Alaska, 2024

High Wind in Alaska, September 30, 2024

September 30, 2024 · NWS AJK · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A strong autumn low developed over the Gulf, and sent a strong front sweeping into the panhandle, bringing with it high winds to the southern panhandle and outer gulf coast, before the front weakened as it moved north.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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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 AJK wrote it up.

A strong autumn low developed over the Gulf, and sent a strong front sweeping into the panhandle, bringing with it high winds to the southern panhandle and outer gulf coast, before the front weakened as it moved north.

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 Sep 30, 5:17 AM AKST, 4 hours 56 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 30, 5:17 AM AKST, 4 hours 56 minutes before
Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Juneau AK
617 AM AKDT Mon Sep 30 2024

.SHORT TERM...A strong low is currently entering the gulf bringing
high winds across the eastern gulf and panhandle. As this low
enters the gulf a front will make its way across the panhandle
starting this morning. The forecast has stayed on track with only
slight changes making the timing of winds on Monday start
increasing a bit earlier. Regardless, this low will bring strong
winds throughout the panhandle with high winds along the coastal
communities. A secondary front will occur late Monday night into
Tuesday morning again increasing winds for the southern panhandle
and coastal cities.

Total precipitation amounts remain between 1 to 3 inches at sea
level, with more accumulation at higher terrain possible. The
greatest total amounts will be in the southern panhandle. Expect
bands of rain that will create times of heavier rainfall.

.LONG TERM.../Tuesday Afternoon through Friday/...As it progresses
into this timeframe, the aforementioned strong weather system
from the short term forecast period with its tight pressure
gradient will rapidly weaken as it approaches and moves over the
southern quarter of the Panhandle into Wednesday morning, causing
marine winds to decrease from solid mid to high end gale over the
eastern Gulf and southern half of the inner channels to only low-
end small craft(25 kt) wind values. Seas over that same area will
subside from up to 33 ft Tuesday afternoon to around 16 ft by mid
Wednesday morning. The SFC low will end up weakening from 988mb
to 1010mb over the southeastern gulf and southern Clarence Strait
areas by the middle of Wednesday morning.

&&

.AVIATION...Conditions steadily deteriorate from South to North
through the day on Monday as a storm force front brings with it
high winds and wind shear to much of SE AK. Although the front
will weaken substantially after passing the Icy Strait Corridor,
areas from the Icy Strait Corridor South should anticipate gusty
winds, LLWS, and periods of moderate to heavy rain through
Monday.

&&

.MARINE...A powerful low is moving into the gulf today bringing storm
force winds to the eastern gulf through Tuesday. Expect winds to
increase and seas to build early this morning (Monday). Winds and
seas will stay elevated before beginning to diminish late Tuesday
into Wednesday.

Gulf:
As a strong low continues to make its way into the gulf this
morning, winds will increase to storm force across the eastern
gulf. Along with winds, expect seas to build to 25 to 35 ft. These
winds will persist through Tuesday before they start to diminish.

Inner Channels:
Expect gale force conditions to develop in Clarence Strait this
morning, with winds spreading into the central regions through the
day. As the front continues to move north Monday, other inner
channel winds will increase to 20 to 30 kts with areas seeing gale
force. After the initial front, Clarence Strait will diminish
slightly to 25 to 30 kts before a second front increases its winds
once again Tuesday. Winds begin to relax late Tuesday into
Wednesday.

&&

.AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...High Wind Watch from 10 AM AKDT this morning through Tuesday
     morning for AKZ317-322-323.
     Strong Wind from 10 AM AKDT this morning through late tonight
     for AKZ317-323.
     Strong Wind late tonight for AKZ319.
     Strong Wind from 1 PM AKDT this afternoon through this afternoon
     for AKZ321.
     Strong Wind from 1 PM AKDT this afternoon through late tonight
     for AKZ325.
     Strong Wind from 4 PM AKDT this afternoon through late tonight
     for AKZ326.
     Strong Wind from this evening through late tonight for AKZ327.
     Strong Wind until 10 AM AKDT this morning for AKZ328.
     High Wind Warning from 10 AM this morning to 10 AM AKDT Tuesday
     for AKZ328-330-332.
     Strong Wind from 1 PM AKDT this afternoon through late tonight
     for AKZ329.
     Strong Wind from 4 PM AKDT this afternoon through this afternoon
     for AKZ330.
MARINE...Storm Warning for PKZ641-642-644-661>664-671-672.
     Gale Warning for PKZ022-031-033>036-053-643-651.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ012-013-021-032-652.

&&

SHORT TERM...EAB
LONG TERM....JLC
AVIATION...GFS

Visit us at http://www.weather.gov/Juneau

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 30, 10:04 AM AKST, 9 minutes before
Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Juneau AK
1104 AM AKDT Mon Sep 30 2024

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1100 AM     Non-Tstm Wnd Dmg Sitka                   57.05N 135.33W
09/30/2024                   Sitka              AK   Public

            Report on social media saying neighbors
            house lost some shingles during a strong
            wind gust.

&&

SF

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Ketchikan Gateway Borough

When
September 30, 10:13 AM AKST to 11:12 AM AKST
Where
Ketchikan Gateway Borough forecast zone
Measured
55 kt (63 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
55.501, -131.417 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Salmon Landing station SLXA2 reported a peak wind gust of 63 mph at 1153 AKDT after previously reporting a wind gust of 60 mph at 1113 AKDT. Report on social media of dumpsters rolling into streets from the force of the wind gusts.

High Wind, Annette Island

When
September 30, 12:10 PM AKST to 3:10 PM AKST
Where
Annette Island forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
NWS Employee
Coordinates
55.597, -132.803 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The town of Metlakatla lost power at 1237 PM AKDT due to high winds. A weather station set up by a local NWS Employee at Yellow Hill Summit, a mountain point at 479 ft, recorded gusts in excess of 60 mph around this time, and a peak gust of 81 mph at 310 PM AKDT.

High Wind, Prince of Wales Island

When
September 30, 12:24 PM AKST to 1:24 PM AKST
Where
Prince of Wales Island forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
55.597, -132.803 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Craig weather station CRGA2 recorded a peak wind gust of 60 mph during frontal passage at 1324 AKDT.

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 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Alaska, September 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: 1213808, 1213750, 1213762.