On June 5th, a number of thunderstorms developed across the Middle Tanana Valley and Eastern Interior, producing small hail, gusty winds, and frequent lightning.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 AFG wrote it up.
On June 5th, a number of thunderstorms developed across the Middle Tanana Valley and Eastern Interior, producing small hail, gusty winds, and frequent lightning.
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 Jun 5, 2:43 AM AKST, 10 hours 47 minutes earlier.
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion...CORRECTED
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
343 AM AKDT Wed Jun 5 2024
.SYNOPSIS...
An impactful day is setting up over the Interior with scattered
thunderstorms developing this afternoon. Some storms could be
strong with frequent lightning, heavy downpours, gusty winds
and hail. Some areas could see rainfall of around 1 inch or
greater. The threat of thunderstorms will continue over the
Interior through Friday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Upper Level Analysis... An upper low continues to sit in the Gulf
of Alaska being the main driver of east/southeasterly flow,
bringing multiple rounds of shortwaves and vorticity maxes across
the Central and Eastern Interior. The Arctic low will continue to
push south and slightly strengthen, becoming closed off and
reaching the Central parts of the Aleutian Islands early Thursday
morning. The low in the gulf will push westward and merge with the
Arctic low, as it pushes south, switching the majority of the
state to an easterly flow by early Thursday morning. By this point
the southern part of the interior will have shifted to a
southerly flow with a shortwave expected to impact the West Coast
late Thursday night into Friday morning.
Central and Eastern Interior...
Wednesday looks like it could be one of the largest days for
thunderstorms in the Interior so far, with models coming into
better agreement. An easterly wave will move across the Interior
enhancing some of the thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon.
The area of thunderstorms expected to develop over the Middle
Tanana Vally in the mid afternoon and continue through the early
evening then push north and west in the evening.
Some guidance is now showing Mixed Layer CAPE values near
1000-1500 J/kg with the strong shortwave which would promote
scattered to numerous thunderstorms. Heavy downpours with some
spots expected to receive 0.5 to 1.0" or greater of rainfall,
especially in the most persistent areas of thunderstorms. Frequent
lightning, gusty winds and hail are all possible with strong
thunderstorms and also flash flooding of streets in urban areas.
Thunderstorm potential continues over the Interior Thursday and
Friday but looks slightly less impactful. Temps will remain the
upper 60s to low 70s Wed through Friday.
Gusty winds will pick up in the eastern Alaska Range north of
Trims camp, southerly gusts around 50 to 60 mph this evening
through early Friday morning.
West Coast and Western Interior...
Temperatures continue to warm with Isolated thunderstorms
extending farther west from Ambler to McGrath. A few of these
storms may come with small hail, gusty winds and briefly heavy
rain. Late Wed evening into Thursday, the shortwave over the
Central Interior will move over the West Coast and Western
Interior, specifically from Galena south and west with areas of
rain, potentially heavy at times. Then by Friday, it looks to dry
out with the exception of a few showers and an isolated storm
towards Ambler.
North Slope and Brooks Range...
Stratus and fog today along the coast with onshore flow
continuing. Temperatures will be warming as well with highs in
the 30s and 40s north of the Brooks Range, and highs in the 60s
in the Brooks Range. Isolated thunderstorms will be possible in
the Central and Eastern Brooks Range. Friday looks to be quieter,
though a shower or storm is possible in the Western Brooks Range
as the shortwave lifts north. Skies may try to clear along the
North Slope with southerly flow increasing by Friday. Temperatures
will also be warming significantly with highs in the 40s along
the coast.
Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None.
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...
Still warm in the Yukon flats but min RH values slightly higher
in that area, will say still near red flag conditions. Wednesday
looks like it could be a big lightning day, potentially the
largest one of the year so far, with an easterly wave producing
scattered to numerous thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon. Models
coming into better agreement with at 500-1000 J/kg of CAPE with
areas along the Middle Tanana Valley showing up to 1500 J/kg
producing scattered wet thunderstorms. Locally heavy downpours
with some locations seeing 0.50 to 1 inch of rainfall or greater.
Frequent lighting and gusty winds and hail are all possible. The
area of thunderstorms expected to develop over the Middle Tanana
Vally in the mid afternoon and continue through the early evening
then push north and west in the evening.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...
Warming temperatures along the North Slope this week will promote
snowmelt and the potential for high water for the Sag, Colville
and Kuparuk Rivers and their tributaries. The Colville has a few
ice jams on it already which may result in some flooding concerns.
