Low Pressure 'Beast' Near the Aleutian Islands Produces Incredible Satellite Images

Linda Lam
Published: November 6,2015
A powerful storm swirled through the Aleutian Islands of Alaska this week, providing incredible satellite images and producing wind gusts near hurricane force.
This beast of a storm is actually a strong non-tropical area of low pressure. It reached its peak strength on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015, bringing giant waves and high winds to the area.
This region is no stranger to powerful low-pressure systems. In fact, it was in early November of last year that the Bering Sea Superstorm impacted the region. The Bering Sea Superstorm was one of the strongest extratropical cyclones on record in the North Pacific.
(MORE: Bering Sea Superstorm, November 2014)
This first picture is a MODIS satellite image from NASA this past Wednesday, showing this well-developed low pressure system.

Satellite image is from Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2014. Alaska is in the upper right hand corner. (NASA)

This next image is a different look at an infrared satellite image, also from Wednesday, close to the time when the storm reached its maximum intensity.

Infrared satellite image from the morning of Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015 near Alaska.

Here is another view of this beautiful low pressure system, this time using a water vapor image showing moisture in the middle layers of the atmosphere.

Water vapor image on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015. (NASA)

Below is a surface analysis chart showing the area of low pressure near the Aleutian Islands on Thursday morning. Pressure at the center of the low pressure was analyzed at 964 millibars, indicating it was a very strong system.
The storm had been even stronger on Wednesday when it passed over Atka Island, where the airport recorded barometric pressure of 28.32 inches of mercury around midday Wednesday while winds quickly switched from southerly to westerly. That's equal to 958.9 millibars.
The isobars, or lines of equal pressure, on the map were closer together on the southern side of the low pressure which means the strongest winds were likely to be found behind the low pressure center as it moved northeast through the central Aleutians.

Surface analysis from Thursday, Nov. 5, 2015 for the northern Pacific region. (NWS)

Indeed, that is exactly what happened; winds at several regular weather observation sites were stronger as the low moved away than they were as the low approached.
On Wednesday evening, wind gusts up to 75 mph were measured in Adak, Alaska, and a gust up to 64 mph was reported in Atka, Alaska. The top gusts for those locations as the cyclone approached were 53 mph and 56 mph, respectively.
In addition, there were reports of waves over 40 feet near the Aleutians Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
There was a hurricane force wind warning for mariners in the area on Wednesday warning of 75 mph sustained winds. A high wind warning was also posted for the central Aleutian Islands, including the towns of Atka and Adak, for wind gusts up to 85 mph.
Fortunately, no damage has been reported with this impressive-looking storm.
MORE: 50 Beautiful Images of Earth (PHOTOS)