Gale Warning 248, NWS Anchorage, AK

000 
FZAK61 PAFC 192306
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 PM ADT WED MAR 19 2008

WIND FORECASTS REFLECT THE PREDOMINANT SPEED AND DIRECTION
EXPECTED. SEA FORECASTS REPRESENT AN AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST
ONE-THIRD OF THE COMBINED WIND WAVE AND SWELL HEIGHT.

PKZ399-201400-
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...
A 996 MB LOW NEAR SEWARD WEAKENS. A 988 MB LOW NEAR 53N 144W MOVES TO
58N 149W AT 993 MB FRIDAY. A 995 MB LOW NEAR 50N 157W THURSDAY
AFTERNOON MOVES TO 54N 145W AT 978 MB FRIDAY AFTERNOON.

$$

PKZ351-201400-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W
400 PM ADT WED MAR 19 2008

...GALE WARNING THURSDAY...

.TONIGHT...W WIND 20 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.THU...N WIND 25 KT INCREASING TO 35 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS
BUILDING TO 14 FT. SNOW SHOWERS. 
.THU NIGHT...N WIND 30 KT BECOMING SW AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.FRI...SE WIND 45 KT. SEAS 18 FT. 
.FRI NIGHT...E WIND 45 KT. SEAS 21 FT. 
.SAT...E WIND 40 KT. SEAS 21 FT. 
.SUN...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.MON...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT.  

$$

PKZ352-201400-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W
400 PM ADT WED MAR 19 2008

...GALE WARNING THROUGH THURSDAY...

.TONIGHT...NW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 14 FT. SNOW. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.THU...NW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 16 FT. SNOW. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.THU NIGHT...W WIND 30 KT BECOMING SW 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
15 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.FRI AND FRI NIGHT...NE WIND 45 KT. SEAS 18 FT. 
.SAT...NE WIND 40 KT. SEAS 17 FT. 
.SUN AND MON...NW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 

$$

000 
FZAK61 PAFC 201132
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 AM ADT THU MAR 20 2008

WIND FORECASTS REFLECT THE PREDOMINANT SPEED AND DIRECTION
EXPECTED. SEA FORECASTS REPRESENT AN AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST
ONE-THIRD OF THE COMBINED WIND WAVE AND SWELL HEIGHT.

PKZ399-210200-
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...
A 1002 MB LOW NEAR 59N 149W WILL DISSIPATE THU MORNING. A 985 MB LOW
NEAR 54N 142W WILL WEAKEN TO 991 MB NEAR 58N 142W THU NIGHT AND
DISSIPATE. A 1006 MB LOW NEAR 50N 167W WILL STRENGTHEN TO 979 MB
NEAR 57N 149W FRI NIGHT.
$$

PKZ351-210200-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W
400 AM ADT THU MAR 20 2008

...GALE WARNING TONIGHT AND FRIDAY...

.TODAY...NE WIND 20 KT INCREASING TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS
10 FT. SNOW SHOWERS. 
.TONIGHT...E WIND 35 KT BECOMING SE 25 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
13 FT. RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS. 
.FRI...SE WIND 25 KT BECOMING E 40 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 16 FT.
RAIN AND SNOW. 
.FRI NIGHT...E WIND 50 KT. SEAS 22 FT. 
.SAT...E WIND 40 KT. SEAS 20 FT. 
.SUN...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.MON...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT.  
$$

PKZ352-210200-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W
400 AM ADT THU MAR 20 2008

.TODAY...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.TONIGHT...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.FRI...NE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 10 FT. SNOW. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.FRI NIGHT...NE WIND 45 KT. SEAS 20 FT. 
.SAT...NE WIND 40 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.SUN...NW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.MON...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 12 FT.  
$$

000 
FZAK61 PAFC 202302
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 PM ADT THU MAR 20 2008

WIND FORECASTS REFLECT THE PREDOMINANT SPEED AND DIRECTION
EXPECTED. SEA FORECASTS REPRESENT AN AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST
ONE-THIRD OF THE COMBINED WIND WAVE AND SWELL HEIGHT.

