Alaska, 2011High Wind in Alaska, February 28, 2011
February 28, 2011 · NWS AJK · 2 events in 2 counties and zones
It might be an NWS record that hurricane force winds lasted so long for Juneau and the gaps in terrain near Yakutat. C.
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $5,000
- 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.
It might be an NWS record that hurricane force winds lasted so long for Juneau and the gaps in terrain near Yakutat. This is a clear case of arctic outflow from strong high pressure over the Yukon and B.C. lasting for days with extreme surface pressure gradients with weak lows in the Gulf of Alaska.
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 Feb 28, 3:20 PM AKST, 33 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 28, 3:20 PM AKST, 33 minutes before
SOUTHEAST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
320 PM AKST MON FEB 28 2011
.SHORT TERM...NO SURPRISES IN THE SHORT RANGE. HIGH PRESSURE
OVER NORTHWEST CANADA HAS A STRONG OUTFLOW WIND PATTERN ACROSS
SOUTHEAST ALASKA. PRESENTLY 2 HIGH WIND WARNING AND ABOUT A HALF
DOZEN WIND ADVISORIES FOR THE STRONG GUSTY WINDS... AND WIND/WIND
CHILL ADVISORY FOR THE SKAGWAY AREA FRO THE WHITE PASS. MARINE
AREAS WITH STORM FORCE WINDS AND GUSTS OF 50 TO 80 KT DEPENDS ON
LOCATIONS. WINDS WILL DIMINISH A LITTLE DURING THE DAY TUESDAY
AFTERNOON BUT REMAIN RATHER GUSTY.
DRY WEATHER AND MOSTLY SUNNY THOUGH THERE IS CLOUDS INCREASING
OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE PANHANDLE DURING THE AFTERNOON A
FEW FLURRIES COULD START LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. NAM/WRF USED FOR
ANY ADJUSTMENTS DONE...THOUGH MAINLY JUST ADJUSTED THE PRESSURE
FIELD.
DID EXTEND OUT HIGH WIND WARNING AND ADVISORIES TO COVER NEXT
INCOMING STORM. MORE DETAILS IN THE LONG TERM SECTION.
&&
.LONG TERM...ANOTHER PERIOD OF VERY STRONG WIND IS LIKELY IN PARTS OF
SOUTHEAST ALASKA AROUND WEDNESDAY. EAST WIND GUSTS AS HIGH AS 90
MPH ARE POSSIBLE AT SEA LEVEL BETWEEN EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING AND
THURSDAY MORNING. STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE CENTRAL
AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE INCLUDING A TAKU WIND IN THE JUNEAU AREA.
THE WEATHER PATTERN THAT CAUSED FREQUENT WIND GUSTS OVER 50 MPH
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FROM JUNEAU TO SKAGWAY AND THE CENTRAL OUTER
COAST IS GRADUALLY WEAKENING. THE HIGHEST MEASURED WIND GUST WAS
150 MPH /130 KNOTS/ AT SHEEP MOUNTAIN SOUTH OF JUNEAU AT 3540
FEET ELEVATION. HIGHEST WIND GUST AT SEA LEVEL WAS 103 MPH /90
KNOTS/ AT CAPE SPENCER IN CROSS SOUND.
A NEW STORM BREWING MONDAY HALF WAY BETWEEN SOUTHEAST ALASKA AND
HAWAII WILL MOVE TO THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE BY WEDNESDAY. AFTER A
BRIEF LULL IN WIND TUESDAY... STRONG EAST TO NORTHEAST WIND WILL
DEVELOP TUESDAY NIGHT AS THE APPROACHING STORM CENTER NEARS DIXON
ENTRANCE. SOME SNOW IS EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY BUT THE REAL STORY WILL BE THE WINDS
CAUSING LOCAL WHITEOUT CONDITIONS.
MODELS WERE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH SYNOPTIC PATTERN FOR THE START
OF THE LONG TERM BUT THEN DIVERGE WITH DETAILS ON THE LOCATION OF
THE LOW WED. GFS HAS BEEN MORE OF AN OUTLIER WITH NAM AND EC IN
BETTER AGREEMENT. EC RUN TO RUN CONSISTENCY WAS ALSO BETTER TODAY.
UPDATED GRIDS WITH A BLEND ON 12Z NAM12 TO DAY 3 THEN BLENDED 12Z
EC MAKING A TRANSITION TO 12Z HPC. MAIN CHANGES WERE IN DEEPEN AND
TRACK THE WED LOW A BIT FURTHER NW. THE OTHER MAJOR CHANGE WAS TO
EXPEND WARNINGS AND ADVY THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW AMOUNTS
ON WED WERE CALCULATED USING 15:1 RATIO DUE TO COLD TEMPS. ATTM
FEEL AMOUNTS WILL BE BELOW SNOW ADVY LEVELS AS OUTFLOW WINDS AND
OROGRAPHIC LIFTING WILL KEEP QPF VALUES LOW. FORECAST CONFIDENCE
IS ABOUT AVERAGE.
.AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL NOON AKST THURSDAY FOR AKZ019>022-026-029.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM AKST THIS AFTERNOON FOR AKZ023-024-028.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL NOON AKST THURSDAY FOR AKZ025.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON AKST THURSDAY FOR AKZ018.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 AM AKST THURSDAY FOR AKZ017.
MARINE...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ021.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ011>013-022-031-034-035.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ032.
STORM WARNING FOR PKZ012.
GALE WARNING FOR PKZ011-013-021-022-031-032-034>036-043-051.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ033-041-042-052.
