Gale Warning 78, NWS Juneau, AK

SOUTHEAST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
1100 AM AST FRI FEB 9 2007

.SYNOPSIS...
.SHORT RANGE...
A SURFACE ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS TO THE NORTH IN THE
YUKON...WITH SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS REMAINING SOUTH OF THE
SOUTHERN PANHANDLE. AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE IS POSITIONED
OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA. A DEFORMATION ZONE WHICH BROUGHT LIGHT
SNOW TO THE NORTH CENTRAL PANHANDLE WILL DISSIPATE INTO THE
EVENING...BRINGING DECREASING CLOUDS. JUST HOW MUCH THE CLOUDS
DECREASE TONIGHT IS THE BIG QUESTION. SOME DECENT CLEARING IS
EVIDENT IN SATELLITE IMAGERY IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE
WRANGELL/ST ELIAS MOUNTAINS. WHETHER THAT TRANSLATES INTO THE
NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PANHANDLE IS ANOTHER STORY. BELIEVE THE
SAFEST BET FOR TONIGHT AND TOMORROW FOR THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL
PANHANDLE IS GENERALLY PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES...WITH SOME LOW LYING
FOG FOR THE OVERNIGHT AND MORNING HOURS ESPECIALLY IF ANY
CLEARING OCCURS. SOUTHERN PANHANDLE...HOWEVER...HAS CLEARED OUT
NICELY TODAY WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES EXPECTED INTO TONIGHT. SOME
INCREASING CLOUDS CAN BE EXPECTED TOMORROW AHEAD OF THE NEXT
OCCLUSION APPROACHING FROM SOUTH...WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF PRECIP
LATE TOMORROW AFTERNOON FOR THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE

THE OFFSHORE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT HAS WEAKENED SOME AND WILL
REMAIN ABOUT THE SAME INTO THIS EVENING. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT
WILL THEN INCREASE SLIGHTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT FOR THE NORTHERN
PANHANDLE...WITH THE TIGHTER GRADIENT REACHING THE REST OF THE
PANHANDLE BY LATE SATURDAY. WINDS WILL BE LIMITED MOSTLY TO
CHANNELED TERRAIN INCLUDING THE INNER CHANNELS...WITH MOSTLY
SMALL CRAFT WINDS INTO TOMORROW WITH THE STRONGER WINDS BEING
OVER THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE.

.LONG RANGE...THE COMPLEX WEATHER PATTERN PERSISTING WITH BROAD
WEAK LOW SOUTH OF THE GULF OF ALASKA OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC
COMBINED THE MORE POWERFUL LOW OVER THE CENTRAL ALEUTIANS. HIGH
PRESSURE LOCATED OVER THE NORTHWEST CANADIAN ARCTIC AND NORTHERN
BRITISH COLUMBIA-ALBERTA REGION. EXPECT THAT THE BRISK OUTFLOW
TYPE WINDS WILL BE GOING ON THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

HEADING INTO NEXT WEEK A COUPLE OF SMALL SHORT WAVES LOOK TO BE
HEADED NORTH INTO THE PANHANDLE BUT THEIR TIMING IS STILL SHAKY
SO WILL LEAVE THE CHANCE POPS OUT FOR THE PANHANDLE AROUND THAT
TIME.

OTHERWISE ONLY MINOR CHANGES TO THE FORECAST PACKAGE.

.AJK...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
PUBLIC...NONE.

MARINE...GALE WARNING ZONE 12.
         SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES ZONES 11 13 21 22 31 32 33 34 35
         36 43.

TF - BMB