Gale Warning 82, NWS Fairbanks, AK

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
114 PM AST FRI NOV 24 2006

.DISCUSSION...
CURRENT RUNS OF THE GFS AND NAM ARE REASONABLY WELL INITIALIZED
AND HAVE SIMILAR SOLUTIONS. A RIDGE ALOFT WILL BUILD OVER THE
WEST COAST OF ALASKA TODAY WITH AN OMEGA BLOCK DEVELOPING BY
SATURDAY. THE RIDGE AXIS WILL DRIFT SLOWLY EASTWARD... EXTENDING
FROM THE SOUTHEAST INTERIOR TO BARROW AND NORTHWESTWARD BY MONDAY
AFTERNOON. CLEAR SKIES WITH STRONG SURFACE INVERSIONS WILL PERSIST
THROUGH MONDAY ALONG AND EAST OF THE RIDGE. INTERIOR TEMPERATURES
WILL CONTINUE TO BE VERY COLD IN VALLEYS OF THE EASTERN
INTERIOR...WITH TEMPERATURES RISING TO ABOVE ZERO IN THE HILLS.

SEVERAL WEATHER FRONTS WILL MOVE NORTH NORTHWARD ACROSS THE BERING
SEA TONIGHT AND SATURDAY...BRINGING A CHANCE OF SNOW AND STRONG
EAST WINDS TO ZONES 213 AND 214 TONIGHT AND SATURDAY. IN ZONE
212 THERE WILL BE LOCALLY STRONG WINDS BLOWING OUT OF CHANNELED
AREAS.

A VERY STRONG LOW WILL MOVE NORTHWARD INTO THE BERING SEA
SUNDAY...BRING GALE TO STORM FORCE WINDS AND POSSIBLE BLIZZARD
CONDITIONS OVER ZONES 213 AND 214...AND LOCALLY STRONG WIND
GUSTS IN ZONE 212. MANY OTHER AREAS OF THE WEST COAST WILL
EXPERIENCE EAST TO SOUTHEAST WINDS 25-35 KT.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...
HIGH SEAS ARE EXPECTED OVER MARINE ZONES 200 AND 210
LATE SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT WITH EAST TO
SOUTHEAST STORM TO GALE FORCE WINDS. COASTAL FLOODING IS NOT
EXPECTED DUE TO THE SHORT FETCH WITH THESE WIND DIRECTIONS.
MOST RECENT ICE ANALYSIS CHART SHOWS ICE COVERS ALL OF KOTZEBUE
SOUND AND EXTENDS ALMOST AS FAR WEST AS KIVALINA...SO THE RISK OF
HIGH SURF AT KIVALINA APPEARS TO BE LOW...DUE TO THE EAST TO
SOUTHEAST WIND DIRECTION. HIGH SURF MAY BE MORE POSSIBLE IN AREAS
NEAR POINT HOPE.

MODERATE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL CONTINUE
ACROSS THE EASTERN ALASKA RANGE. MENTASTA PASS REMOTED
SITE IS SHOWING NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS GUSTING TO 25-30 KT
AND TEMPERATURES -10 TO -15. THIS SHOULD GET WIND CHILL
CLOSE TO -40.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR AKZ223-AKZ226.

WINTER STORM WATCH FOR AKZ213-AKZ214.

HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225-
PKZ230.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ220-PKZ225.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200.
&&

RF NOV 06