Howling Mat-Su winds leave thousands without power
PALMER — High winds knocked out power for thousands in Mat-Su on Saturday morning with gusts forecast up to 90 mph before the weekend ends.
Power outages began early Saturday morning. As of about noon, there were nearly 17,000 members without power, according to Matanuska Electric Association. Major outages were reported around the region, from Talkeetna to Wasilla, Palmer and Sutton.
MEA officials said they had crews working across the service territory but members may be without power for some time.
“We don’t have any estimated times for restoration — I know it’s a commonly asked question, but in conditions like this, repairs take much longer than normal and there’s usually not just ONE problem,” the utility said in a midday update on social media that described issues including trees on lines or downed wires.
“So please prepare for lengthy outages as these winds are not predicted to let up for a couple of days, unfortunately,” the update said. “But crews will continue to work around the clock to restore power. Thank you for your patience.”
People around the region were reporting trees down, roof damage and flipped sheds and trailers. There was also a report of damaged railroad crossing gates in Wasilla as well as at least one small brush fire sparked by a downed power line.
By 10 a.m., the Palmer Airport had recorded a gust of 84 mph while the Wasilla Airport and the Glenn Highway near the Parks Highway had seen gusts of between 70 and 74 mph, according to weather station observations.
A high wind warning from the National Weather Service is in place until 1 p.m. Monday for the Matanuska Valley including Wasilla, Sutton, Big Lake, Chickaloon and Palmer. The warning calls for northeast winds of 35 to 55 mph with possible gusts up to 90 mph. Wind chill could drop to between minus 10 and minus 20 degrees by Sunday evening, the agency said.
Palmer and Wasilla police warned that numerous traffic signals might be dark Saturday due to power outages. The Matanuska-Susitna Borough announced the central landfill near Palmer was closed due to high winds. Palmer airport officials on Friday urged pilots to secure all aircraft.
The National Weather Service cautioned of the potential for difficult travel conditions and power outages, as well as the risk of frostbite developing on exposed skin after as little as 30 minutes given significantly cold, windy conditions in the forecast.
A high wind advisory for the Anchorage area and the northwest Kenai Peninsula — including Nikiski, Kenai, Soldotna and Sterling — remains in effect until 1 p.m. Monday. Forecasters expected north winds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts up to 55, and wind chill dropping to between minus 5 and minus 15 by Sunday night. Knik Arm, West Anchorage and areas along the coast of northern Cook Inlet were likely to experience the strongest winds, according to the advisory.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.