Kodiak City, Alaska – Residents across southern Alaska have less than 24 hours to prepare before 75 mph wind gusts and wind chills as low as 40 below zero hammer coastal and mountain communities beginning early Wednesday morning.
According to the National Weather Service in Anchorage, a High Wind Warning takes effect at 3 a.m. Wednesday for the northeast end of Kodiak Island, including Kodiak City, with northwest winds of 35 to 50 mph and gusts up to 75 mph through 9 p.m. Wednesday. Wind chills could plunge to 15 below zero by daybreak.
On Kodiak Island, loose debris could become airborne and scattered power outages are possible. Travel along local roads and near exposed coastal areas may become hazardous, especially during the Wednesday morning peak winds.
In Seward and the southern Kenai Mountains, north winds strengthen by midnight tonight and persist through midnight Wednesday night, gusting 65 mph with isolated gusts to 75 mph. An Extreme Cold Watch follows Wednesday evening through Thursday afternoon, when wind chills could drop between 20 and 25 below zero. Frostbite may develop in as little as 20 minutes.
Thompson Pass faces the most severe conditions. Winds ramp up to 65 mph with gusts to 85 mph starting 3 a.m. Wednesday and lasting through 9 a.m. Thursday. Blowing snow will cut visibility to one-half mile or less at times, creating near-blizzard conditions and dangerous travel along the Richardson Highway corridor.
Officials urge residents to secure outdoor items, prepare for power outages, and limit travel during peak winds. Additional advisories remain in effect through Thursday as Arctic air continues to surge south.
