High pressure over the western mainland and a weak trough over the North Gulf Coast caused channeling through northerly passes, bringing strong gap winds to Prince William Sound.
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.
High pressure over the western mainland and a weak trough over the North Gulf Coast caused channeling through northerly passes, bringing strong gap winds to Prince William Sound.
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 Jan 6, 4:57 AM AKST, 59 minutes earlier.
Southcentral and Southwest Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Anchorage AK 457 AM AKST Fri Jan 6 2017 .ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS... An Omega Block pattern is taking shape across much of the Alaska domain this morning. An impressive ridge continues to build over the Bering with potent upper level jet support. A 120kt finger is moving from south to north along its western periphery and then spilling back down its eastern side at 130 kts. This strong upper level support is what we are keying on to help trigger some of the strongest winds this morning. This upper level energy should help to mix some of the stronger winds downward as it pushes through the usual gaps, especially in steep terrain. Under the Bering ridge is an impressive surface high with the pressure reported at Hooper Bay to be 1054 mb overnight. Cold air is also starting to move down from the Arctic over the eastern side of the high. 850mb temperatures have dropped below -20C over the Copper River Basin. This cold air will only serve to reinforce the offshore gradient across much of South Central. Under the high itself, there is some low stratus and fog lingering around the YK-Delta. And it is not until you reach the Western Aleutians that you will find any precipitation with some rain impacting Shemya. && .MODEL DISCUSSION... The biggest difference in the models tonight is a trend slightly later for the highest winds. Through the week, many of the models were painting those winds occurring overnight Thu into early Fri morning. But now some of the most recent runs around showing it closer to noon-time on Fri. The high resolution models were used in handling these winds. Otherwise, the NAM was preferred with the precipitation over the Western Aleutians. Models remain in very good agreement lending to high forecast confidence. && .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA (Days 1 and 2)... High winds have not yet developed in the Valdez area, but still expect them to rapidly strengthen during the morning hours. Model cross sections show a descending tropopause on the east side of a strengthening jet streak. Not only will stronger winds from aloft lower toward the boundary layer, but conditions will become extremely favorable for mountain wave activity. This will result in much stronger and erratic wind gusts, whereas winds to this point have been relatively steady. Lastly, low level flow is also becoming more favorable as it shifts from northwest to north- northeast. For the rest of Southcentral the shift in low level flow to northerly along with increased vertical mixing as the sun rises will lead to an increase in winds for most locations. Winds won't be nearly as strong as along the Gulf Coast and Prince William Sound, but will be gusty in nature. Winds across inland areas will quickly die down tonight into Saturday. Deep arctic air in the Copper River Basin and persistent tight pressure gradients will continue to produce gap winds through the weekend, particularly for the Valdez area, the Copper River Delta, and along the Matanuska River. && .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHWEST ALASKA (Days 1 and 2)... The blocking ridge is currently over the eastern part of the Bering Sea which is keeping all precipitation out of southwest mainland Alaska with some high clouds riding over the ridge and into the area from the north. The pressure gradient has also greatly increased over the area, especially the Bristol Bay region, and that will help keep some gusty northerly winds in the area with the strongest ones through channeled terrain. The pressure gradient will decrease late in the afternoon and overnight which will diminish the gusty winds. Fog does not look like it will be very widespread at this time. && .SHORT TERM FORECAST BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS (Days 1 and 2)... The blocking ridge over the eastern Bering Sea is keeping the storm track over the western Bering Sea and western Aleutian Islands for the next few days. There is also the usual patchy fog and stratus under this ridge in the central Bering Sea but there has been a considerable amount of clearing over the eastern bering and Alaska Peninsula. One of the forecast questions for this area is how far westward the clearing will move in the Bering Sea over the next few days. && .LONG TERM FORECAST (Days 3 through 7)... Beginning the extended forecast period Saturday evening, a rather impressive 2.5 standard deviation 500 hpa blocking high centered over Southwest Alaska will be dominating the entire forecast region. Besides weakening fronts over the Western and Central Bering Sea, dominant high pressure over the mainland will keep dry and clear weather in place through the middle of next week. Temperatures aloft will be warming (in the mountains), but temperatures in lower elevations will remain at or slightly below normal as strong inversions will remain in place. Fog development may become a local threat inland Sunday and beyond, but this ridge pattern will not be as conducive to fog as recent patterns where the mainland was along the western periphery of the ridge axis. Both global deterministic and ensemble models are hinting at a retrogression of the ridge and more northerly flow over southern Alaska late midweek, bringing in arctic air into the region along with more offshore flow. && .AFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PUBLIC...High Wind Warning 131 135. MARINE...Storm Warning 127 128. Gale Warning 119-126 130-132 137-140 150 173-178. Heavy Frz Spray 126 127 139 140 141. && SYNOPSIS AND MODEL DISCUSSION...MSO SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA...SB SOUTHWEST ALASKA/BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS...EZ LONG TERM...JA
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Dispatcher reported widespread minor wind damage across Valdez. Multiple light poles have been blown over or damaged...multiple buildings with siding removed and several other structures across town damaged or destroyed. Hurricane force wind gusts have been observed since 17z.
Dispatcher reported widespread damage across Cordova. Many trees have been blown over or snapped with several of them falling on houses. Anywhere from one to two dozen structures have sustained roof damage from falling or breaking trees. Several boats have been damaged. Much of the damage reported is along the Copper River highway from mile 6 to 6 and a half. An estimation of 30 to 40 uprooted trees. Estimated wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph from the northwest.
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: 679851, 679850.