Gusts to 65 mph on the Anchorage Hillside and in Eagle River through tonight

A wind advisory is in effect for the Anchorage Hillside and Eagle River until Monday night. Gusts of 55 to 65 mph are forecast for Sunday evening, with power outages possible, and the worst of it is still ahead. The National Weather Service in Anchorage issued the advisory early this morning., and it took effect at 10 a.m.

The advisory carries one instruction, and it is about the road. "Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles," the weather service said. "Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and a few power outages may result," the advisory says.

The advisory calls for southeast winds of 30 to 40 mph. Winds increase quickly through the morning, peak during the evening, and drop rapidly around midnight.

The weather service's 5:30 a.m. area forecast discussion puts Hillside gusts at 60 to 65 mph in the evening. It also expects gusts to 40 mph in Palmer during the afternoon and evening, an area no advisory covers.

Forecasters expect gusty gap winds, which funnel through mountain gaps, to persist through Monday for Turnagain Arm, the Knik River Valley and along the Copper River, with more rain moving into the Susitna and Matanuska valleys.