Update, 7:20 p.m.:
The high wind warning for the Anchorage Hillside and Turnagain Arm has been extended until 11 p.m., with gusts to 75 mph possible.
Update, 1:30 p.m.:
The high-wind warning continues for Anchorage and areas to the south, with the brunt of the winds now focused on East Anchorage, the Hillside and Turnagain Arm. Gusts to 75 mph are possible in eastern part of the city and the lower Hillside, with gusts of 85-100 mph possible on the Upper Hillside and along Turnagain Arm, the National Weather Service said.
The storm brought warm air from the Pacific Ocean that pushed temperatures across the region into the 40s and left snow-covered streets and roads slick with water and ice.
In an update early Sunday afternoon, the weather service said:
AFTER A PERIOD OF STRONG WINDS EARLY THIS MORNING WINDS ACROSS MUCH OF ANCHORAGE HAVE DIMINISHED THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. THIS LULL IN WINDS IS BEING CAUSED BY A SLOWER THAN EXPECTED MOVEMENT OF THE STORM CENTER SOUTHWEST OF KODIAK ISLAND. AS THIS LOW MAKES PROGRESS INTO THE BRISTOL BAY AREA THIS AFTERNOON THE EAST-WEST PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL CONTINUE TO TIGHTEN AND PRODUCE STRENGTHENING WINDS ACROSS THE ANCHORAGE AREA. THE SLOWER STORM TRACK ALSO MEANS THE WINDS WON`T BE QUITE AS STRONG OR WIDESPREAD AS ORIGINALLY THOUGHT. THE STRONGEST WINDS CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG AND NEAR THE MOUNTAINS AND TURNAGAIN ARM...WITH WEAKER WINDS AS YOU HEAD ACROSS THE ANCHORAGE BOWL TO WEST ANCHORAGE.
BOTTOM LINE...HIGH WINDS ARE STILL EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO EARLY THIS EVENING.
Find all current Alaska weather warnings and advisories here.
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Original story:
A powerful storm, described by the National Weather Service as a cyclone stretching across the Gulf of Alaska, is expected to hit Southcentral Alaska, including Anchorage, with high Chinook winds on Sunday. Gusts of up to 70 mph are possible in lower elevations, the weather service said, with gusts up to 100 mph on the upper Hillside and Turnagain Arm.
A high-wind warning is in effect across the city of Anchorage to 7 p.m. Sunday:
For Anchorage and the lower Hillside...southeast to southwest wind 20 to 35 mph becoming southeast 30 to 45 mph with gusts to 55 to 70 mph in the afternoon. Along Turnagain Arm and the upper Hillside...southeast wind 55 to 70 mph with gusts from 85 to 100 mph.
In an update posted at 5 a.m., the weather service said winds were at warning levels along Turnagain Arm and the upper Hillside and would pick up in the city by early afternoon
Temperatures are expected to hit the 40s in Anchorage on Sunday.
A similar high wind warning is in effect to 6 p.m. for Portage Valley, western Prince William Sound and the eastern Kenai Peninsula.
A backcountry avalanche warning also is in effect for the eastern Turnagain Arm area, including Turnagain Pass, according to the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center.
The storm originated in the subtropics and is bringing warm air and rain, the weather service said in a special statement Saturday.
"Confidence in this storm being a major impact to the region continue to increase...with high wind warnings now posted for Anchorage and Portage Valley/Turnagain Arm," the weather service said.
All current Alaska weather warnings here. Read more on the National Weather Service Alaska-region Facebook page.
Anchorage Daily News / adn.com