By Jasz Garrett
Juneau, Alaska (KINY) – Meteorologist at National Weather Service Juneau Nathan Compton said a high wind watch has been upgraded to a high wind warning on Wednesday afternoon.
“We have determined that the confidence is high enough to issue a High Wind Warning for downtown Juneau and Douglas. These will be coming from the East to the Northeast, right off the mountain. It’s a Taku wind event,” he said.
65-mile-per-hour winds are expected to begin late Wednesday evening and continue through Thursday morning.
Compton also gave details on the coldest weather Southeast Alaska is experiencing so far this winter.
“All of Southeast has moved from less of an active pattern, meaning a lot of the winds are coming from the Gulf and a little bit more onshore, that’s a lot of our stormier weather, to more of an outflow pattern. Winds coming from the North, a lot colder temperatures because the wind is coming from the North, it’s coming from the Yukon,” he said. “A lot of that cold continental air is kind of seeping into Southeast Alaska. And that’s really driving a lot of our cold temperatures. And that’s where a lot of our high wind is coming from…they’re coming across the mountain and that’s what generates these Taku wind events.”
Compton added to be mindful of the common high wind threats, such as power outages. It’s suggested to secure property at risk of blowing around. Juneau is expected to hit 12°F downtown and 5-9°F in the valley Wednesday night, making it even more essential to plan for potential power outages to keep warm.
