Small Craft Advisory 998, NWS Anchorage, AK

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
200 PM AST MON NOV 28 2005

.DISCUSSION...
UPPER LEVELS...LOW NEAR VANCOUVER ISLAND WITH A RIDGE OVER THE
MAINLAND AND ANOTHER LOW MOVING INTO THE WESTERN BERING SEA. THE
BERING SEA LOW TO TRAVEL INTO THE NORTON SOUND TOMORROW AND SOUTHEAST
INTO THE GULF WEDNESDAY. THE RIDGE OVER THE MAINLAND AND GULF WILL BE
PUSHED SOUTH DUE TO THIS LOW. HOWEVER...ANOTHER RIDGE AMPLIFIES IN
THE BERING SEA WITH A LOW ANCHORED SOUTH OF THE KAMCHATKA PENINSULA.
THIS PATTERN TO REMAIN THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK.

SURFACE...AN UPPER LEVEL FRONT IS MOVING ACROSS SOUTHWEST ALASKA AND
IS WEAKENING AS IT HITS THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE. AREAS OF SNOW WILL
CONTINUE WITH THE ONSHORE FLOW ACROSS WESTERN ALASKA THROUGH
TOMORROW. A LOW REFLECTED AT THE SURFACE IN THE NORTHWEST BERING TO
FOLLOW THE UPPER LEVEL LOW INTO THE GULF BY WEDNESDAY AND REINFORCE
THE TROUGH DEVELOPING ALONG THE NORTH GULF COAST. THE TROUGH IS
EXTENDING ALONG THE COAST TONIGHT FROM A LOW NEAR QUEEN CHARLOTTE
ISLAND. THE TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE GULF THROUGH
FRIDAY WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS NEAR THE COAST. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD
OVER THE BERING SEA TURNING THE FLOW MORE NORTHWEST OVER THE
MAINLAND. THIS WILL TURN THE AIR MASS TO DRIER WITH ISOLATED SHOWERS
ALONG THE COAST AND INTO THE BERING SIDE OF THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS. A
LOW SOUTH OF SHEMYA TO REMAIN SOUTH WITH LITTLE EFFECT OUTSIDE OF
TONIGHT AND A GOOD SWELL TO THE WESTERN ALEUTIAN CHAIN. AFTER THIS
LOW LEAVES THE AREA A LOW ANCHORS SOUTH OF THE KAMCHATKA PENINSULA
WEDNESDAY EVENING. A STRONG FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE WESTERN ALEUTIAN
CHAIN THURSDAY WITH A TROUGH EXTENDING INTO THE CENTRAL ALEUTIAN
CHAIN AND BERING SEA FRIDAY. THE HIGH PRESSURE IS PUSHED SOUTH OF THE
ALEUTIAN CHAIN.

IN THE MEANTIME...HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE MAINLAND TO THE NORTH WITH A
COLD DOME OF AIR IN COMBINATION WITH A TROUGH OVER THE GULF TO ALLOW
FOR SOME MODERATE TO STRONG NORTHERLY GAP WINDS THROUGH THE WEEK. IN
ADDITION...AS THE LOW IN THE WESTERN BERING SETS INTO THE GULF ON
WEDNESDAY A STRONG GRADIENT DEVELOPS OVER THE WESTERN GULF AS WELL.
THIS WILL CREATE GALE FORCE WINDS OUT OF THE BARREN ISLAND AREA AND
AROUND KODIAK ISLAND. AS A RESULT OF THIS LOW TROUGH DIGGING IN THE
GULF...COLDER AIR IS ALLOWED TO FILTER OVER THE MAINLAND. THIS IS
ALSO DUE IN PART TO A PIECE OF THE POLAR LOW DROPPING INTO THE BERING
STRAIT THURSDAY.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE
MARINE...GALE 176 185
FIRE WEATHER...NONE

JN NOV 05