Power Outage in Kenai, AK

Issued due to a report from an NWS Employee of freezing rain in Kenai. They also said roads were bad, rain was full droplets, and 22 degree air temp.|A spotter called the office and reported solid rain from Kenai to Soldotna to Sterling at approximately 4:35PM on the 28th of December with an air temp 31 degrees and very slick roads. They also reported that the Spur Highway was closed about an hour prior and roads seem to also be sanded. Social media reports of rain & slick surfaces.|The Alaska 511 page reported at 2:35 PM on the 28th that all roads between Kenai, Soldotna, Sterling, and Kasilof River were difficult, black ice, frosted surface, ice, ice glaze, icy patches, road surfaces in poor condition, surface water hazard, wet and icy roads, and freezing rain. Also, social media reports came in of a large power outage effecting many on the Central Peninsula. Social media reports came in that Homer Electric Association was responding to a large power outage effecting over 4,000 members across the Kenai Peninsula and attached the article to the tweet.

A employee at the NOAA Fisheries lab in Jackalof Bay estimated that wind gusts in this area were between 70 and 80 knots. He also took video of the road between Jackalof Bay and Seldovia that showed many large trees (estimated 18 inches in diameter) that had been blown down or snapped off. This also caused a power outage for the town of Seldovia and the surrounding area.

Homer Airport measured a gusts to 61 mph at 1153 p.m. Wind damage occurred in Soldotna, where a member of the public reported ripped shingles on roof, a powerline down, and a pontoon boat blown off of a trailer (via social media).

Four-days of heavy snowfall left several feet of snow in the Seldovia/Homer/Anchor Point, Alaska area resulting in widespread power outages in the communities and two sunken fishing vessels. The snow initially began early Saturday, December 22nd, as a large convective band setup across the southern Kenai Peninsula. The band remained nearly stationary through Sunday night/early Monday. NOAA Kasitsna Bay Laboratory reported two-feet of snowfall by Saturday afternoon, followed by an additional 30 from Saturday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. While the convective band ceased by Monday, heavy snow continued through Christmas Eve (Monday) and Christmas Day (Tuesday) as a trough moved into the area from the west. Measurements after Sunday were more difficult to obtain as much of the area was in panic mode dealing with power outages and broken snow removal equipment. Snow diminished rapidly Wednesday, December 26th, followed by light rain. Four to five feet of compacted (and rained on) snow was measured after the episode was over throughout the impacted area. Diesel and hydraulic fluid from the sunken fishing vessels closed several oyster farms in Jakolof Bay. The value of the fishing vessels, spill clean up, and oyster farm damages is presently unknown and not included in the property damage amount.

A "Bora" type windstorm hit much of the Matanuska Valley, Anchorage and portions of the Kenai Peninsula.Very cold air funneled down the Matanuska Valley, driven by a large high centered over the Chukotsk Peninsula. A combination of strong convergence aloft, a tight surface pressure gradient, and terrain forcing brought hurricane-force winds to the ground over a large portion of greater Anchorage. Damage reports were numerous and included small planes, roofs torn off buildings, car ports caving in and siding blown off. Power outages of 9 hours or more were reported. Communications were also impacted. Lots of broken signs, traffic lights rendered inoperable, partial roof collapses, lost roofing shingles and garbage cans scattered all over west Anchorage and the Palmer area.When the 109 mph gust hit the Ted Steven's International Anchorage airport at 10:42 pm, the tower was abandoned and the airport closed to incoming traffic. Just prior to that, an Alaska Airlines flight received clearance to land with winds "three five zero at eight zero knots (92 mph)". Flights right behind it decided to go to Fairbanks and Juneau! In all, around 15 flights were diverted to Fairbanks, which became a parking lot for 747s Thursday.Winds gusting close to 60 mph whipped across the western Kenai Peninsula also, creating 'red flag' conditions and spreading small fires into significant ones across the dry ground. Largest reported fire reached 100 acres north of Anchor Point. Scattered power outages were also reported across the area, including one larger one around Fritz Creek (on the outskirts of Homer).In the Valdez area, gusts at the airport reached an estimated 100+ mph, ripping roofs off several structures and breaking glass in buildings and cars. Overall, at least 14 vehicles around the Valdez airport were damaged.In addition, temperatures around zero combined with the strong winds to produce wind chills near 45 below zero. The cold air, driven into buildings by the strong winds, also froze many water pipes...which then burst, adding to the damage estimates.

