Small Craft Advisory 224, NWS Anchorage, AK

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
200 PM AST MON MAR 5 2007

.DISCUSSION...CLEAR COLD AND WINDY REMAINS THE STORY FOR SOUTHERN
ALASKA TODAY. THE RIDGE THAT EXTENDS FROM THE CENTRAL BERING SEA TO
OVER THE ARCTIC COAST REMAINS STRONG TODAY WITH THE CENTER REACHING
1053 MB JUST NORTH OF THE ARCTIC COAST. THE TROUGH ALONG THE NORTH
GULF COAST IS GENERALLY AROUND OR JUST UNDER 1000 MB. THIS IS CAUSING
OVER A 50 MB SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE STATE AND IS THE MAIN
REASON FOR THE STRONG WINDS. IN ADDITION TO THE STRONG PRESSURE
GRADIENT THERE IS A COLD UPPER LEVEL LOW DESCENDING OUT OF THE
INTERIOR INTO THE KODIAK ISLAND AREA TODAY. THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH
AXIS IS FROM KODIAK NORTHEAST TO OVER THE TALKEETNA MOUNTAINS. THIS
IS BRINGING UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT TO WEST OF THIS TROUGH AND CAUSING
THE STRONG WINDS TO MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE IN AREAS SUCH AS THE
KUSKOKWIM VALLEY WHERE THE INVERSION OFTEN KEEPS TO WINDS OUT.
RESULTING WIND CHILL READINGS HAVE BEEN DOWN TO NEAR 50 BELOW ZERO IN
PARTS OF THE KUSKOKWIM VALLEY AND NORTHERN SUSITNA VALLEY THIS
MORNING. COLD ADVECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TROUGH ALSO HAS
INCREASED THE WINDS IN THE MATANUSKA VALLEY WHERE THE HIGH WIND
WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT. GUSTS OVER 75 MPH HAVE BEEN REPORTED TODAY
IN THE MATANUSKA VALLEY WITH THIS SYSTEM. EAST OF THE UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH THE UPPER FLOW IS GOING AGAINST THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT
AND KEEPING WINDS LOWER...THOUGH THE SURFACE GRADIENT IS SUFFICIENT
TO BRING GUSTY WINDS THROUGH CHANNELED TERRAIN SUCH AS THOMPSON PASS.

ON THE SATELLITE IMAGE A SIGNIFICANT LOW CAN BE SEEN APPROACHING THE
50N 140W AREA. THIS LOW WILL MOVE INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA TUESDAY AND
HEAD TO MIDDLETON ISLAND WEDNESDAY. THIS WILL CAUSE SOME CHANGES TO
THE WEATHER IN SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA FOR THE LATER PART OF THE WEEK
WITH SNOW LIKELY ALONG THE NORTH GULF COAST. SNOW MAY FIND ITS WAY
INLAND SOME BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

OUT WEST THE RIDGE IN THE CENTRAL BERING SEA WILL RETROGRADE INTO THE
WESTERN BERING SEA BY MID WEEK. THIS WILL NOT CAUSE A SIGNIFICANT
CHANGE IN THE WEATHER IN THAT AREA.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...HIGH WIND WARNING 111.
MARINE...GALE 130 132 138 140 150 155 160 165 170.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 120 121 125 129 130 132 138 140 141 150 155 160
165
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

MAR 07

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
244 PM AST MON MAR 05 2007

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

0101 PM     NON-TSTM WND GST WASILLA                 61.58N 149.46W
03/05/2007  M83 MPH                             AK   MESONET

            WIND GUST OF 83 MPH RECORDED AT THE WASILLA FIRE STATION.

&&

SEB