Small Craft Advisory 918, NWS Anchorage, AK

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
200 PM AST TUE NOV 8 2005

.DISCUSSION...
UPPER AIR.
A PERSISTENT...STABLE UPPER AIR FLOW IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST THROUGH
THE WEEKEND FEATURING A COLD LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER ALASKA AND THE
GULF AND A HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE OVER THE WEST CENTRAL BERING.

SURFACE.
A STABLE SURFACE PATTERN REFLECTS THE PERSISTENT PATTERN ALOFT.  A
LARGE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE WESTERN BERING WILL MOVE SLOWLY
TO THE CENTRAL BERING BY LATE THU.  A LARGE LOW OVER THE NORTHWEST
GULF WILL REMAIN STATIONARY AND WEAKEN ON FRI. PART OF THE NORTHWEST
GULF LOW WILL BREAK AWAY AND ROTATE TO THE SOUTHEAST GULF ON FRI. A
FRONT ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF THIS AFTERNOON WILL ROTATE ONSHORE
OVER THE NORTH GULF COAST THIS EVENING AND DISSIPATE.

VERY STRONG NORTH AND NORTHWEST WINDS WITH GUSTS AS HIGH AS 90 MPH IN
STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN THE BERING HIGH AND GULF LOW WILL
COVER THE EASTERN BERING...EASTERN ALEUTIANS...THE ALASKA PENINSULA
AND THE SOUTHWEST GULF THROUGH WED.

THE COMBINATION OF COLD NORTHERLY LOW LEVEL WINDS AND MOIST AIR
MOVING FROM THE EAST ALOFT WILL CONTINUE SNOW OVER MOST OF KODIAK
ISLAND FOR MOST OF THE NIGHT.

BRISK WINDS AND SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO THE NIGHT ALONG THE NORTH
GULF COAST IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT AS IT MOVES ONSHORE.  THIS WILL
CAUSE LOCAL AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW IN AREAS SUCH AS THOMPSON PASS.
THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH DURING THE NIGHT.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...HIGH WIND WARNING ZONES 181 185
MARINE...STORM 120 130 155 170 179 185 410
         GALE 138 140 150 160 165 171 172 175 180 350
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 121 140 141 160 180 185 410

RHH NOV 05