Weather

Multiple power outages reported on Anchorage Hillside amid strong winds

Wind gusts up to 60 mph are expected on the Anchorage Hillside and Turnagain Arm through Monday.

Chugach Electric Association reported that thousands of customers on the Anchorage Hillside were without power at various times Monday morning. Power to most affected customers had been restored by 10 a.m., the company said on social media.

Matanuska Electric Association also reported outages in the Valley.

“The Upper Hillside and along Turnagain Arm ... will still see gusts in the 50 to 60 mph range into early Monday afternoon,” the weather service said.

Other areas of Anchorage can expect gusts near 30 mph.

The winds are not expected to cause major damage, but National Weather Service meteorologist Joe Wegman said there is potential for downed branches.

“Folks should tie up loose things, make sure the trash can doesn’t blow down the street,” he said.

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The winds were brought into the area by an expansive low pressure system centered Sunday in the Bering Sea, Wegman said.

The storm system brought rain to much of Southcentral Alaska overnight Sunday, but the Anchorage Bowl will remain mostly dry, Wegman said. The winds will push much of the rain out of the area and Anchorage will likely only see a tenth to a quarter of an inch of rain. Larger amounts of rain are expected in the Portage Valley and toward Seward, Wegman said.

Anchorage will likely see cloudy skies and some rain sprinkled throughout the week, but the city will stay relatively dry, Wegman said.

The Matanuska and Susitna valleys were expected to see high winds Monday, though Wegman said the gusts were not expected to be as strong as the ones along the Turnagain Arm.

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