Topic: Severe windstorms in Anchorage, AK

[Moose Whisperer]

Last week we had a severe storm that hit Anchorage and caused all kinds of mayhem.

http://www.adn.com/2012/09/05/2612953/high-winds-ravage-anchorage.html
http://www.adn.com/2012/09/05/2612172/thousands-in-anchorage-still-without.html
http://www.ktuu.com/news/southcentral-alaska-recovers-from-major-windstorm-090512,0,7012524.story
http://www.ktuu.com/news/anchorage-sees-unprecedented-911-call-volume-during-windstorm-090712,0,7395015.story

These types of storm are actually fairly common up here during winter, but at this time of year when all the trees still have their leaves and the ground is soaked and not frozen, it's a recipe for chaos.

Now the NWS has just issued a High Wind Warning for this weekend, and the forecasts are for winds even higher than the last storm.

http://www.ktuu.com/news/ktuu-anchorage-braces-for-more-wind-damage-alaska-20120914,0,2475357.story
http://forecast.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=AKZ101&warncounty=AKC020&firewxzone=AKZ101&local_place1=Homesite+Park+AK&product1=High+Wind+Warning

For example, on the "upper hillside" where I live, the wind forecast is:

Along turnagain arm and the upper hillside...southeast wind 70 to 85 mph with gusts to 110 mph diminishing to 65 to 80 mph sunday evening.

Yikes!

Looks like my weather station and website are in for another workout. I've also just set up a twitter feed so this will be it's first test for anyone wishing to follow. Right now I've got Cumulus set to twit once every hour, but I might bump that to every 5-10 mins when things start rocking and rolling!

[Harryca]

Looks like it's pretty windy up there already.  Good luck.

Edit: BTW, I created the following web page just for Alaska some time ago that includes the latest WWA's, hydrologic alerts, and storm reports for the last 6 hours from the Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau WFO's. Hope you find it useful.

http://ucweather.org/akstorm.php

Also, while looking at that web page, I happened to notice the following storm report from Anchorage WFO.  I hope that's just a bad sensor.

•CAPE NEWENHAM(AWOS),AK (PAEH) ASOS reports gust of 111.0 knots from E @ 0246Z PAEH 150255Z AUTO 12007KT 4SM -RA BKN004 08/07 A2959 RMK AO2 PK WND 100111/0246 SLP023 P0006 60009 T00800074 57011

[William Grimsley]

Looks like my weather station and website are in for another workout. I've also just set up a twitter feed so this will be it's first test for anyone wishing to follow. Right now I've got Cumulus set to twit once every hour, but I might bump that to every 5-10 mins when things start rocking and rolling!

Let's hope that the station doesn't disconnect or the power/internet goes off!

Will

[Moose Whisperer]

Looks like it's pretty windy up there already.  Good luck.

Edit: BTW, I created the following web page just for Alaska some time ago that includes the latest WWA's, hydrologic alerts, and storm reports for the last 6 hours from the Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau WFO's. Hope you find it useful.

http://ucweather.org/akstorm.php

Yes, it's just the first wave. Will likely see a couple before the big one hits tomorrow.

Great page. I'd like to put a link on my site if that's OK.

[Moose Whisperer]

Looks like my weather station and website are in for another workout. I've also just set up a twitter feed so this will be it's first test for anyone wishing to follow. Right now I've got Cumulus set to twit once every hour, but I might bump that to every 5-10 mins when things start rocking and rolling!

Let's hope that the station doesn't disconnect or the power/internet goes off!

Will

Actually, the power went off during the last storm, just after my station recorded a high gust of 70 mph. We were out of town then, so everything went down cold. Fortunately Cumulus started back up OK.

This time we'll be around if I need to start up my generator. Also, I need to get the UPS software setup on my weather computer to do an automatic shutdown.

[Harryca]

Looks like it's pretty windy up there already.  Good luck.

Edit: BTW, I created the following web page just for Alaska some time ago that includes the latest WWA's, hydrologic alerts, and storm reports for the last 6 hours from the Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau WFO's. Hope you find it useful.

http://ucweather.org/akstorm.php

Yes, it's just the first wave. Will likely see a couple before the big one hits tomorrow.

Great page. I'd like to put a link on my site if that's OK.

Thanks.  Glad you found it useful.  Yes, you may put a link to it from your site.

[William Grimsley]

Actually, the power went off during the last storm, just after my station recorded a high gust of 70 mph. We were out of town then, so everything went down cold. Fortunately Cumulus started back up OK.

Hi Moose Whisperer,

Oh good, my station wouldn't load back up a few months ago from my Vue but now it does. Strange...

Will

[ocala]

Trying to view your  Real Time gauges but it won't load. Gave up after a minute.
Also it would be cool if your cam was streaming. Would love to see that wind in real time.
I know it's asking a lot about the cam but I had to ask.
I was watching last time until you lost power.

[George Richardson]

Hey Ocala,

He is using Cumulus Real Time which is gerat most of the time but will take a flyer and just not come up. Try the Steel Series gauges for very nice realtime (almost) info.

George

[Moose Whisperer]

hmmm...Thanks for the heads up, though I just tried my real time display and it worked for me. I think it may be a Silverlight issue specific to individual machines, because it doesn't work on my computer at work either. But as noted above, the Steel Series Gauges do seem to be more reliable.

[Moose Whisperer]

Also it would be cool if your cam was streaming. Would love to see that wind in real time.
I know it's asking a lot about the cam but I had to ask.
I was watching last time until you lost power.

Yes, I've been thinking of some ways to better capture the magnitude of these storms on video, though the main issue for me right now with streaming would be bandwidth. I'm already bumping up on my maximum monthly allocation now as it is.

