The strong winds that swept from the western Kenai Peninsula through Anchorage on Monday and Tuesday are expected to begin easing Tuesday night.
Gusts up to nearly 60 mph were reported by Monday morning in Anchorage, said National Weather Service meteorologist Tim Markle.
Sustained south or southwest winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts between 45 and 55 mph, are expected throughout much of Tuesday and will start to diminish in the evening, according to the weather service.
The strongest winds were expected in Homer and along the western Kenai Peninsula coast through West Anchorage, the weather service said.
The winds moved into the area Monday afternoon as a cold front traveled across the state, Markle said. The winds held steady into early Tuesday around Anchorage and then calmed slightly into the morning, he said. Another round of strong gusts was forecast to start late morning or early afternoon, he said.
A 58-mph gust was recorded at the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, a 55-mph gust was reported in Palmer and a 48-mph gust was reported in Kenai, Markle said. Gusts in the 40-mph range were reported in East Anchorage, Markle said.
Some areas of Southcentral Alaska are experiencing icy road conditions in areas where the wind has not been as strong but conditions remained frigid overnight. Markle said reports of black ice or glaze on roadways are scattered around the region, including some areas of the Matanuska and Susitna valleys, Portage and Girdwood and portions of the Copper River Basin.
The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District shifted to remote learning Tuesday at Glacier View School in Sutton.
The colder weather was expected to continue through the week, and Markle said drivers should be aware of the possibility of black ice on roadways during Wednesday’s morning commute.