Wind advisories cover the Parks and Richardson highways through early Sunday, with gusts up to 70 mph

Drivers crossing the Alaska Range on the Richardson or Parks highways this weekend should expect strong, gusty winds, with the worst of it on the Richardson on Saturday.

The National Weather Service in Fairbanks has wind advisories in effect on both roads through early Sunday.

On the Richardson Highway, south winds of 30 to 50 mph could gust to 65 mph between mileposts 224 and 259, a stretch that includes Black Rapids and Donnelly Dome. Forecasters say winds may peak around 70 mph Saturday morning into early afternoon. That advisory runs until 7 am Sunday.

On the Parks Highway, the advisory is for Windy Pass and covers mileposts 237 to 288, including Healy, Anderson and the Denali National Park area. Southeast winds of 30 to 40 mph could gust to 60 mph there until 4 am Sunday. Forecasters expect a slight letup Saturday afternoon and evening before the wind picks up again briefly overnight.

The Weather Service warns that winds this strong can blow around anything not tied down and make driving difficult, especially for tall vehicles such as trucks, RVs and trailers.

The state Department of Transportation and Public Facilities posts current road conditions at 511.alaska.gov.