Snow Advisory 9, NWS Fairbanks, AK

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1212 PM ADT TUE APR 17 2007

.DISCUSSION...MSAS ANALYSIS AND MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON
CURRENT 976MB SURFACE LOW NEAR ST PAUL. GREATEST PRESSURE FALLS
CONTINUE TO BE LOCATED OVER THE YUKON DELTA...AND THIS IS WHERE
THE LOW MOVES BY 12Z WED WEAKENING TO 990MB. BY 00Z THU...THE LOW
WEAKENS TO 994MB AND MOVES INTO THE BERING STRAIT...THEN TO AROUND
WRANGEL ISLAND BY 00Z FRI. LATEST WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND GFS
CONFIRM THAT A SHORTWAVE TROUGH NEAR 60N/175E WILL PIVOT AROUND
UPPER LOW/LONGWAVE TROUGH OVER EASTERN RUSSIA TONIGHT...THEN SWING
UP THE WEST COAST WED AFT INTO THU MORNING. THIS WILL PROVIDE COLD
AIR ADVECTION AND ADDITIONAL SNOW SHOWERS. THUS THE SNOW WILL WANE
FROM SOUTH TO NORTH STARTING WEDS NIGHT OVER ZONE 214...THEN TAPER
OFF OVER NORTHWEST ALASKA BY THU AFT.

.NORTH SLOPE...STRENGTHENING HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE EASTERN
BEAUFORT SEA COMBINED WITH LOW PRESSURE MOVING UP ALONG THE WEST
COAST WILL BRING INCREASINGLY STRONGER (EASTERLY) WINDS AND BLOWING
SNOW TO THE NORTH SLOPE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. NOT
EXPECTING ANY BLOWING SNOW ADVISORIES AT THIS TIME DUE TO THE FACT
THAT LITTLE IF ANY NEW SNOWFALL WILL FALL AND WHATEVER GETS PICKED
UP FROM THE GROUND WILL STILL RESULT IN ONE MILE OR GREATER
VISIBILITY. ALTHOUGH FROM BARROW WEST...IT APPEARS THAT AS THE
WEST COAST SURFACE LOW MOVES INTO THE BERING STRAIT WED AFT...WINDS
WILL BECOME MORE SOUTHEAST (OFFSHORE) WITH TIME...LEAVING MAINLY
THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN BEAUFORT SEA COAST MAINTAINING THE
EASTERLY FLOW THROUGH FRIDAY.

.WEST COAST...CURRENT HEAVY SNOW WARNINGS IN ZONES 211/212/214
APPEAR TO BE ON TRACK AND SO WILL JUST UPDATE THESE AND LET THEM
RIDE THROUGH THEIR EXPIRATION TIMES ON WEDNESDAY. BLIZZARD WARNING
IN 213 ALSO LOOKS GOOD. WILL ALSO ADD A WEATHER HEADLINE FOR STRONG
WINDS IN ZONE 212 AS UNALAKLEET HAS SEEN GUSTS TO 40 MPH. THIS
WILL BE A TOUCH AND GO CASE UNTIL AROUND 06Z WED WHEN WINDS WILL
BE MORE IN LINE BETWEEN 20 AND 30 MPH.

.INTERIOR...UPPER RIDGE EXPANDING OVER THE EASTERN INTERIOR
THROUGH THURSDAY WITH CHINOOK WINDS OVER THE ALASKA RANGE...ZONES
225 AND 226 TONIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING. 850MB TEMPS WARM TO
AROUND ZERO ON WEDS...THEN COOL DOWN A FEW DEGREES INTO SATURDAY.
OVERALL A DRY WEATHER PATTERN THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HEAVY SNOW WARNING FOR AKZ211-AKZ212-AKZ214.

BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ213.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-
PKZ230-PKZ235-PKZ240-PKZ245.
&&

KS APR 07