&&
BEZENEK/PRBIn the hours before
Special weather statement, Feb 28, 10:46 AM AKST, 5 hours 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
1046 AM AKST MON FEB 28 2011
AKZ017>029-012000-
CAPE FAIRWEATHER TO CAPE SUCKLING COASTAL AREA-
TAIYA INLET AND KLONDIKE HIGHWAY-HAINES BOROUGH AND LYNN CANAL-
GLACIER BAY-EASTERN CHICHAGOF ISLAND-
SALISBURY SOUND TO CAPE FAIRWEATHER COASTAL AREA-
CAPE DECISION TO SALISBURY SOUND COASTAL AREA-
EASTERN BARANOF ISLAND AND SOUTHERN ADMIRALTY ISLAND-
JUNEAU BOROUGH AND NORTHERN ADMIRALTY ISLAND-
INNER CHANNELS FROM KUPREANOF ISLAND TO ETOLIN ISLAND-
DIXON ENTRANCE TO CAPE DECISION COASTAL AREA-
SOUTHERN INNER CHANNELS-MISTY FJORDS-
INCLUDING THE CITIES
OF...YAKUTAT...SKAGWAY...HAINES...GUSTAVUS...
HOONAH...ELFIN COVE...PELICAN...SITKA...PORT
ALEXANDER...ANGOON...
JUNEAU...PETERSBURG...WRANGELL...KAKE...CRAIG...KLAWOCK...
KETCHIKAN...METLAKATLA...HYDER
1046 AM AKST MON FEB 28 2011
...ANOTHER HIGH WIND EVENT SOUTHEAST ALASKA MID WEEK...
ANOTHER PERIOD OF VERY STRONG WIND IS LIKELY IN PARTS OF
SOUTHEAST ALASKA AROUND WEDNESDAY. EAST WIND GUSTS AS HIGH AS 90
MPH ARE POSSIBLE AT SEA LEVEL BETWEEN EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING AND
THURSDAY MORNING. STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE CENTRAL
AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE INCLUDING A TAKU WIND IN THE JUNEAU AREA.
THE WEATHER PATTERN THAT CAUSED FREQUENT WIND GUSTS OVER 50 MPH
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FROM JUNEAU TO SKAGWAY AND THE CENTRAL OUTER
COAST IS GRADUALLY WEAKENING. THE HIGHEST MEASURED WIND GUST WAS
150 MPH /130 KNOTS/ AT SHEEP MOUNTAIN SOUTH OF JUNEAU AT 3540
FEET ELEVATION. HIGHEST WIND GUST AT SEA LEVEL WAS 103 MPH /90
KNOTS/ AT CAPE SPENCER IN CROSS SOUND.
A NEW STORM BREWING MONDAY HALF WAY BETWEEN SOUTHEAST ALASKA AND
HAWAII WILL MOVE TO THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE BY WEDNESDAY. AFTER A
BRIEF LULL IN WIND TUESDAY... STRONG EAST TO NORTHEAST WIND WILL
DEVELOP TUESDAY NIGHT AS THE APPROACHING STORM CENTER NEARS DIXON
ENTRANCE. SOME SNOW IS EXPECTED OVER THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE
WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY BUT THE REAL STORY WILL BE THE WINDS
CAUSING LOCAL WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. STAY TUNED FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ABOUT THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION.
High Wind, Cape Fairweather to Cape Suckling Coastal Area
- When
- February 28, 3:53 PM AKST to 11:59 PM AKST
- Where
- Cape Fairweather to Cape Suckling Coastal Area forecast zone
- Measured
- 90 kt (104 mph) estimated gust
- Reported by
- Other Federal Agency
Yakutat had a prolonged period of extreme outflow winds starting on the evening of 2/28. Peak gusts at the airport were 41 MPH at this time, but for the Icy Bay, Yakutat Bay, Dangerous River, Alsek River, and Lituya Bay had extreme surface pressure gradients for outflow winds. Hanke Island sonic wind #2 recorded hourly average wind speeds of 40 to 75 MPH for four days. The gusts had to be at least 90 KT.
High Wind, Juneau Borough and Northern Admiralty Island
- When
- February 28, 3:53 PM AKST to 11:59 PM AKST
- Where
- Juneau Borough and Northern Admiralty Island forecast zone
- Measured
- 66 kt (76 mph) measured gust
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- Official NWS Observations
Juneau had a prolonged period of Taku Winds starting on the evening of 2/28 and lasting into the early morning of 3/5. Damage to glass including windshields was common along with other miscellaneous property. A power outage due to wind was observed on 3/4 probably due to freezing spray on a transformer.
- 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.
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in Ohio, February 28, 20112 deaths · $14 million · 28 events
- Tornadoes and Flooding in Tennessee, February 28, 20111 death · 1 injured · $15 million · EF1 · 32 events
- Tornadoes in Tennessee, February 28, 20111 death · 4 injured · $40,000 · EF2 · 2 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Indiana, February 28, 2011$900,000 · EF2 · 7 events
- Tornadoes and Damaging Winds in Indiana, February 28, 20111 injured · $523,000 · EF2 · 9 events
- Tornado and Flooding in Kentucky, February 28, 2011$645,000 · EF1 · 49 events
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Ohio, February 28, 2011$818,000 · EF1 · 31 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, February 28, 20111 injured · $959,000 · 1.25 in hail · 33 events
- Tornadoes and Hail in Alabama, February 28, 2011$249,000 · EF1 · 29 events
- Flooding in Indiana, February 28, 2011$1.5 million · 4 events
- Tornado and Hail in South Carolina, February 28, 2011$247,000 · EF1 · 14 events
- Tornado and Hail in Alabama, February 28, 2011$131,000 · EF1 · 19 events
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: 282421, 282422.