Gusts to 50 mph hit the Anchorage Hillside and Turnagain Arm through Tuesday evening

Southeast gusts of 40 to 50 mph are blowing across the Anchorage Hillside and Turnagain Arm from Portage to Indian on Tuesday, with the strongest winds expected between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. "Please use caution if driving or towing a high profile vehicle, or if planning any outdoor activities with easily lofted objects," wrote Metzler, the forecaster who issued the statement.

The National Weather Service in Anchorage issued the special weather statement Monday afternoon. It covers Anchorage, the Anchorage Hillside and Eagle River, and the Lower Matanuska Valley, and runs through 7:15 p.m. Tuesday. Periods of rain accompany the wind through much of the day, and the winds are forecast to ease Tuesday night.

Wind speeds vary sharply by neighborhood. The Hillside is forecast for sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts of 40 to 50 mph, and Turnagain Arm from Portage to Indian for the same. South and West Anchorage along Turnagain Arm can expect sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts of 35 to 50 mph. The Anchorage Bowl gets the lightest of it, 15 to 25 mph with gusts of 25 to 35 mph. Palmer and Butte are forecast for gusts up to 40 mph.

Forecasters flagged a second, stronger system moving into Southcentral Thursday into Friday.