Name: High Wind in Alaska, September 20 to 21, 2016
Start: 2016-09-20T06:00
End: 2016-09-21T12:00
Location: Alaska

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 pressure gradient developed in channeled areas of the Alaska range on the 21th of September. A 980 Low over the Bering Sea induced the pressure gradient and associated weather front moved across the range as well. At Delta Junction power was lost due to downed power lines by trees snapped by the wind.

High winds were reported on the 21th at:

zone 223: Peak wind gust of 61 kt (70 mph) reported at OP5 mesonet site at Fort Greely.

Zone 225: Peak wind gust of 61 kts (70 mph) reported at the State of Alaska Department of Transportation Mesonet site named Antler Creek.

Zone 226: The U.S. Army Mesonet station Edge Creek reported a wind gust to 77 kts (89 mph).

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 Sep 20, 5:09 AM AKST, 51 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 20, 5:09 AM AKST, 51 minutes before

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
609 AM AKDT TUE SEP 20 2016

.DISCUSSION...
Models in decent agreement through 60 hours. Moderately strong upper
level ridge over all of Northern Alaska with relatively strong
upper low in the Bering Sea.

The strong occluded front that has pushed in from the west is now
from about just West of Kivalina to Deering to Anvik. This front
with the strong south flow is pushing rain up into many locations
over the West Coast although rainfall amounts are generally
light. A majority of the rainfall will not reach the ground over
the Central Interior though.

Gap flow winds will be the major issue with the increasing
gradient aloft between the moderately strong low and the upper
level ridge. Expecting gap flow winds to exceed the baseline
warning level winds in zones 223...225 and 226 through Wed
morning.

Temperatures aloft will be on the increase as the gap flow winds
create downslope heating on the lee side of the mountain ranges.

Fog and low clouds...stratus will continue to plague the arctic
slope and various other villages scattered around are also
experiencing som lower conditions this morning which will likely
last until early Wenesday.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...None.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Wind Advisory for AKZ217-AKZ223-AKZ227.

High Wind Warning for AKZ225-AKZ226.

Small Craft Advisory for PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ240.
&&

SEP 16

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Denali

When: September 20, 6:00 AM AKST to September 21, 11:55 AM AKST
Where: Denali forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

High Wind, Deltana and Tanana

When: September 21, 6:00 AM AKST to 12:00 PM AKST
Where: Deltana and Tanana forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

High Wind, Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng

When: September 21, 6:00 AM AKST to 12:00 PM AKST
Where: Ne. Slopes of the Ern Ak Rng forecast zone
Measured: 77 kt (89 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet

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 2016 Every state in 2016 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, September 2016

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: 661004, 661003, 661005.