Gale Warning 257, NWS Anchorage, AK

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
425 AM AST WED MAR 08 2006

.DISCUSSION...
THE MAIN CONCERN TODAY IS THE SIGNIFICANT WIND FIELD ACROSS
SOUTHCENTRAL AND KODIAK.

THE LOW THAT BROUGHT SNOWFALL TO THE ANCHORAGE BOWL AND KENAI TUESDAY
WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST ALONG THE PANHANDLE TODAY. ALL OF THE SNOW SHOULD
END BY LATE MORNING. BEHIND IT NORTH TO NORTHWEST FLOW ALONG THE
NORTH GULF COAST AND DOWN INTO KODIAK WILL PREDOMINATE. A STRONG
NORTH TO SOUTH GRADIENT IS SETTING UP ALONG THE COPPER RIVER DELTA
POSSIBLY ENOUGH TO GENERATE WARNING LEVEL WINDS THROUGH THE DELTA.
STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED FROM SEWARD TO WHITTIER AND THOMPSON PASS.
KODIAK ISLAND WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA WITH
GUSTS TO 75 MPH. GENERALLY EXPECT STRONGER GUSTS THROUGH CHANNELED
TERRAIN. STORM FORCE WINDS WILL OCCUR IN MOST OF THE GULF COAST AND
KODIAK ISLAND WATERS. WILL NEED TO KEEP A CLOSE WATCH ON WINDS TODAY
ACROSS SOUTHCENTRAL IN CASE ANY UPGRADES TO WARNINGS ARE WARRANTED.

THERE IS STRONG CAA BEHIND THE OUTGOING LOW AS WELL THAT WILL MOVE IN
WITH A SLOW MOVING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH. THIS WILL ENHANCE THE WINDS AS
WELL. FOG IS ANTICIPATED ONLY UNTIL THE WINDS PICK UP THIS MORNING
FROM THE SUSITNA VALLEY INTO ANCHORAGE. BUT STRATUS WILL LINGER
THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY.

OUT WEST..STRATUS AND FOG WILL REMAIN ALONG THE WESTERN MAINLAND AND
INTO THE ALASKA PENINSULA. THE WEATHER FRONT MOVING INTO THE
PRIBILOFS AND EASTERN ALEUTIANS TODAY WILL WEAKEN QUICKLY AND ITS
ASSOCIATED LOW WILL DISSIPATE OFF THE KAMCHATKA COAST. THE NEXT
SYSTEM WILL QUICKLY MOVE UP INTO THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS TONIGHT AND
INTO THE WESTERN BERING THU. WILL KEEP MOST OF THE PRECIP IN THE FORM
OF SNOW AS THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT WAA TO INDICATE A CHANGE OVER
ALTHOUGH THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS MAY SEE SOME BRIEF PERIODS OF RAIN
AHEAD OF THE NEXT LOW.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...HIGH WIND WARNING 171
      ...HIGH WIND WATCH 135
MARINE...GALE 120 129 138 140 155 165 170 171 172 176 185
      ...STORM 130 132 150 175
      ...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 121 129 130 132 138 140 141 185
FIRE WEATHER...NONE

RNW MAR 06

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
218 PM AST WED MAR 08 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0915 AM     HIGH SUST WINDS  KODIAK                  57.80N 152.40W
03/08/2006  M0 MPH                              AK   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            KODIAK HARBOR MASTER, WITH A DAVIS WEATHER STATION,
            OBSERVED WIND GUSTS OF 106 MPH JUST BEFORE 4AM THIS
            MORNING AND ANOTHER WIND GUST OF 101 MPH A LITTLE AFTER 8
            AM THIS MORNING. A WIND GUST OF 131 MPH WAS OBSERVED 942
            AM AST.

&&

STEPETIN