High wind warning: gusts to 70 mph Friday in the Eastern Alaska Range

Forecasters raised their Friday wind call for the Eastern Alaska Range, and now expect gusts to 70 mph north of Trims Camp.

The National Weather Service in Fairbanks issued a high wind warning Thursday morning, running 1 am to 10 pm Friday, with sustained south winds of 30 to 40 mph. The winds ramp up quickly in the early hours and peak between 4 and 10 am before easing through the day.

That is stronger and longer than Wednesday's forecast. The advisory issued then, for the same zone and the same window, called for gusts to 55 mph and put the peak's end at 7 am. A high wind warning is the more serious of the two categories.

Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and could down tree limbs and cause a few power outages, the warning said. Forecasters told drivers to use extra caution, particularly in high-profile vehicles.

A wind advisory covers Windy Pass in the Northern Denali Borough on the same timeline, with south winds of 25 to 35 mph and gusts to 65 mph, peaking in the same morning hours.

Road conditions are posted at 511.alaska.gov.