Weather

Wind and rain batter Anchorage and Mat-Su, leaving power outages across the region

Update, 9:30 p.m.: Thousands of people in the Anchorage and Mat-Su areas were without electricity on Sunday night after a powerful storm battered the region with high winds and rain. Gusts of more than 100 mph were reported at some higher elevations, and people continued cleaning up debris and downed trees and limbs across the area.

As of 9:30 p.m., Chugach Electric reported scattered outages affecting around 8,000 customers from Girdwood to East Anchorage. Matanuska Electric Association reported around 4,000 customers without power as well, mostly in the Eagle River and Peters Creek area, but also in the Matanuska and Susitna valleys.

High winds pounded the region overnight and early Sunday, including many locations in the city that recorded gusts of 60 mph or greater. gusts of more than 100 mph were recorded at Bear Valley and Arctic Valley on the Anchorage Hillside. A gust of 117 mph was recorded at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood. Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport saw a gust of 62 mph. (See full list of peak gusts below)

[Part of pedestrian bridge collapses onto Seward Highway in South Anchorage]

Rain and melting snow from above-freezing temperatures left water pooled in many places. Many side streets were extremely slick on Sunday with water on top of ice and packed snow.

A flood advisory was in effect for Anchorage, parts of the Mat-Su and the eastern Kenai Peninsula through Monday afternoon.

“Moderate to heavy rain has fallen at lower elevations from the Mat-Su Valley down through the southern Kenai Peninsula overnight and into Sunday,” the weather service wrote. “This combined with frozen ground is causing ponding and localized flooding along roads and low lying areas. Localized flooding has been reported in Palmer, areas of Anchorage and near Seward Harbor. Small streams in the area may also experience minor flooding with ice still intact in many areas. No flooding is expected along large rivers.”

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Here’s a rundown by the weather service of peak wind gusts recorded on Sunday:

Anchorage

Ted Stevens International Airport: 62 mph

Merrill Field: 66 mph

Lake Hood: 59 mph

JBER - Elmendorf: 69 mph

JBER - Fort Richardson: 73 mph

Northeast Anchorage: 75 mph

South Anchorage: 75 mph

Glen Alps: 84 mph

Potter Valley: 91 mph

Bear Valley: 110 mph*

Arctic Valley: 107 mph*

Glenn Hwy Eagle River Bridge: 88 mph

Glenn Hwy S Curves: 62 mph

South Fork Eagle River: 86 mph

Birchwood Airport: 53 mph

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Bird Point: 75 mph

Alyeska Weather Station: 112 mph

Alyeska Summit: 99 mph

Portage Glacier: 84 mph

Matanuska Valley

Palmer Airport: 67 mph

Wasilla Airport: 47 mph

Fishhook: 47 mph

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Duck Flats: 6 mph

Susitna Valley

Willow: 36 mph

Eastern Kenai Peninsula

Seward Airport: 51 mph

Kenai Lake: 33 mph

Granite Creek: 25 mph

Seward / Sterling Hwys (Y): 42 mph

Whittier Airport: 60 mph*

Western Kenai Peninsula

Kenai Airport: 53 mph

Soldotna Airport: 39 mph

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Kenai Beach: 46 mph

Sterling Highway at Jean Lake: 64 mph

Nikiski: 36 mph

Anchor Point: 31 mph

Homer Airport: 46 mph

Homer Boat Harbor: 42 mph

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Seldovia Airport: 41 mph

Eastern Prince William Sound

Cordova Airport: 73 mph

Cordova Marine Ferry Terminal: 74 mph

Valdez Airport: 25 mph

Valdez Port: 23 mph

Thompson Pass: 47 mph

Copper River Basin

Gulkana Airport: 56 mph

Chitina: 37 mph

Denali Hwy at MacLaren River: 38 mph

Eureka: 36 mph

Kodiak Island

Kodiak Airport: 52 mph

Kodiak - Pasagshak Road: 61 mph

Akhiok: 45 mph

*Denotes site stopped transmitting wind data following report of highest wind gust.

• • •

Update, 2:20 p.m.: The high wind warnings for Anchorage and the Mat-Su have been extended to 3 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. Winds of 35 to 55 mph with gusts up to 75 mph are possible, the weather service said.

Heavy rains through the morning also resulted in high water in some locations around town, as well as water on top of snow and ice, creating difficult driving, especially on some side streets.

The weather service said winds had peaked and were expected to decrease through the afternoon. Gusts of more than 80 mph were recorded on the Hillside and a gust of more than 100 mph was recorded at Arctic Valley, according to the weather service.

• • •

Earlier story:

Gusty winds with unusually warm temperatures were battering the Anchorage area on Sunday, with gusts of more than 90 mph recorded on the Hillside. Heavy rain was also occurring across much of the city, leading to standing water on many streets, including on top of ice in some places. An avalanche warning was in place for the backcountry.

Blowing snow was possible on the Hillside, the National Weather Service said.

The weather service issued a high wind warning for Anchorage and surrounding areas through 3 p.m. Sunday. According to the weather service, back-to-back systems were bringing high winds plus widespread rain across much of Southcentral. Snow was possible at higher elevations.

Gusts of more than 80 mph had been recorded at multiple locations along the Hillside, with gusts of more than 50 mph at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport early Sunday, the weather service said. Gusts of more than 90 mph was recorded at Arctic Valley. Temperatures were in the 30s and 40s across the city.

Scattered power outages were reported across the city as well.

A high wind warning was also in effect for the Matanuska Valley, with winds of 30 to 50 mph and gusts up to 95 mph, the weather service said.

Heavy rains were possible across the area through the day, including Anchorage, Eagle River and Girdwood, the weather service said.

“A strong storm system will bring another round of warmer weather and widespread rainfall to the Anchorage Municipality through Sunday night,” the weather service said. “Any heavy rain will likely lead to ponding of water on area roadways that could linger until storm drains are cleared of ice and snow. The widespread rain could also lead to increased streamflows, and rising water levels for area creeks and streams.

Palmer police were reporting high water in parts of the city.

⚠️⚠️⚠️ Mother Nature giving us curveballs. We did not have flooding on our January weather bingo sheet. ***last update...

Posted by Palmer Police Department - AK on Sunday, January 12, 2025

An avalanche warning was in place for Chugach State Park and mountains south of Anchorage and on the eastern Kenai Peninsula, including Chugach National Forest.

“The backcountry avalanche danger is HIGH. Very dangerous avalanche conditions exist,” the weather service said.

Elsewhere in Southcentral, forecasters urged residents to watch for the potential for excessive rainfall and weekend flooding affecting the eastern Kenai Peninsula and western Prince William Sound, including the areas surrounding Seward, Moose Pass and Whittier. The weather service said some parts of the region could get 3 to 5 inches of rain Sunday, possibly flooding creeks and streams, with snow falling at upper elevations.

In Cordova, the weather service warned of the potential for southeast winds of 40 to 60 mph and gusts up to 80 mph overnight into Sunday.

Near Valdez, forecasters warned of heavy snow and gusting winds that could make travel difficult and reduce visibility at Thompson Pass through the weekend. The weather service said an additional snow accumulation of 2 to 3 feet and wind gusts up to 45 mph were possible.

Freezing rain, sleet and snow falling on snow- and ice-covered roadways was contributing to slick driving conditions north of Thompson Pass through the Copper River Basin, and forecasters urged drivers to use extra caution in the area.

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