Small Craft Advisory 296, NWS Anchorage, AK

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
400 PM ADT TUE MAR 27 2007

.DISCUSSION...SUNNY DAY OVER MOST OF SOUTHERN ALASKA.
IN THE EAST... THE LOW THAT WAS IN THE BARREN ISLANDS AREA YESTERDAY
HAS MOVED WELL INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA AND HAS PULLED MOST OF THE
CLOUDS AWAY FROM SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA AND THE COAST. A WEAK SHORT
WAVE IS MOVING ACROSS THE NORTHERN COPPER RIVER BASIN BUT WILL ONLY
BRING SOME HIGH CLOUDS THERE TODAY AND THEN IT WILL CLEAR OUT AGAIN
BY THIS EVENING. GUSTY NORTHEAST WINDS THROUGH THOMPSON PASS AND
WINDS THROUGH THE COPPER RIVER DELTA WILL PERSIST FOR A FEW DAYS AS
THE PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THOSE AREAS REMAINS MODERATELY TIGHT. A
WEAK LOW WILL DEVELOP NEAR MIDDLETON ISLAND WEDNESDAY EVENING BUT
WILL NOT INCREASE WINDS AT THAT TIME SINCE THE UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT
WILL BE REPLACED BY AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE MOVING OVER SOUTH CENTRAL
ALASKA THEN.

IN THE WEST...SOUTHWEST ALASKA HAS CLEARED OUT TODAY AND WILL REMAIN
MOSTLY CLEAR THROUGH TOMORROW WHEN SOME CLOUDS FROM A WEATHER FRONT
IN THE CENTRAL BERING SEA MOVES OVER THAT AREA. THIS CENTRAL BERING
SEA FRONT IS BRINGING GALE AND STORM FORCE WINDS TO PARTS OF THE
WESTERN AND CENTRAL BERING SEA AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. IT WILL MOVE
EAST AND WEAKEN OVER THE NEXT DAY. THE BIG SYSTEM OUT WEST IS STILL
ON THE HORIZON. BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON A 980 MB LOW WILL BE NEAR 40N
170E. THIS LOW WILL DEEPEN TO AROUND 962 MB AS IT MOVES TO NEAR
SHEMYA THURSDAY. IT WILL THEN CONTINUE NORTH AND DISSIPATE BY THE
WEEKEND AS ANOTHER STRONG LOW MOVES INTO THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS. IN
ADDITION TO BRINGING STORM FORCE WINDS AND WARMER TEMPERATURES IN
SHOULD HAVE SOME IMPACT TO THE SEA ICE EDGE. THESE STORMS WILL BRING
IN SOUTHERLY WINDS THAT WILL CAUSE THE ICE TO TO BEING TO RECEDE TO
THE NORTH. SEE THE LATEST ICE FORECAST FOR DETAILS.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...GALE 132 150 155 165 172 185.
         STORM 175 176.
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 121 125 129 130 150 155 185.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

MAR 07