Gale Warning 43, NWS Fairbanks, AK

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
449 AM ADT THU MAY 4 2006

.DISCUSSION...

UPPER AIR: RIDGE EXTENDING NORTH OVER BRITISH COLUMBIA TO THE
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES AND TO INTERIOR ALASKA WILL MOVE NORTH AND
EAST THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH FRI AS LOW PRESSURE OVER THE GULF OF
ALASKA ROTATES NORTH. RIDGE WILL EXTEND WEST OVER THE NORTH SLOPE
THU EVENING THE WEAKEN FRI. COMPLEX LOW OVER THE EASTERN BERING
SEA WILL ROTATE THROUGH SAT THEN BROADEN AND COVER ALL OF NORTHERN
ALASKA ON SUN. TROUGH EXTENDING SOUTH FROM HIGH ARCTIC LOW WILL
MOVE ACROSS THE CHUKCHI SEA TODAY BUT DISSIPATE BEFORE REACHING
NORTHWEST ALASKA.

SURFACE: LOW PRESSURE OVER KODIAK ISLAND WILL ROTATE NORTH TODAY
AND BY THIS EVENING A BROAD AREA OF OPEN LOW PRESSURE WILL COVER
MUCH OF THE INTERIOR. LOW PRESSURE OVER THE CENTRAL ALEUTIANS WILL
MOVE EAST AND BY FRI AFTERNOON WILL MOVE ON-SHORE NEAR MEKORYUK.
TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL DEVELOP BETWEEN THE LOW AND HIGH
PRESSURE OVER RUSSIA. BY SAT AFTERNOON A BROAD AREA OF LOW
PRESSURE WILL COVER MUCH OF NORTHERN ALASKA.

NORTH SLOPE: NORTHEAST WINDS WILL BE INCREASING TODAY THROUGH
TONIGHT. BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR MUCH OF WESTERN ARCTIC COAST
WILL BEGIN THIS EVENING. WINDS SHOULD BEGIN TO DIMINISH ON SUN.

WEST COAST: BRISK WIND WILL DEVELOP OVER ZONES 210 AND 220 TODAY
THEN CONTINUE AT LEAST THROUGH TONIGHT. SNOW OVER ZONE 207 AND 213
WILL MIX WITH WIND TO PRODUCE POOR VISIBILITIES BEGINNING TONIGHT.
OTHER ZONES WILL HAVE A MIXTURE OF SNOW AND RAIN. ACCUMULATIONS
WILL GENERALLY BE LESS THAN ONE INCH. PRECIPITATION AND WINDS WILL
BEGIN TO DIMINISH ON SUN.

INTERIOR: CLOUDS HAVE SPREAD NORTH OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE
INTERIOR AND WILL COVER THE REST OF THE INTERIOR BY THIS EVENING.
DIURNAL TEMPERATURE CHANGES WILL PRODUCE RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS AT
NIGHT AND IN THE MORNING THEN ALL RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON OR
EVENING. SOUTHWEST WINDS GUSTING TO 50 MPH WILL CAUSE BLOWING SNOW
WITH POOR VISIBILITIES THROUGH PASSES OF THE EASTERN ALASKA RANGE
TONIGHT.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ207-AKZ213-AKZ226.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230.
&&

DA MAY 06