But, if you are interested, I've got some videos of past events here, though these really don't do justice to the experience of actually being there:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H872bdUyDaQ&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJv89f0XwIU&feature=relmfu

[William Grimsley]

Hi Moose Whisperer,

Love both of your videos! Seems the first one is more dramatic! Lots of rain and wind! Always sends me to sleep!

Will

[Moose Whisperer]

Just went out and plugged in my generator to warm up the engine block and put the battery on a float charge...

[Harryca]

Here is another resource you may find useful.  It is the experimental storm reports on a Google map from NWS.

Experimental Local Storm Reports Google Maps Display
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/sgx/kml/lsr.php?cwa=afc&lsr=All&start=201209150000&end=201209152023

[cospringswx]

Pretty intense there. If it were hail I'd imagine the broken glass.

[Moose Whisperer]

Winds and rain are beginning to really pickup just within the last few minutes. It's starting...

[William Grimsley]

Winds and rain are beginning to really pickup just within the last few minutes. It's starting...

Hi Moose Whisperer,

Yup, only light rain currently but it's sure to get worse you are currently at a stage where in the U.K. it would be classed as really quite bad! And you said it's starting...Oh dear, keep safe.

Will

[DaculaWeather]

Alaska forecast models http://www.daculaweather.com/4_alaska_models.php
HPC Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion: http://www.daculaweather.com/4_hpc_alaska_disco.php

[Moose Whisperer]

So far not nearly as bad as the last storm. Highest gust recorded on my station today was "only" 59 mph. No reports of wide spread power outages or damage yet like the last one either.

Of course, we're not out of the woods yet either...

[Moose Whisperer]

Also noticing that the wind data showing on my banner graphic doesn't match that on my website. Hmm...

[William Grimsley]

So far not nearly as bad as the last storm. Highest gust recorded on my station today was "only" 59 mph. No reports of wide spread power outages or damage yet like the last one either.

Of course, we're not out of the woods yet either...

Hi Moose Whisperer,

59 mph to the U.K. would be "OMG! Hurricane threatens the UK as a gust of 59 mph is recorded!" I'm like "No, just No."

Also noticing that the wind data showing on my banner graphic doesn't match that on my website. Hmm...

It's possibly because it is not realtime to what you are looking at. e.g. a bit behind or something.

Will

[Moose Whisperer]

It's possibly because it is not realtime to what you are looking at. e.g. a bit behind or something.

Will

Actually, I thought the banner was generated "on demand" each time it is displayed, so it should be as "real time" as one can get. I'm not really sure what's going on since it should be pulling the same values from Cumulus as my website. hmmm...

[William Grimsley]

Actually, I thought the banner was generated "on demand" each time it is displayed, so it should be as "real time" as one can get. I'm not really sure what's going on since it should be pulling the same values from Cumulus as my website. hmmm...

Hmmm....the only thing I can think off is to get a brand new banner.php or check the values in the .php file itself. Otherwise, if you're really stuck and need help ask Ken.

Thanks

Will

[Harryca]

I just saw some interesting wind reports on that web page I provided earlier.  Other wind reports from ASOS' have been in the 50-60 kt range.  Looks the high wnds are now spreading into the Fairbanks CWA.

•12 SE Anchorage [ Co, AK] mesonet reports NON-TSTM WND GST of M77 MPH at 15 Sep, 11:33 PM AKDT -- a wind gust to 77 mph was measured at paradise valley near potter marsh at 1133 pm sat sep 15 2012.
Posted on Sep 16 2012 at 4:35 pm EDT

 •10 SE Anchorage [ Co, AK] mesonet reports NON-TSTM WND GST of M112 MPH at 16 Sep, 02:36 AM AKDT -- a 112 mph wind gust was measured at glen alps on the anchorage hillside at 236 am sunday sep 16 2012
Posted on Sep 16 2012 at 4:35 pm EDT
 
•10 SE Anchorage [ Co, AK] public reports NON-TSTM WND GST of M120 MPH at 16 Sep, 01:00 AM AKDT -- multiple reports from the bear valley subdivision on the anchorage hillside of winds overnight over 100 mph with the peak gusts so far measured at 120 mph between 1am and 4am.
Posted on Sep 16 2012 at 4:35 pm EDT

[William Grimsley]

I just saw some interesting wind reports on that web page I provided earlier.  Other wind reports from ASOS' have been in the 50-60 kt range.  Looks the high wnds are now spreading into the Fairbanks CWA.

•12 SE Anchorage [ Co, AK] mesonet reports NON-TSTM WND GST of M77 MPH at 15 Sep, 11:33 PM AKDT -- a wind gust to 77 mph was measured at paradise valley near potter marsh at 1133 pm sat sep 15 2012.
Posted on Sep 16 2012 at 4:35 pm EDT

 •10 SE Anchorage [ Co, AK] mesonet reports NON-TSTM WND GST of M112 MPH at 16 Sep, 02:36 AM AKDT -- a 112 mph wind gust was measured at glen alps on the anchorage hillside at 236 am sunday sep 16 2012
Posted on Sep 16 2012 at 4:35 pm EDT
 
•10 SE Anchorage [ Co, AK] public reports NON-TSTM WND GST of M120 MPH at 16 Sep, 01:00 AM AKDT -- multiple reports from the bear valley subdivision on the anchorage hillside of winds overnight over 100 mph with the peak gusts so far measured at 120 mph between 1am and 4am.
Posted on Sep 16 2012 at 4:35 pm EDT

Look's pretty windy then! Though Moose has only recorded 59 mph, I wonder if he is blocked or something.

Will