Vamco's gusty remnants cause high wind warnings in Alaska's Aleutian Islands

NASA's Aqua satellite flew over Extra-tropical Storm Vamco and the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument onboard captured an infrared image on August 25 at 11:29 a.m. EDT. The AIRS image showed Vamco as a small rounded area of showers and thunderstorms east of Alaska's Aleutian Island chain at that time. AIRS' infrared imagery indicated there were still some strong thunderstorms with very high, cold cloud tops in the center of the storm.

The extratropical remnants of Typhoon Vamco continue moving northeast out of the West Pacific Ocean, thanks to the Jet Stream (a fast moving ribbon of air between the troposphere and stratosphere that guide storms). As a result, Vamco's remnants are moving into the Bering Sea today, August 26, and will move southeastward toward the northwestern Gulf of Alaska tomorrow, August 27. During its travels, it's creating a lot of strong winds over the Aleutian Islands as it moves from west to east.

The western and central Aleutian Islands both have high wind warnings from the National Weather Service. Those warnings call for winds gusting between 40 and 60 mph, tropical storm-force. Some gusts may even reach 75 mph, hurricane-strength. The Western Aleutian warning is up until 4 p.m. local time today. The Central Aleutian warning is in force until noon local time on Thursday, August 27. These gusty winds will be accompanied by scattered showers both today and tomorrow, and winds should diminish in both areas by Thursday night.

Source: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center