Small Craft Advisory 1076, NWS Anchorage, AK

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
500 AM AST FRI DEC 23 2005

.DISCUSSION...
AN UPPER LEVEL LONGWAVE TROUGH OVER THE NORTH PACIFIC CONTINUES. THE
PRESENT UPPER LOW SOUTH OF THE AKPEN CONTINUES TO WEAKEN AND MOVE
NORTHEAST AS THE STRONGER LOW SOUTHWEST OF THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS
MOVES EAST AND DEEPENS A BIT MORE. THIS LOW WILL EVENTUALLY SLOW ITS
MOVEMENT AND BECOME THE STEERING LOW.

THE SURFACE LOW IN THE NORTHERN GULF IS PRESENTLY BRINGING RAIN AND
SNOW TO THE SOUTHCENTRAL COAST AND PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND. SOME
OVERRUNNING IS ALSO BRINGING SOME SNOW FURTHER INLAND. THIS SYSTEM IS
A WEAKER ONE THAN THE LAST COUPLE OF SYSTEMS HOWEVER SNOW AND RAIN IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AND SPREAD FURTHER NORTH LATER TODAY. THE LOW
COMES ASHORE BY THIS EVENING AND DISSIPATES ALONG WITH THE
PRECIPITATION BY SAT MORNING.

OUT WEST...THE DEEP 949 MB LOW SOUTHWEST OF SHEMYA IS BRINGING STORM
FORCE WINDS AND A HIGH WIND WARNING TO THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS AND
KEEPING ITS HURRICANE FORCE WINDS SOUTH OF 45N. THE STORM FORCE WINDS
WILL AFFECT THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS THROUGH TODAY AND GALES THROUGH THE
WEEKEND. GALES WILL ALSO IMPACT MUCH OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
BERING SEA THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SHORTWAVES ALONG THIS LOW WILL BRING
MORE LOWS UP INTO THE GULF THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT
WEEK. LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER STRONG LOW WILL FORM OFF OF JAPAN SUNDAY AND
HAVE A TRACK SIMILAR TO THE LAST ONE AND BECOMING A STEERING LOW OVER
THE ALEUTIANS AS WELL NEXT MIDWEEK.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...HIGH WIND WARNING 191
MARINE...STORM 172 175 176
      ...GALE 170 171 179 185
      ...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 185
FIRE WEATHER...NONE

LR/BL DEC 05