A strong 968 mb low moved north northwest through the Gulf of Alaska late Sunday and Monday morning, making landfall and weakening rapidly 90 miles north of King Salmon at 9 am Monday. A moderate frontal system, preceded by locally strong easterly winds and heavy precipitation, extended in an eastward arc from the low, making landfall past Anchorage and through Prince William Sound Monday morning and early Monday afternoon. Moderate to strong pressure rises accompanied passage of both the low and front.In addition to the "maxima" for each zone, 4" - 10" of new snow was reported at both Moose Pass (125) and Cooper Landing (121). 7" of new snow was reported along higher elevations of the greater Homer area (121). Freezing rain and sleet was reported from Anchorage to Eklutna (101).Pilot Rock C-Man system at the mouth of Resurrection Bay recorded south southeast wind gusts of 69 mph between 11 pm Sunday and midnight Monday. 64 mph gusts were reported in normally sheltered area of Girdwood at the DOT site between 1 and 2 am Monday. Wind gusts at the remote Seal Island site in southern Prince William Sound reached 62 mph between 1 and 2 am Monday as the front moved by. Maxima for event in each zone...101 - Southeast 66 mph between 10:00 - 11:00 am AST Monday at Glen Alps.121 - Southeast 50 mph gust 90 mph and 18"-24" of new snow at Silvertip reported morning DOT road weather information. Strong gusts probably occurred late night Sunday/early morning Monday with frontal passage. 125 - East southeast gust 116 mph at Max's Mountain (3300' level) around midnight AST Monday, 02/04/02. Elsewhere...southeast gust 88 mph at Portage ASOS between 12:05 AST and 12:28 AST Monday, 2/4/02 (power outage after this). Later call to the lodge reported stronger winds after this... estimated 95 mph.135 - Estimated 75 mph between 1:00 and 4:00 am AST Monday, 2/4/02.

A strong front, with several lows along it, moved toward Kodiak Island late Monday. The front moved slowly north Tuesday and Wednesday, finally extending from the northern Susitna Valley, north of Prince William Sound to near Cape Yakataga early Thursday in a weakened form. Locally strong east and southeast winds accompanied, and preceded, the front.12/25/01 - Tuesday125 - Portage recorded east gust 87 mph 11:35 am AST - 12:27 pm AST.Alyeska reported peak winds of 99 mph at 3300' 9:15 am AST.Winds gusting 30 - 50 mph from Bird Point to Girdwood.Heavy rains (24 hr total 3.47") at Seward. Police reported heavy rain all morning...with frozen culverts causing standing water on roads and urban flooding. The ex-mayor reported a flooded basement.101 - Moderate freezing rain in Anchorage/Eagle River area. Motorists were advised not to travel unless necessary Tuesday. Police responded to 10 minor crashes and 12 vehicles in distress along the Glenn Highway and in Eagle River. Some involved overturned vehicles...but no one was seriously injured Tuesday.12/26/01 - Wednesday125 - Alyeska - 5.30" rain at the base, 25" of snow at the top with peak winds 107 mph overnight.Portage - east gust 81 mph 7:53 am AST.Seward - another 5" rain, bringing total rainfall close to 9" for the two day period.Moose Pass - Water up to the running boards on semis in the area. 135 - Cordova city estimated 65+ mph around 10 pm AST.101 - Gust 97 mph Bear Valley at 3:55 am AST, along with 3.11 inches of rain in 24 hour period.12/27/01 - Thursday101 - Glen Alps recorded southeast gust of 68 mph.12/25-27121 - Freezing rain reported around Kachemak Bay early Tuesday. Storm sewers choked with rain runoff and icy side roads were a concern to Homer officials. 1699 households were without power for more than two hours Wednesday between Ninilchik and Anchor Point, according to Homer Electric Association. Roads were reported bad in Soldotna. Alaska State troopers reported blizzard conditions and avalanche danger in the Turnagain and Summit Passes of the Seward Highway. Worst driving conditions on the Kenai Peninsula were on the Sterling Highway around Cooper Landing, outside Sterling and in Kasilof. According to a news report, "Drivers crept along highways at speeds that would embarrass some joggers, and some still said they couldn't help nosing into the ditch." Undoubtedly Skilak Lake area received strong winds and heavy rains. Very heavy snows, in excess of 2', were reported at higher elevations. 125 - Alyeska closed at least for a day.

