The first big wind storm of the season is forecast to hit early Tuesday Morning.
With lots of wet weather and the ground still unfrozen, the National Weather Service says Anchorage should be prepared for some downed trees and power outages.
Say one last goodbye to the golden leaves that have brightened Anchorage's autumn. They're about to be blown away, according to Shawn Baines, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Anchorage. He says it's going to be very windy Tuesday.
“For those areas that typically get these really high winds, Turnagain Arm and higher elevations, we're looking for gusts of 75-90 miles per hour, but we are expecting some of that wind, not nearly as strong, to get down to lower elevations of Anchorage – the lower hillside and parts of East Anchorage,” Baines said. “And we're looking for gusts of 50 to 60 miles per hour there.”
Sustained winds of 45-65 miles per hour are expected in the Turnagain Arm and the Upper Hillside. The Lower Hillside, East Anchorage and Eagle River can expect sustained winds of 20-35 miles per hour. Winds will increase overnight and be at their height between 6 and 10 a.m.
With a wet August and September, Meteorologist Eddie Zingoni, also with the Anchorage office of the National Weather Service, says the wind has the potential to do some real damage.
“There's a greater change during this storm to see uprooted trees which increases the chance that one could knock out the power or be across the road in the morning, during the morning commute and could maybe cause an issue with that,” Zingoni said.
Zingoni says the winds are predicted to pick up just after midnight and the high wind warning will remain in effect until noon.
Forecasters say this storm won't likely last as long as that one hit last September. That storm lasted for over 12 hours and knocked out power for about a week in some parts of the city.
A quarter to one half inch of rain is expected during this storm and minor flooding onto roadways is possible.
The National Weather Service has issued a high wind warning from 1 a.m. until noon Tuesday.
The Red Cross is urging Anchorage residents to be prepared.