Blizzard Watch 4, NWS Fairbanks, AK

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
236 PM AST WED FEB 8 2006

.DISCUSSION...

ALOFT...CLOSED LOW PRESSURE OVER THE ARCTIC OCEAN WILL MOVE
RAPIDLY EAST TONIGHT AND FRI AS RIDGE OVER WESTERN CANADA BUILDS
NORTH. RIDGE AXIS NORTH OVER WESTERN CANADA TO THE BEAUFORT SEA
COMBINED WITH LOWS FORMING IN A LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE BERING
SEA AND ROTATING EAST WILL PRODUCE A GENERALLY SOUTHERLY FLOW
OVER NORTHERN ALASKA THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL
BECOME STRONG AT TIMES THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS SHORT WAVES ROTATING
NORTHWARD OVER THE BERING SEA TO THE WEST HALF OF NORTHERN ALASKA
TIGHTEN THE PRESSURE GRADIENT.

SURFACE...A 999 MB LOW A COUPLE HUNDRED MILES NORTHEAST OF POINT BARROW
WILL MOVE NORTHEAST AND WEAKEN. HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE
EASTERN ALASKA RANGE AND COVERING THE SOUTHEAST INTERIOR WILL MOVE
RAPIDLY EAST INTO CANADA ON THU AS LOW PRESSURE MOVES EAST ALONG
THE CENTRAL ALEUTIANS. THE LOW WILL ROTATE NORTH TO THE PRIBILOFS
FRI THEN NORTHWEST AND WEAKEN ON SAT. ANOTHER LOW WILL STRENGTHEN
OVER THE ALASKA PENINSULA NEAR SAND POINT ON SAT. THE LOW WILL
WEAKEN AS IT MOVES NORTH OF KODIAK ISLAND SAT NIGHT.

NORTH SLOPE...STRONG WEST WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT TO MODERATE SOUTHWEST
LATER TONIGHT AS LOW PRESSURE MOVES NORTHEAST OVER THE ARCTIC
OCEAN. LIGHT SOUTHEAST WINDS WILL DEVELOP THU AS LOW PRESSURE
MOVES EAST OVER THE CENTRAL ALEUTIANS MOVES EAST. EAST WINDS WILL
INCREASE AND BECOME STRONG ON FRI. ONLY FLURRIES OR A LITTLE
LIGHT SNOW SHOULD BE EXPECTED. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN UNSEASONABLY
MILD.

WEST COAST...WINDS AND BLOWING SNOW WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING
WITH APPROACH OF LOW OVER CENTRAL ALEUTIANS. MODERATE TO STRONG
WINDS WITH BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO SAT. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS
WILL BE SLOW TO EASE. TEMPERATURES WILL BE MILD FOR THIS TIME OF
YEAR.

INTERIOR...HIGH PRESSURE WILL PRODUCE A PERIOD OF DRY WEATHER THROUGH
FRI. SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL INCREASE OVER THE ALASKA RANGE THU AS
HIGH MOVES EAST INTO CANADA AND UPPER LEVEL LOW STRENGTHENS OVER
THE CENTRAL ALEUTIANS. WARMER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL PERSIST OVER
THE INTERIOR THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ201-AKZ205-AKZ206-AKZ207-AKZ208-
AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ215.

BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ211-AKZ212-AKZ213-AKZ214.

BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY FOR AKZ202-AKZ203-AKZ220-AKZ221.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ200.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ240-
PKZ245.
&&

DA FEB 06