An impressive low-pressure system that stretches 3,000 miles from the Gulf of Alaska to the Hawaiian Islands is intensifying just off the coast of the Aleutian Islands. This pre-sunrise view captured by GOES West on March 22, 2019, at 9:10 a.m. ET shows what’s known as an Aleutian Low, which gets its name from its proximity to Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. Most active during the late fall to late spring, the Gulf of Alaska is an area where low-pressure systems often reach “maximum intensity.”
This hurricane-force low-pressure system will bring storm force winds of 65-74 mph, as well as high seas to the Gulf of Alaska on Friday. According to the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center , a front associated with this storm system is expected to reach the U.S.-Canadian border by Sunday morning.
This GeoColor enhanced imagery was created by NOAA's partners at the Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere. The GOES West satellite, also known as GOES-17, provides geostationary satellite coverage of the Western Hemisphere, including the United States, the Pacific Ocean, Alaska and Hawaii. First launched in March 2018, the satellite became fully operational in February 2019.