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
Just a few random thoughts about this particular event:
To say this one fizzled wouldn’t be accurate – it probably turned out to be solidly average. It just didn’t live up to the apocalyptic predictions and the hype from the local media. No doubt everyone was still on edge from the first storm the previous week.
Though it did feel average, I recorded my highest daily rainfall and highest daily wind run for my station yesterday.
The winds up here always exhibit great variation from one event to another, so different readings from place to place are not unexpected at all.
Having said that, I am a little suspect of some of those really high readings, for a few reasons…
1. They come from “unofficial stations” – of course that isn’t unusual in itself since mine is unofficial too!
2. I can see Bear Valley from my house, it’s only the next canyon over from me. And while I would expect some variation, a reading of more than double doesn’t make sense to me.
3. Those stations must be new. We’ve never really had readings of over 110 mph posted on a regular basis up until recently. 90- 100 mph reports during some of the
really strong storms seemed to be the max before.
4. Before, with my stock Davis anemometer I might have wondered if my wind readings were possibly low. However, I just installed a new RM Young 5103 anemometer – and it was just calibrated – so I am pretty confident about what I recorded.
5. Just through casual observation from being outside, my readings “feel” about right.
6. Normally, when gusts do start reaching those speeds, we get lots of stories and news reports about roofs being ripped off and windows blown out – even on the homes up here on the upper hillside built to withstand this. I haven’t seen a single report of anything like that so far – very unusual if wind gusts really were around 120 mph.
Again, I’m not saying those numbers are bogus, but I’m taking them with a grain of salt as well.
The NWS has just posted another High Wind Watch starting tomorrow night for yet another storm! This is starting to shape up as an even more severe winter than last, which was already a record breaker for wind and snowfall!
No matter what the numbers, I have a feeling we are in for a wild ride during winter 2012 -2013!