One ice jam of note is a known seven mile long ice jam downstream
of Ocean Point (on the Colville) and a smaller ice jam a few
miles long at Horseshoe Bend (roughly 9 river miles up from
Nuiqsut). Snowmelt will likely push out these ice jams, but expect
high water upstream before the release. Water levels are expected
to crest by the end of this week into the weekend.
The water level in Fort Yukon will continue receding very slowly.
Satellites and ground observations continue to indicate abundant
snow in the Porcupine Mountains. As temperatures warm this week,
snowmelt could lead to continued high water along the Porcupine
and the interrelated sloughs.
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Wind Advisory for AKZ849.
PK...Gale Warning for PKZ806-807-854-856.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ810-816-817-851.
Small Craft Advisory for PKZ811-857.
Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ861.
&&Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 126 PM AKDT Wed Jun 5 2024 AKZ832>847-849-060530- Dalton Highway Summits-Yukon Flats- White Mountains and High Terrain South of the Yukon River- Fortymile Country-Upper Tanana Valley-Delta Junction- Upper Chena River Valley-Tanana Flats-Eielson AFB and Salcha- Goldstream Valley and Nenana Hills-Chatanika River Valley- Two Rivers-Fairbanks Metro Area-Nenana-Central Interior- Northern Denali Borough-Eastern Alaska Range North of Trims Camp- Including Gobblers Knob, Prospect Creek, Finger Mountain, The Yukon River Bridge, The Dalton Highway from MP 39 to MP 164, Fort Yukon, Venetie, Circle, Central, Stevens Village, Beaver, The Steese Highway north of MP 124, Livengood, Circle Hot Springs, Eagle Summit, Twelvemile Summit, The Steese Highway from MP 85 to MP 124, The Elliott Highway from MP 32 to MP 134, The Dalton Highway from MP 0 to MP 38, Eagle, Chicken, The Taylor Highway north of MP 9, Tok, Tanacross, Tetlin, Northway, Alcan, The Alaska Highway east of MP 1392, The Taylor Highway south of MP 9, The Tok Cutoff north of MP 105, Delta Junction, Fort Greely, Deltana, Chena Hot Springs, Chena Hot Springs Road east of MP 34, Birch Lake, The Richardson Highway from MP 295 to MP 317, Eielson AFB, Salcha, Moose Creek, Harding Lake, The Richardson Highway from MP 317 to MP 346, Ester Dome, Murphy Dome, The Parks Highway from MP 325 to MP 342, Haystack, The Elliott Highway from MP 1 to MP 32, The Steese Highway from MP 12 to MP 85, Two Rivers, Chena Hot Springs Road from MP 12 to MP 34, Fairbanks, Fort Wainwright, Ester, North Pole, Fox, Nenana, The Parks Highway from MP 290 to 325, Tanana, Minto, Manley Hot Springs, Rampart, Lake Minchumina, Healy, Denali National Park, Kantishna, Anderson, The Parks Highway from MP 237 to MP 288, Black Rapids, Donnelly Dome, and The Richardson Highway from MP 224 to MP 259 126 PM AKDT Wed Jun 5 2024 ...Strong Thunderstorms Today Over Interior Alaska... Widespread showers and scattered thunderstorms are developing early this afternoon over the Interior from Denali Park to Fairbanks to the White Mountains. Thunderstorms are moving from east to west and will contain hail, frequent lightning, gusty winds and heavy downpours. Hail of up one half inch is expected with these storms. Hail as large as 1 inch is possible, although it is not likely. Frequent lightning this afternoon and evening could cause injury to people outdoors. Winds gusting to 30 mph could blow over trees and cause localize power outages. Areas of heavy rain bring the risk of small stream flooding over steep terrain in the hills north and east of Fairbanks and the Alaska Range near Denali Park this afternoon and evening. There is the possibility of urban street flooding should the heavy showers fall over Fairbanks and North Pole this afternoon and evening. People in the Eastern Interior should be alert to severe weather this afternoon and evening. The storms will move northwest this evening over the Central and Northern Interior, and storms should diminish from Fairbanks south by 9 pm. JB
The Fairbanks Faa radar (PAPD), 32 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:27 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Thunderstorms moved across the Middle Tanana Valley producing gusty winds to an estimated 50 mph, downing trees and power lines, resulting in power outages to near 4300 people.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Alaska in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, June 2024
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: 1183979.