Small Craft Advisory 32, NWS Anchorage, AK

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
300 PM AST TUE JAN 10 2006

.DISCUSSION...THE OLD LOW IN THE GULF CONTINUES TO SLOWLY WEAKEN. IT
IS CURRENTLY JUST EAST OF KODIAK ISLAND AND WILL DRIFT SOUTH OF
CORDOVA BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. IT WILL THEN WEAKEN INTO A BROAD
TROUGH EXTENDING NORTH TO SOUTH THROUGH THE CENTRAL GULF OF ALASKA.

THE WEAK LOW IN THE BERING SEA ALSO WILL PERSIST WITH BANDS OF SNOW
SHOWERS AROUND IT. THIS LOW WILL DRIFT TO THE ALASKA PENINSULA AND
THEN DISSIPATE NEAR CHIGNIK WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

THE INTERESTING ASPECT OF THE BERING SEA LOW IS THE AMOUNT OF COLD
AIR SPILLING OUT OF EASTERN RUSSIA INTO IT. THIS COLD AIR WILL KEEP
THE BERING SEA AND ALL AREAS AROUND IT BELOW FREEZING THE NEXT FEW
DAYS - UNTIL A STRONG LOW BEGINS TO MOVE IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST
THURSDAY MORNING.

THE STRONG LOW WILL REMAIN SOUTH OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS BUT WILL
GREATLY INCREASE THE PRESSURE GRADIENT IN THE BERING SEA AREA AS IT
MOVE SLOWLY EASTWARD. ON THE BACK SIDE OF THIS LOW THE COLD AIR WILL
REMAIN IN PLACE AND THEN HELP CREATE STRONG WINDS IN THE WESTERN
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. AREAS FARTHER EAST WILL MOST
LIKELY SEE SNOW WITH THE BEGINNING OF THIS SYSTEM - THEN RAIN AS THE
WARM AIR IN THIS SYSTEM MOVES NORTHWARD.

A SHARP RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP EAST OF THIS LOW AND WILL
HELP TO CLEAR OUT AREAS IN SOUTHWEST ALASKA TOWARD THE END OF THE
WEEK.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...SEE CURRENT FORECASTS.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

JAN 06