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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
640 AM AKDT TUE JUL 8 2025
...PRELIMINARY REVIEW OF THE JUNE 16TH, 2025 THUNDERSTORM SQUALL
LINE EVENT...
ON THE AFTERNOON OF MONDAY, JUNE 16TH, 2025, A FAST-MOVING SQUALL
LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS TRACKED NORTHWARD ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND
NORTHERN PANHANDLE, RESULTING IN DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND LOCALIZED
IMPACTS, PARTICULARLY IN THE JUNEAU AREA.
PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE PRIMARY STORM STRUCTURE
WAS A SQUALL LINE, DEFINED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AS A
LINE OF ACTIVE THUNDERSTORMS, EITHER CONTINUOUS OR WITH BREAKS,
OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY STRONG, GUSTY WINDS AND HEAVY PRECIPITATION.
THE SQUALL LINE STRETCHED ACROSS THE PANHANDLE AND THE INSIDE
PASSAGE EAST TO WEST, BEGINNING IN THE VICINITY OF WRANGELL AROUND
NOON, AND TRACKED NORTHWARD, REACHING SKAGWAY SHORTLY AFTER 5PM.
AS THE SQUALL LINE REACHED THE CITY AND BOROUGH OF JUNEAU JUST
AFTER 3PM, A SUDDEN ONSET OF HIGH WINDS OF 50+ MPH LED TO MULTIPLE
DAMAGE REPORTS ACROSS THE AREA. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT INCIDENT
OCCURRED AT THE AJ DOCK, WHERE MOORING LINES SECURING A CRUISE
SHIP SNAPPED, CAUSING THE VESSEL TO DRIFT FROM THE DOCK.
ADDITIONAL IMPACTS ACROSS JUNEAU INCLUDED BROKEN TREE LIMBS,
SHATTERED VEHICLE WINDSHIELDS, AND TEMPORARY POWER OUTAGES.
NEAR THE JUNEAU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, A GUSTNADO WAS ALSO
OBSERVED CROSSING EGAN DRIVE AND THE AIRPORT PARKING LOT.
A *GUSTNADO* IS A SMALL WHIRLWIND THAT FORMS ALONG THUNDERSTORM
OUTFLOWS. UNLIKE TORNADOES, GUSTNADOES ARE NOT CONNECTED TO CLOUD-
BASE ROTATION, BUT CAN STILL PRODUCE LOCALIZED DAMAGE. AFTER
REVIEWING SATELLITE IMAGERY, EYEWITNESS REPORTS, AND SURFACE
OBSERVATIONS, THE NWS HAS CONFIRMED THE OCCURRENCE OF A GUSTNADO
IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT. PER NWS GUIDELINES, THIS IS
CATEGORIZED AS A *THUNDERSTORM WIND* EVENT.
THE NWS JUNEAU FORECAST TEAM IS CONTINUING TO REVIEW DATA AND
REPORTS AND WILL PROVIDE A MORE DETAILED AND FULL EVENT SUMMARY IN
THE COMING MONTHS. IF YOU HAVE DAMAGE REPORTS FROM OTHER
COMMUNITIES, OR MARINE AND AVIATION IMPACTS, PLEASE SHARE THEM
WITH OUR WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST BY EMAILING,
NICOLE.FERRIN@NOAA.GOV.
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