Taku winds, cold temperatures roar back for an early spring encore

Taku Winds pummel the Douglas harbor breakwater in January 2015. (Photo by Mikko Wilson/KTOO)
Taku winds pummel the Douglas harbor breakwater in January 2015. (Photo by Mikko Wilson/KTOO)

A high pressure system over northwestern Canada has cleared the skies of clouds and funneled cold air down into Southeast Alaska.

That creates the chilly Taku winds that make Juneau and Douglas residents shiver.

“We did have temperatures reported down to 13 degrees at the midnight observation,” said Kimberly Vaughan with the Juneau office of the National Weather Service. “So it may have gotten a little bit colder. Coldest temperature usually happens right around sunrise.”

Vaughan said they recorded 90-mph peak wind gusts at the AJ Dock Monday morning.

Gusts of 72 mph to 85 mph were also recorded Monday at the South Douglas boat harbor and at the Rock Dump.

Vaughan said it’s really not that unusual to have such weather so late in the winter.

“March is considered our transitional month. And so, some days it wants to be winter and some days it wants to be spring,” Vaughan said. “So it’s not that uncommon. We could still see events like this, certainly, even into April.”’

It’ll likely remain clear and cold at least through Wednesday night. Then, Vaughan said it will warm up a little and we may get some snow and rain this weekend.

Sign up for The Signal

Top Alaska stories delivered to your inbox every week

Site notifications
Update notification options
Subscribe to notifications