High Wind in Alaska, January 14 to 15, 2009

Name: High Wind in Alaska, January 14 to 15, 2009
Start: 2009-01-14T01:30
End: 2009-01-15T15:30
Location: Alaska

January 14 to 15, 2009 · NWS AFG · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $18,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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 strong Chinook developed as a ridge of high pressure developed across the eastern Pacific and a trough of low pressure developed across eastern Russia. This produced a period of high winds in the Alaska Range as well as parts of the Deltana Flats and the Upper Tanana Valley. The most significant event occurred in Delta Junction (zone 223) about a mile from the Delta River. The high winds that were estimated between 80 and 95 mph blew down trees and as well as the roof of an occupied cabin. The south side of the roof was lifted off the cabin and ripped apart, landing in a pile more than 100 feet from the cabin. The other half of the roof lifted off the cabin and flipped, landing as a complete unit about 30 feet from the cabin. When the roof was blown off the cabin the wood stove in the cabin was moved about 2 feet and the interior stove pipe was lying on the floor several feet away. Estimate damage to this residence is $15,000. The high winds knocked out power and phone service in the area, which was restored to most homes later in the day. At one point during the morning, much of the city of Delta Junction was without power. At Whitestone Farms near Delta Junction, many trees were reported blown down. Minor damage was sustained to a building and a vehicle when a tree fell onto both, estimated damage $1700, a window was broken when a tree branch came through it, estimated damage $300, and metal roofing came off a portion of a building, estimate damage $1000. In Denali National Park and Preserve (zone 225), a number of trees were reported blown down.

The highest wind gusts that were measured or observed were:

Zone 220: Eagle Summit Meteorburst: Measured 68 mph/59 kt.|Zone 223: Delta Junction: Estimated 80 to 95 mph. The Whitestone Farms Davis instruments anemometer showed a winds speed just over 78 knots/90 mph before it stopped reporting. |Zone 224: NWS Spotter near Robertson River on Alaska Highway: Estimated 60 mph/52kt. |Zone 225: Antler Creek DOT RWIS (on the Parks Highway MP 244) measured 74 mph/64 kt.|Zone 226: Texas Condo: Measured 80 mph/69 kt.| Washington Range: Measured 77 mph/67 kt.| OP 12A: Measured 84 mph/73 kt.

The observations in zone 226 are all part of the Fort Greely mesonet.

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 Jan 13, 2:23 PM AKST, 11 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 13, 2:23 PM AKST, 11 hours 7 minutes before

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
223 PM AKST TUE JAN 13 2009

.DISCUSSION...
ALOFT...STILL ON TRACK WITH THE EXPECTATION OF A FAST AND HIGH
AMPLITUDE FLOW ALOFT OVER NORTHERN ALASKA INTO THE WEEKEND. STRONG
RIDGE BUILDING OVER PACIFIC NW AND WESTERN CANADA THROUGH THURSDAY
THEN HOLDING INTO WEEKEND. LONGWAVE TROUGH GENERALLY POSITIIONED
OVER DATELINE AND NOT CHANGING MUCH. STRONG SHORT WAVES MOVING
NORTH OVER THE STATE BRINGING SLUGS OF WARM AIR NORTH OVER WESTERN
ALASKA WHILE CHINOOK FLOW OVER ALASKA RANGE HELPS TO WARM UP THE
EASTERN PORTION EVEN MORE...STILL EXPECT RECORD HIGH TEMPS
POSSIBLE IN SOME SPOTS WED THRU FRI.

SURFACE...STRONG WARM FRONT OVER NORTHERN GULF OF ALASKA 00Z WED
MOVING TO KUSKOKWIM RANGE CREST AND ALASKA RANGE CREST ABOUT 12Z
WED...THEN TO KOTZEBUE AND ACROSS BROOKS RANGE CREST 12Z
THU...WITH FRONT OCCLUDING WEST OF ANAKTUVUK BY THAT TIME. 979 LOW
FORMING ON FRONT OVER NE NORTON SOUND AND ELONGATING ALONG FRONT
TOWARD BROOKS RANGE. OCCLUSION PUSHING NORTHEAST THEREAFTER SO
FRONTAL SYSTEM STRETCHING FROM 120 MILES WEST OF BETHEL TO 60 EAST
OF NOME TO 80 EAST OF KOTZEBUE TO 100 EAST OF PRUDHOE BAY BY 00Z
FRI...LAYING IN AN EXTENDED TROUGH OVER INNER COASTAL AREAS.

