A low-pressure system is expected to bring nearly 80 mph wind gusts to the west coast this week, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Coastal wind warnings and winter weather hazards have been issued for large portions of Western Alaska.
Meteorologist Alekya Srinivasan with the NWS’ Fairbanks office said the storm itself is relatively slow moving, but will bring high winds. That combination, she said, could raise water as much as 8 feet above normal high tide lines.
“Those winds are going to be kind of held in that position for a little bit longer, allowing that water to be pushed onto shore for a longer period of time,” Srinivasan said.
The NWS has forecast wind gusts as high as 78 mph in the St. Lawrence Island village of Gambell. Wind gusts are expected to top out between 60 mph and 70 mph in Nome and Kotzebue. Snow is also in the forecast, potentially causing blizzard conditions.
Srinivasan said further south on the Yukon-Kuskokwim (Y-K) Delta, snow is less likely.
“The snow is mostly going to be concentrated a little further north, especially near the southern Seward Peninsula, near Nome,” Srinivasan said. “But for the most part, the Y-K Delta is mainly going to be impacted by stronger winds and coastal flooding.”
Srinivasan said the system will move out of the region by the end of the weekend, but modelers are keeping an eye on another storm, Typhoon Champi, that set a record for the strongest winds of any storm in 2026. Champi is currently south of Japan, but remnants could reach Alaska by the end of next week.
“But that is pretty far out in the future, so we're just continuing to monitor that,” Srinivasan said.
For the latest forecast, visit the National Weather Service Fairbanks Office website.