High Wind in Alaska, January 17 to 20, 2024

Name: High Wind in Alaska, January 17 to 20, 2024
Start: 2024-01-17T18:02
End: 2024-01-20T18:16
Location: Alaska

January 17 to 20, 2024 · NWS AJK · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Strong northerly outflow winds resulted in the development of a mountain wave over Downtown Juneau and Douglas. Outflow winds in the northern panhandle reached down to surface level, resulting in high winds for the town of Skagway.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
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.

What happened

The episode as NWS AJK wrote it up.

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 Jan 17, 2:56 PM AKST, 3 hours 6 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 17, 2:56 PM AKST, 3 hours 6 minutes before

Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Juneau AK
256 PM AKST Wed Jan 17 2024

.SHORT TERM...Gusty outflow winds, cooling temperatures, and
clearing skies is again the story for the next 36 hours. Outflow
winds are in full effect with gusty conditions across the north
half of the panhandle. The developed troughing feature currently
digging its way south has kicked up some mid level clouds. This
combined with the above average wind speeds has successfully kept
the bitterly cold temperatures away from the panhandle. Expect
this trend not to stick around as more clearing is slated for
tonight from north to south as the trough fully drops southward.
Towards Thursday night, there are indications that some moisture
may attempt to work its way into the southern panhandle for some
snow. At this time, this does not look to accumulate as much for
Ketchikan and Metlakatla, up to 2 inches through Thursday night.

.LONG TERM...Outflow conditions continue for the start of the long
term as high pressure remains over Canada. A low approaching from
the south though looks to bring the next pattern change for the
area as well as reintroduce precip to the area. As the low
approaches from the south, outflow winds are expected to respond
to the tightening pressure gradient. Ensembles continue to
disagree on the exact strength and placement of this low. With
this disagreement, it has lead to some uncertainty on what is
expected to happen during this portion of the forecast. Current
thinking is that cold air will remain in place over the northern
and central panhandle while farther south, warmer air will be able
to mix down and change the precipitation type to either a mix of
rain and snow or just rain with the warmer temperatures.
Temperatures at the surface also look to respond to this warming
trend across the southern panhandle. Farther north, the central
panhandle currently looks like it could see the highest snowfall
amounts. Depending on the track of the low, a track closer to the
outer coast could result in a warmer overall system. This will
bear watching for the end of the week and into the weekend.

For the midweek, the unsettled pattern looks to continue with
warmer temperatures and more active weather for the panhandle.
Most places could see rain while higher elevations and those with
cold air still trapped at lower elevations could see snow during
this time.

&&

.AVIATION...VFR conditions prevail across the panhandle today and
are expected to continue through the next few days. The main
issues are actually outflow winds across the northern half of the
area and the turbulence and low level wind shear that are
associated with it. Several pirep reports were received throughout
the day of turbulence at up at the higher flight levels. The
outflow is expected to continue through late week with highest
impacts expected tonight.

&&

.MARINE...Northerly outflow winds are in full effect with Lynn
Canal expected to stay as low to moderate gale through Friday. Out
of interior passes around the Fairweather Range, gale force can
be seen on ASCAT passes and is expected to reach storm force by
Wednesday afternoon. Due to the long fetch and duration, seas
around this area look to achieve to up to 21 ft out in the gulf.
Furthermore, due to the duration at which Lynn Canal will be at
gale force winds, expect fully developed seas by Thursday night.
If the temperatures indeed drop to the mid twenties in northern
Lynn Canal, expect freezing spray as well.

&&

.AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...Strong Wind until 6 PM AKST this evening for AKZ317-318.
     Strong Wind Thursday afternoon for AKZ317.
     Strong Wind from Thursday morning through Thursday afternoon for
     AKZ318.
     High Wind Warning until midnight AKST tonight for AKZ325.
     Strong Wind from midnight AKST tonight through late tonight for
     AKZ325.
     Strong Wind Thursday afternoon for AKZ325.
MARINE...Storm Warning for PKZ053-651-671.
     Gale Warning for PKZ012-013-022-032-643-644-661-663-664-672.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ011-021-031-033>036-641-642-652-662.

&&

SHORT TERM...NC
LONG TERM....SF
AVIATION...EAL

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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, City and Borough of Juneau

When: January 17, 6:02 PM AKST to January 19, 11:22 AM AKST
Where: City and Borough of Juneau forecast zone
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph) measured gust
Reported by: Mesonet
Coordinates: 58.417, -134.333 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A long duration Taku wind event, with occasional lulls, was initiated by the formation of a mountain wave over Downtown Juneau and Douglas due to northerly outflow winds. All of the downtown Juneau docks and the Douglas Boat Harbor measured gusts in excess of 60 mph during this period with peaks of over 70 mph and a max of 81 mph at 1252am on the 18th at the AML dock. The weather station at the top of Eaglecrest measured a peak gust of 73 mph at 903pm on the 17th.

High Wind, Municipality of Skagway

When: January 19, 11:48 AM AKST to January 20, 6:16 PM AKST
Where: Municipality of Skagway forecast zone
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph) measured gust
Reported by: ASOS
Coordinates: 59.469, -135.306 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Strong northerly outflow winds in Skagway resulted in a high wind event with intermittent lulls in the strongest of winds measured at the airport ASOS on the 19th and 20th. The peak wind gust at the ASOS was 66 mph at 1212am on the 20th.

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

Every storm in Alaska in 2024 Every state in 2024 This day in weather history Warnings in Alaska, January 2024

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: 1158980, 1158558.