Small Craft Advisory 616, NWS Anchorage, AK

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
500 AM ADT MON AUG 8 2005

.DISCUSSION...NOT MUCH CHANGE FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS. THE LARGE
UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS NOW CENTERED OVER SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA AND THERE
ARE VERY FEW CLOUDS OVER THE MAINLAND - WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MARINE
STRATUS IN SOME OF THE COASTAL AREAS. THIS SHOULD BE THE OVERALL
PATTERN INTO THE WEEKEND.

WHILE THE MAINLAND PARTS OF SOUTHERN ALASKA ARE ENJOYING THE BENEFITS
OF THE LARGE RIDGE - THE AREA FROM THE WESTERN ALASKA PENINSULA
THROUGH THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS AND NORTHWARD THROUGH THE PRIBILOFS IS
EXPERIENCING THE DOWNSIDE OF A LARGE BLOCKING RIDGE. THE FRONTAL
BOUNDARY IN THIS AREA WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY AS THIS STRONG
FRONT HAS HAD ITS FORWARD MOTION ALMOST COMPLETELY STOPPED AS IT
SLAMS INTO THE RIDGE. THEREFORE THE STRONG WINDS AND RAIN WILL
PERSIST AS WELL.

ONCE AGAIN THE POSSIBILITY OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING CONVECTION IS
PRACTICALLY NONEXISTENT. WARM AIR ALOFT STILL KEEPING ATMOSPHERE
EXTREMELY STABLE.

AS THE CIRRUS OVER THE AREA CLEARED OUT MONDAY, VISIBLE SATELLITE
REVEALED NUMEROUS FIRES IN THE INTERIOR GIVING OFF QUITE A BIT OF
SMOKE. AS OF TODAY THIS SMOKE IS ALL GOING NORTHEAST AND STAYING OUT
OF SOUTHERN ALASKA. THE EXCEPTION IS THE MCGRATH AREA WHERE SOME
FIRES TO THEIR SOUTH ARE PUMPING SMOKE VERY NEAR MCGRATH. WILL LIKELY
SEE SOME SMOKE IN MCGRATH TODAY AS THESE FIRES BURN WELL IN THE HOT
AND DRY CONDITIONS. WILL WATCH TH REST OF THE AREA THE NEXT FEW DAYS
TO SEE IF SMOKE BEGINS TO TAKE THE LONG WAY AROUND THE LOW AND INTO
THE AREA.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...GALE 180 185
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

EZ AUG 05