A strong 978 mb low 600 miles south of the Kenai Peninsula Friday morning, intensified to 970 mbs and moved across Homer early Saturday, weakening north northwest into the Alaskan interior thereafter.Heavy snows along south and southeast exposures, along with strong east and southeast winds, preceded the front associated with the storm.Homer Electric reported several thousand homes across the Kenai Peninsula cut off from electric power Friday night and Saturday. By Monday evening, with temperatures close to zero, pipes in some homes were in danger of freezing. According to utility officials and several residents..."it was the worst combination of extensive outages and cold weather in recent memory".Around the Kachemak Bay and southeast Cook Inlet area, the winds and heavy snow knocked down hundreds of trees...taking power lines down with them. Ten workers from Chugach Electric Association were dispatched to help 16 Homer Electric Association lineman repair the lines Saturday. Major problems were reported along North Fork Road near Anchor Point, with homes near Soldotna and Seldovia also affected.Six days later, an emergency shelter was set up by the American Red Cross at the Homer Middle School to help about 16 people. On Thursday, about 150 homes were still without power, mostly those on the North Fork Road between Homer and Anchor Point. It was also reported that about a dozen or so families had been staying at Homer motels, courtesy of the Red Cross. Along the North Fork Road, powerful winds tore a roof off a deck and peeled back the metal roofing from the home.Event maxima...125 - Seward ASOS peak southeast 67 mph 2:53 am AST Sat. Alyeska peak 88 mph Max's Mountain 0200 AST Sat. Portage ASOS peak 82 mph 1:53 am to 2:37 am AST Sat.131 - Valdez reported peak east wind 31 mph 1:00 am AST Sat...indicating stronger winds in Thompson Pass. Heavy snow was reported in Thompson Pass (17 inches).121 - "Winds up to 80 mph" reported by Joe Gallagher of Homer Electric Association.

A strong 963 mb low 480 miles south of the Alaska Peninsula moved north to Chignik late Monday, weakening to a 971 mb center. The low then looped north northeast, weakening to a 991 mb center in upper Cook Inlet Tuesday afternoon. The front associated with this storm moved into the southeast Alaska Peninsula and southern Kodiak Island Monday afternoon, preceded by brisk easterly winds. By early Tuesday, the front lay in a weakening arc through the extreme northeast Kuskokwim Valley through eastern Prince William Sound and southeast toward the Panhandle of the State.Pre-frontal easterly winds gusts first reached 60 + mph around Portage at about 4:30 pm Monday, peaking at 75 mph between 6 and 7 pm. Wind gusts diminished to less than 60 mph just after 9 pm Monday at the site.In zone 111 (Anchorage Municipality) pre-frontal wind gusts of 48 mph were reported at the Glen Alps site. At Site Summit, a Forest Service/BLM remote site just above the 3900 foot level, pre-frontal wind gusts of 128 mph were reported at 9 pm, along with sustained winds of 72 mph. Winds diminished at the Site Summit location just before midnight as the front moved through.In zone 135, peak pre-frontal winds at Middleton Island first went above 60 mph at 6 pm, peaking at 64 mph between 6:55 and 7:15 pm the same day. Winds diminished significantly there with frontal passage at around 9 pm. Wind gusts at the Prince William Sound Science Center reached 51 mph, however these are reportedly low due to site exposure and the wearing out of the low end reporting system. Winds at the southeast Sound buoy briefly gusted 60 mph between 10 and 11 pm Monday.Significant winds were reported in the Homer area. Although reports from available sources only picked up maximum easterly winds of 40 mph, this article appeared nearly a month later in the Homer News..."The windstorm that blew through Homer early this week downed 35 to 40 trees and knocked out power for some 14 hours to three villages near the head of Kachemak Bay late Monday.Homer Electric Association line crews then faced treacherously icy roads while attempting to repair the damage and restore power to Kachemak Selo, Razdolna and Voznesenka, according to HEA spokeswoman Sandra Ghormley." Peak winds at the Homer ASOS reached 37 mph between 6 and 7 pm Monday and the Homer Spit Wind reported gusts of at least 40 mph between 4 and 5 pm the same day. "