By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The wind hit 65 mph at 2 p.m. today, amidst a National Weather Service high wind warning, issued Monday.
The warning was to end at 4 p.m. as the weather system moved northwest out the area, the weather service said.
Trash and other loose items were being blown about, but the city reported no serious damage as of 2:30 p.m.
The high winds were accompanied by rainfall.
The high wind warning was issued initially just for Klawock and Craig but was expanded to Ketchikan and Sitka by 4 p.m. Monday, with gusts up to 60 mph forecast. The weather service had canceled that warning in most areas except Sitka by around 1 p.m. today.
“We decided to keep Sitka in that ’til 4 p.m.,” NWS Meteorologist Caleb Cravens said earlier this afternoon, in Juneau. “We’re starting to see a decreasing trend in the wind.”
He listed possible effects of the high winds as blown down trees and power lines, possible power outages, and loose objects – “including holiday decorations” – strewn around. The agency also recommended residents check boats and possible impacts on travel.
Cravens noted the higher winds are the result of tightening pressure gradients, in this case caused by the low pressure in the Gulf Coast and high pressure in Canada.
“When you have low pressure gradients near the gulf coast, and high pressure in Canada, it causes pressure gradients to tighten – as pressure gradients tighten, you get increasing winds,” he said.
The forecast for tonight is rain, with a low of 37, south wind 25 to 30 mph decreasing to 15 to 20 mph after midnight, and a 90 percent chance of rain – up to a half-inch.
On Monday the wind had hit 43 mph out of the east, at 4:40 a.m.
