Alaska prepares for powerful storm said to be strongest in a decade

The strongest storm in a decade could be upon Alaska's western coasts this weekend as forecasters warned of a front bearing hurricane-force winds, massive seas, and enough rain for coastal flooding.

The strongest storm in a decade could be upon Alaska's western coasts this weekend as forecasters warned of a front bearing hurricane-force winds, massive seas, and enough rain for coastal flooding.

A low pressure front in the Bering Straight is spinning as wide and strong as any winter storm, but instead of bringing cold weather, it is being fed by the volatile air from the former Typhoon Merbok, forecasters said.

The result is a potent system that could bring 3 to 5 inches of relatively warm rain to coastal regions over the weekend, and will impact Alaska's Arctic coast, Southwest Alaska and, eventually, the Gulf of Alaska coast, forecasters said.

“It derives its energy from the warm sea surface,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Alan Shriver, who spoke from Anchorage. “This is an exceptionally rare event.”

The National Weather Service office in Fairbanks warned the storm could be the strongest in over a decade.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/alaska-prepares-powerful-storm-said-strongest-decade-rcna48167

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