By Jasz Garrett
Juneau, Alaska (KINY) – Update 01/28/2024 3:00 p.m. The high wind watch has been upgraded to a high wind warning for Skagway, Juneau, and Sitka. Winds of 60-65 miles per hour are expected Monday morning until around 3:00 p.m. Monday for Juneau and Sitka. Skagway’s winds will begin Monday around noon and continue through Monday evening.
Original 01/28/2024 11:00 a.m. High wind and heavy rain are expected across the Panhandle following the three-day winter storm earlier this week. While initially, this was a cause of concern for weight on structures, boats, and urban flooding, National Weather Service Juneau said as of Sunday, the concern of snow loads has decreased substantially.
National Weather Service Juneau meteorologist Rick Fritsch said they are currently monitoring the Jordan Creek area which could potentially rise past the bankful. As of noon on Sunday, Jordan Creek was at 8.77 feet and the bank level is 9.5 feet. It’s possible water could flood the office parking lots behind Jordan Creek Mall as rain continues.
Fritsch said that urban flooding, however, is less of a concern on Sunday. The weather service hasn’t received reports of flooding.
“That looks like the threat or the concern for that is pretty much over because the warm temperature and the rain we’ve gotten has melted most of the snow that’s clogging up the storm drains and culverts…Not as concerned right now with us being halfway through this rain on top of a snow event,” he said. “It was a big issue or a topic of discussion last week, the snow loading with everybody’s roof. The snow loading number is going down. It’s at 5.4. So, on a flat roof that is going to equate to about 28 and a half pounds per square foot. And in Juneau, even the old code for structures built before 1991, the code for a flat roof was 40 pounds per square foot so we are well below.”
As for the wind, Prince of Wales Island is under a high wind warning of 60-65 miles per hour winds from Sunday at 6:00 p.m. into Monday at 6:00 a.m. Hydaburg has already experienced 45 miles per hour winds as of Sunday morning.
Juneau, Skagway, and Sitka are under a high wind watch. The wind watch is being monitored closely in case it needs to be upgraded to a high wind warning. The watch is in effect from late Sunday night into Monday afternoon. Juneau, Skagway, and Sitka can expect 60 to 65 miles per hour winds. Juneau winds will impact the downtown area and the Gastineau Channel.
High winds could blow around unsecured objects, damage property, and cause power outages.
The weather service is also monitoring how the storm-force winds will impact mariners at 26-30 feet seas.
“It’s going to start out as a very tough, choppy short period. Wind on top of swell that’s going to be kind of tough, but then as the winds die down and the wind portion of that combined wave height goes away, now we’ll be left with a very gentle long period swell that just goes up and then goes down,” Fritsch said.
It’s still recommended to keep storm drains clear and to report any flooding to the National Weather Service Juneau at (907) 790-6802.
This is a developing story.
