A storm force low developed SSW of our forecast area deepening to 974 MB just off Cape Spencer early on the morning of 1/27. This low then dissipated over Western Gulf by afternoon causing minor damage for for a few areas in SE Alaska.
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 AJK wrote it up.
A storm force low developed SSW of our forecast area deepening to 974 MB just off Cape Spencer early on the morning of 1/27. This low then dissipated over Western Gulf by afternoon causing minor damage for for a few areas in SE Alaska.
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 Jan 26, 3:55 PM AKST, 3 hours 5 minutes earlier.
Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Juneau AK
355 PM AKST Thu Jan 26 2017
.SHORT TERM...Very active short range forecast as a storm force
low will be bringing plenty of rain and wind to the panhandle
tonight into Friday. The main low, currently around 50N 143W,
will be cutting a track north just east of 145W longitude before
making landfall near Cape Yakataga Friday morning. It will be
strengthening for just about its entire journey north due to the
left exit region of a 80 kt 500 mb jet streak that will be keeping
up with it until just before landfall. Min central pressure is
expected to bottom out at around 973 mb in the central gulf late
tonight.
The associated front will be advancing on the panhandle this
evening with very windy conditions expected as it moves through.
850 mb winds along and ahead of the front are expected to peak out
around 80 to 85 kt across the southern half of the panhandle and
along the outer coast. High wind warnings are up for the southern
half of the panhandle and all along the outer coast as a result
for gusts exceeding 60 mph. The rest of the panhandle is under
Strong wind headlines for gusts anywhere from 40 mph to 55 mph.
Time of highest winds depends on where you are. For the southern
panhandle it will be around or just after midnight, central
panhandle will be late tonight, while the northern panhandle will
not see the highest winds until early Friday morning (or midday
for Haines and Skagway). Changes from the previous forecast
included increasing winds in many of the central and northern
inner channels as the front comes northward with many areas now
showing gale force winds for marine areas and gusts 40 mph or
greater for land areas. Thought about going high wind warning for
Juneau but decided not to as with the low tracking through the
central gulf rather then near the coast most of the winds should
remain along the outer coast.
As for precip, strong warm air advection will keep ptype limited
to rain for all areas expect for higher elevations of the Klondike
Highway. In that area, expecting another round of moderate snow
accumulations with around 4 to 8 inches possible by mid day
Friday. Kept the winter weather advisory for the Klondike highway
going for tonight and Friday. The only other place that may see
snow is near the border on the Haines Highway overnight. However,
temps should be warm enough that it will mainly be a mix if it
does occur at all with low accumulations.
Short range models were in good agreement for this system. Many of
the wind edits were updated with the Namnest model to get some
higher winds in the inner channels. Other edits used Nam and Gfs
for guidance.
.LONG TERM...Friday night to Thursday...Another storm force low
will move N across the E gulf Fri night into Sat. Models in fair
agreement with this system tracking a little closer to the coast.
GFS was slowest with this low while EC/GEM and 18Z NAM in decent
agreement on the track although NAM slightly slower. Models also
depict a stronger low down to mid 980mb, so lowered min pres to
match. Despite discrepancies, model consensus tracks the low
farther E than Friday's low, so expect another round of strong
wind and mdt-hvy precip with this system Fri night into Sat.
As this system moves inland, high pressure will build across the
gulf Sat into Sun. A couple minor perturbations as flow becomes
zonal across the gulf will maintain chance of showers until the
high gets firmly intrenched. Models and ensembles in fairly good
agreement in ridge building over Yukon by mid next week and could
lead to another Nly outflow event.
Main change to inherited forecast was to deepen the low/raise
winds Fri-Sat. Also nudged temps down a degree or two next week.
Otherwise, changes limited to local effects using EC/GEM as
guidance.
&&
.AJK Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
PUBLIC...High Wind Warning from 9 PM this evening to 6 AM AKST Friday for
AKZ023-026.
Strong Wind Friday morning for AKZ023-026-028.
High Wind Warning from 7 PM this evening to 5 AM AKST Friday for
AKZ027.
Strong Wind late tonight for AKZ027.
Strong Wind from midnight AKST tonight through Friday morning
for AKZ024.
Strong Wind from 3 AM AKST Friday through Friday afternoon for
AKZ025.
High Wind Warning from 10 PM this evening to 6 AM AKST Friday
for AKZ022.
Strong Wind Friday morning for AKZ022.
Strong Wind from 3 AM AKST Friday through Friday morning for
AKZ020.
Strong Wind from midnight AKST tonight through Friday morning
for AKZ021.
High Wind Warning from 7 PM this evening to 6 AM AKST Friday for
AKZ028.
Strong Wind from Friday morning through Friday afternoon for
AKZ019.
Winter Weather Advisory from midnight tonight to 3 PM AKST
Friday for AKZ018.
Strong Wind until 6 PM AKST this evening for AKZ018.
Strong Wind from Friday morning through Friday afternoon for
AKZ018.
High Wind Warning from 6 AM to 11 AM AKST Friday for AKZ017.
Strong Wind from 3 AM AKST Friday through late tonight for
AKZ017.
Strong Wind from Friday morning through Friday afternoon for
AKZ017.
MARINE...Storm Warning for PKZ022-033-036-041>043-051.
Gale Warning for PKZ011>013-021-031-032-034-035-052-053.
&&
EAL/BC
Visit us at http://www.weather.gov/Juneau6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
On the morning of 1/27, Hydaburg Seaplane AWOS had peak winds to 77 mph with lots and lots of gusts into the 60s. No damage was reported.
Ketchikan Airport reported 67 mph gusts and Annette observed 59 mph gusts on the morning of 1/27. No damage was reported.
On the morning of 1/27, Sitka Airport had peak gusts to 62 mph and numerous wind observations in the upper 50s mph. No damage was reported.
January 27, 2017 Kake Fuel Dock Storm Damage. SEOC Duty Officer was notified the City of Kake declared a local disaster for windstorm damage to the local fuel dock. A storm over the weekend had broken the dock and two steel pillars were lost to sea. SEOC continues to coordinate with City on related costs of damages.
On the morning of 1/27, the Pelican observer called back and reported estimated gusts near 70 mph between 0400 and 0500 am this morning. Three squares of metal roofing were blown off of the fish processing plant. Two downed trees around town. One blocked the dump cutting off cell phone coverage.
Yakutat ASOS peak wind 60 MPH which is very unusual for that particular ASOS. Some trees were knocked down along with power outages. An Alaska Airlines luggage trailer took off across the ramp propelled by the wind, but fortunately did not damage anything.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, January 2017
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: 668225, 668226, 668215, 669044, 668209, 668206.