MODELS...AGREE FAIRLY WELL DESPITE HIGHLY DYNAMIC SITUATION. SOME
DIFFERENCE THU BETWEEN GFS AND NAM EGARDING POSITION OF INCOMING
SHORT WAVE TO SOUTHWEST ALASKA BUT A MINOR ISSUE AT THIS POINT.
PROBABLY OF MORE CONCERN IS THE GFS MOS NUMBERS FOR FAIRBANKS
APPEAR TOO LOW FOR WEDNESDAY SO WILL FAVOR NAM NUMBERS THOUGH
MAYBE A TAD COOLER.

NORTH SLOPE SHOULD REMAIN QUIET FOR ABOUT 24 HOURS...BUT WINDS
WILL EVENTUALLY PICK UP ENOUGH WED EVENING TO PRODUCE SOME BLOWING
SNOW...AND PERHAPS VISIBILITIES WILL BE A CONCERN OVER EASTERN
PORTIONS THU OR THU NIGHT WHERE FRESH SNOWFALL WILL OCCUR.

HAVE UPGRADED WINTER STORM WATCHES FOR ZONES 212 214 215 AND 216
WINTER STORM WATCHES TO WARNINGS FOR SNOW THEN FREEZING
RAIN...ESPECIALLY THROUGH WED. EXPECT HEAVY SNOW POTENTIAL FARTHER
NORTH SO HAVE POSTED WATCHES FOR ZONES 217 219 AND 218 (EAST OF
CHANDALAR LAKE). ZONES FARTHER WEST MAY NOT HAVE AS SEROUS
WEATHER...FAR WESTERN ZONES WILL REMAIN IN COLDER AIR AND WILL
HAVE SOME NORTH WINDS BUT NOT AS MUCH SNOW POTENTIAL...WHILE
ZONES 208 209 210 211 MAY GET ENOUGH SNOW BUT WINDS WILL BE LIGHT
IN OPEN SURFACE TROUGH THAT DEVELOPS.

HAVE CONTINUED WIND ADVISORIES FOR ZONES 225 AND 226 THROUGH WED
AFTERNOON...AND ISSUED HIGH WIND WATCH FOR THEM WED NIGHT AND FRI.
ZONE 223 HAVE EXTENDED WIND ADVISORY THROUGH WED NIGHT.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH WIND WATCH FOR AKZ225-AKZ226.

WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ223-AKZ225-AKZ226.

WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ212-AKZ214-AKZ215-AKZ216.

WINTER STORM WATCH FOR AKZ217-AKZ218-AKZ219.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ220.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ210.
&&

JL JAN 09

Event by event

5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng

When: January 14, 1:30 AM AKST to January 15, 9:45 AM AKST
Where: Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng forecast zone
Measured: 73 kt (84 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

High Wind, Denali

When: January 14, 9:00 PM AKST to January 15, 8:00 AM AKST
Where: Denali forecast zone
Measured: 64 kt (74 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Department of Highways

High Wind, Yukon Flats Nearby Uplands

When: January 15, 12:00 AM AKST to 7:00 AM AKST
Where: Yukon Flats Nearby Uplands forecast zone
Measured: 59 kt (68 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

High Wind, Deltana and Tanana

When: January 15, 12:00 AM AKST to 7:33 AM AKST
Where: Deltana and Tanana forecast zone
Measured: 82 kt (94 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $18,000
Reported by: Newspaper

High Wind, Upr Tanana Vly Fortymile

When: January 15, 8:30 AM AKST to 3:30 PM AKST
Where: Upr Tanana Vly Fortymile forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by: Trained Spotter

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 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, January 2009

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: 141994, 141993, 141982, 141988, 143901.