observed at the Wales AWIS.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, December 2008
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: 138086.