Rare Severe Thunderstorm, Gustnado Hit Juneau Alaska

Juneau, Alaska, experienced a rare severe thunderstorm that produced a gustnado, a tornado-like spinning vortex that forms from the downdraft of a thunderstorm but does not connect to a cloud, making it weaker than traditional tornadoes. This event led the National Weather Service (NWS) to issue the first-ever severe thunderstorm warning for Juneau, marking a significant weather milestone for the city known for its infrequent thunderstorms. The storm caused wind gusts up to 60 mph, which resulted in downed trees, a blown canopy, damage to a car windshield, and the drifting of a docked cruise ship. Unlike typical severe weather warnings based on radar, Juneau's mountainous terrain blocks radar coverage, so meteorologists relied on satellite imagery and lightning detection to issue the warning. While the gustnado was brief and caused no apparent damage, the severe winds demonstrated the potential impact of such unusual weather events in the region. This rare thunderstorm and gustnado occurrence coincides with Alaska's broader trend of unseasonably warm temperatures and is notable given the area's usual atmospheric stability that limits severe storms.