Heads up! Hurricane warning for Alaska

[dakrewser]

"This is something you don’t see every day: The southeastern-most tip of Alaska is in the track forecast “cone” for a hurricane in the central Pacific Ocean."

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capital-weather-gang/wp/2015/09/04/southeast-alaska-is-in-the-forecast-track-of-hurricane-ignacio/

[Krazy Kruizers]

Having a hurricane in that area is extremely rare.

Maybe it will die out before it hits land.

[JennyT]

Guess it's going to be a rainy week in Alaska. We're headed out tomorrow. First time we've ever gone in September. Oh well - being from Seattle, we're used to the rain!

[Fouremco]

Having a hurricane in that area is extremely rare.

Maybe it will die out before it hits land.

Yes, if you read further down the page, it says:

 

Before anyone gets too worked up about this, Ignacio – which currently has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph – will not still be a hurricane if it ever affects Alaska.

 

Just keep those rain togs handy!

[sail7seas]

It never occurred to me a hurricane could hit any part of Alaska. Thanks, OP.

Learn something new everyday. :)

 

[blizzardboy]

Mother Nature's got three hurricanes working in the Pacific which they say is the first time on record. Hitting Alaska would only add to the weirdness.

[cb at sea]

When did they stop calling them cyclones?????

[dakrewser]

When did they stop calling them cyclones?????

 

They didn't, but eastern Pacific storms are termed hurricanes while western pacific storms are called typhoons. But they're all cyclones.

[Fouremco]

They didn't, but eastern Pacific storms are termed hurricanes while western pacific storms are called typhoons. But they're all cyclones.

Building on Dakrewser's reply, NOAA says:

 

Hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons are all the same weather phenomenon; we just use different names for these storms in different places. In the Atlantic and Northeast Pacific, the term “hurricane” is used. The same type of disturbance in the Northwest Pacific is called a “typhoon” and “cyclones” occur in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean.

 

The ingredients for these storms include a pre-existing weather disturbance, warm tropical oceans, moisture, and relatively light winds. If the right conditions persist long enough, they can combine to produce the violent winds, incredible waves, torrential rains, and floods we associate with this phenomenon.

[chefestelle]

Here in the desert we just get dust devils although last year we had such a big one we thought it was the start of a tornado. We don't get those! Or hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones - but we do get 80 and 90K winds! I hope the cruises all weather the storms safely! Just can't win...

[svalbard]

Generally a lurker on this website.

 

When I saw the news item about the typhoon, I was really concerned, since I live here! Too many trees around, worry about wind. But looking into the weather I saw it was a news story indicating a typhoon that hadn't "bounced" from Asia (our usual autumn storm). By the time this storm gets here, estimated next Wed., the weather will be diminished to the usual Sept. nasty, wind and rain; but not horrible (I hope). So, weather may be rainy and windy, and the ship may skip Sitka (due to open Ocean approach) things should be ok for the cruise.

 

We have already had several of these events in the last few weeks, lotsa rain.

 

In any case, I wish I were on a ship (now or then) , enjoying a great meal (especially pinnacle steak), nice stateroom, interesting people and beautiful scenery.

 

Hey, it may miss us entirely!:)

[Foggy Bay]

September in S.E. Alaska. October is even worse and November always brings the Great Storm of Thanksgiving! September is when the stormy season starts--in fact, if you are taking your own boat to Puget Sound (Seattle), you have left by now because these storms come rolling in. The article says it won't be a hurricane by the time it hits S.E. It never is an official hurricane, although I've seen 100 mph winds on our dock in Ketchikan, and storm warnings a'plenty in Sitka in September too.

 

Not global warming, not something weird...just fall in S.E. Alaska.

[xlxo]

A small funnel cloud was reported last night around Richmond.

http://www.vancitybuzz.com/2015/09/funnel-cloud-richmond-photos/

 

Sometimes mini tornado are found in the nearby Vancouver suburbs. In general... the weather is too cold for funnel winds. But yes strong winds do come to the West Coast.