Still Windy

Strong winds have been blowing through most of southeast and southcentral Alaska since yesterday evening.

The highest gusts, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Julia Ruthford:

-- Eldred Rock northwest of Juneau was gusting at 114 mph early Friday morning. As of 7 a.m. Friday morning, gusts continued to top 100 mph.

-- In Thompson Pass north of Valdez, 96 mph winds were recorded at 10:21 p.m. Thursday.

-- At the Palmer Municipal Airport, 75 mph gusts were recorded at 9 p.m. Thursday.

-- At the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport in Anchorage, gusts of 48 mph were recorded at 7 p.m.

High winds Thursday sheared off a section of metal roofing at an apartment building on South Cobb Street in Palmer. The winds continued overnight into Friday morning in Southeast and Southcentral Alaska, with wind-related power outages and gusts as high as 114 mph recorded. Zaz Hollander / Alaska Dispatch News

The winds were out of the northwest at 30 to 40 mph this morning as I drove to work. The AccuHunch forecasters predict "North to northeast wind 15 to 30 mph with gusts 40 to 50 mph...strongest near Knik Arm and west Anchorage."

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Speaking of windy (/snark), at least one economist is complaining that Governor Walker's announced budget cuts, project cancellations and layoffs of about 330 State employees will address only one-fifth of the shortfall.

The rest of us are waiting for the other boot to drop.

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And after all the dire national and international news, you might wash your ears out with this: the Associated Press reports "Alaska lawmakers are considering a bill that would require school districts to teach American constitutionalism, the latest of several state government measures across the U.S. aimed at civics education."