A 994mb low pressure system crossed the Alaska Peninsula and moved into Bristol Bay. The associated warm front brought high winds to Anchorage as it crossed the Kenai Peninsula.
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 AFC wrote it up.
A 994mb low pressure system crossed the Alaska Peninsula and moved into Bristol Bay. The associated warm front brought high winds to Anchorage as it crossed the Kenai Peninsula.
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 Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 11, 3:45 PM AKST, 2 hours 55 minutes earlier.
Southcentral and Southwest Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Anchorage AK 445 PM AKDT SUN SEP 11 2016 .ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS... Main weather system continues to be a large low pressure system situated in the far eastern Bering Sea, stretching down over the eastern Aleutians. This low pressure system has two fronts, the first of which is pushing inland this afternoon with rain along the North Gulf coast and Prince William Sound regions with some showers in the Copper River Basin. This front has supported gusty winds through coastal gaps such as Turnagain Arm this afternoon and is expected to support strong winds into the overnight hours. The second front extends from southwest mainland into the southwest Gulf with a continuation of widespread rain. && .MODEL DISCUSSION... All the models are in good agreement for the next few days. The model questions come in over the details of the way the storm moves into south central Alaska and the precipitation intensity/downslope relationship. The high resolution NAM model is very confident that there will be a significant amount of downward motion across the leeward slopes of the Kenai and Chugach Ranges which will diminish the amount of precipitation over the Western Kenai Peninsula, Anchorage bowl and Matanuska Valley. This would mean that winds near the mountains (including places such as the eastern half of Anchorage) would be stronger than they looked yesterday which is what is reflected the latest High Wind Warning product for this event. In spite of this downward motion the heaviest rains are expected to move through the region this evening through the overnight hours in association with the jet streak which will enhance lifting at higher levels of the atmosphere. && .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA (Days 1 and 2)... A powerful low is moving into the Kuskokwim Delta this evening with the associated warm front moving into Southcentral. This is spreading rather widespread rain across the region, although downslope winds are limiting precip across inland locations. The pressure gradient continues to tighten, and this is helping to accelerate strong gap winds across favored locations. The high wind warning for Anchorage area remains in effect as the pressure gradient is expected to peak by late this evening. The strongest winds will be down Turnagain Arm and the upper Hillside with winds possibly reaching 40-60 MPH across parts of Anchorage proper, especially across south and west Anchorage and near the Chugach Mountains. However, the bulk of wind activity will remain in more typical locations with the main impact in town being small tree damage and possible power outages. By late this evening, the warm front will move east far enough, with the actual low lifting far enough north, to allow for a weakening of the pressure gradient and for heavier rain to overspread inland locations. Rain and showers will continue through Monday, and may be locally heavy at times, especially along the coast where a region of instability will exist as a shortwave trough deamplifies and lift through the northern Gulf. A secondary trough will move through Southcentral Tuesday, bringing in cooler and drier air. && .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHWEST ALASKA (Days 1 and 2)... While the front continues to push into the Interior, the mainland is left in a moist flow from the southwest with a few embedded disturbances. Steady rain will continue through the evening hours for the Kuskokwim Valley along with gusty southerly winds, before becoming more showery overnight everywhere. Into Monday morning, the upper trough to the west and cold front will push eastward, bringing steadier rain back for the day. Rain will linger along the Alaska Range through the overnight hours into Tuesday morning, but for the most part the rain will end in most places by late Monday night. Ridging moves overhead on Tuesday, bringing a brief period of clear conditions and light winds. Temperatures will dip back down toward climatological normals in the coming days. && .SHORT TERM FORECAST BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS (Days 1 and 2)... The exiting trough will linger in the eastern Bering tonight before pushing eastward onto the mainland on Monday. Northerly winds across the central Bering will begin to taper this evening and overnight hours. A new front will enter the western Bering overnight bringing gale force winds and steady rain. This front will slowly rotate to the northeast in coming days across the chain. && .LONG TERM FORECAST (Days 3 through 7)... The fall-like pattern looks to continue through next weekend with a high amplitude longwave trough encompassing the Bering Sea. The amplification of the trough will create some downstream ridging over the Alaska mainland which should allow for a brief period of drier, sunnier and warmer weather over parts of Southcentral and Southwest Alaska Tuesday afternoon. However, this will be short lived as the trough encompassing the Bering Sea will become anchored near Adak and Atka and quickly erode the ridging downstream. Numerous shortwaves will be forced across Alaska through the second half of the upcoming week with abundant cloud cover and scattered to numerous rain showers. Models hint at this trough gradually shifting eastward over time but diverge in deciding how quickly it does so and the orientation of the trough. However, with pretty good certainty, it looks like there is no clear cut end to this upcoming showery pattern and looks like fall is here to stay. && .AFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PUBLIC...High Wind Warning Zone 101. MARINE...Gale Warning 119 120 125 129 130 131 132 139 141 173 174 175 176 177 178 181 . && SYNOPSIS AND MODEL DISCUSSION...EZ / LIW SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA...JA SOUTHWEST ALASKA/BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS...ML LONG TERM...MC
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
647 PM AKDT SUN SEP 11 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0330 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG EAGLE RIVER 61.32N 149.57W
09/11/2016 AK NWS EMPLOYEE
NWS EMPLOYEE REPORTED A DOWNED TREE
&&
LINGRAM1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds began the afternoon of 9/11 and continued overnight. Several power outages in Chugiak and Eagle River were reported. Roof damage, including from downed trees, was sustained in Palmer and Anchorage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, September 2016
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: 661127.