PKZ399-211400-
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...

A 991 MB LOW NEAR 54N 140W WILL MOVE TO 57N 142W THU NIGHT AND 
THEN DISSIPATE FRI. A 995 MB LOW NEAR 50N 156W WILL MOVE TO 
54N 146W FRI AFTERNOON AT 982 MB AND THEN TO 55N 151W SAT.

$$

PKZ351-211400-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W
400 PM ADT THU MAR 20 2008

...STORM WARNING FRIDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...E WIND INCREASING TO 35 KT. SEAS 11 FT. SNOW AND RAIN
SHOWERS. 
.FRI...E WIND 40 KT. SEAS 14 FT. RAIN.
.FRI NIGHT...E WIND 50 KT. SEAS 21 FT. RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS. 
.SAT...SE WIND 45 KT. SEAS 22 FT. 
.SAT NIGHT...N WIND 40 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.SUN...E WIND 45 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.MON...S WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.TUE...SE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 6 FT.  

$$

PKZ352-211400-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W
400 PM ADT THU MAR 20 2008

...GALE WARNING FRIDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 11 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.FRI...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 10 FT. SNOW AND RAIN SHOWERS.
FREEZING SPRAY. 
.FRI NIGHT...E WIND 30 KT BECOMING SE 45 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
16 FT. GUSTS TO 60 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SNOW AND RAIN SHOWERS.
.SAT...SE WIND 40 KT. SEAS 16 FT. 
.SAT NIGHT...NE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.SUN...W WIND 40 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.MON...SW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.TUE...SE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 8 FT.  

$$

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
200 PM ADT TUE MAR 18 2008

.MODEL DISCUSSION...MODELS INITIALIZED WELL AND FORECAST ARE
REASONABLE AND IN GENERAL AGREEMENT THROUGH WED NIGHT. SIGNIFICANT
POSITIONAL DIFFERENCES OCCUR OVER THE GULF AFTER AFTER THIS TIME
FRAME. FOR NOW WILL RIDE WITH 00Z GFS SOLUTION WHICH MAINTAINS
CONSISTENCY AND FALLS IN LINE WITH 12Z GFS ENSEMBLE CLUSTER. PHASED
INTO THE 12Z GFS RUN STARTING 12Z SAT. THIS SEEMED TO BE A GOOD
COMPROMISE BETWEEN EXISTING GRID PACKAGE AND NEW ECMWF.

.UPPER LEVELS...
NO MAJOR CHANGES FROM LAST DISCUSSION. LOW CENTER OVER THE ARCTIC
MOVES TO THE SW MAINLAND WED AND EVENTUALLY ENDS UP IN THE GULF FRI
NIGHT. LOW CENTER MAINTAINS GENERAL POSITION THROUGH SUN MORNING.
RIDGE BUILDS OVER EASTERN RUSSIA OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. FAIRLY
VIGOROUS SHORTWAVE MOVING ACROSS THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS WED SHOULD DROP
SOUTH OF THE AK PEN AS MAIN LOW CENTER MOVES INTO SW ALASKA.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...
EAST...LOW CENTER OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA WILL WEAKEN AS IT MOVES W
TO NW INTO SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA TONIGHT. EXPECT A GENERAL SHOT AT SNOW
OR SNOW SHOWERS WITH THIS CENTER TONIGHT AND WED. THIS LOW CENTER
SLOWLY MOVES SOUTH WED NIGHT AND THU...HOWEVER NEG TILT TROUGH ALOFT
MAY MAINTAIN THE THREAT OF SNOW SHOWERS THRU EARLY THU INTO
SOUTHCENTRAL. NEXT LOW CENTER MOVES INTO THE NORTHERN GULF THU
NIGHT...HOWEVER NEW MODEL RUN SLOWS CENTER CONSIDERABLY. FOR NOW WILL
GO WITH OLD RUN AND BRING WINDS AND ANOTHER SHOT AT INTO THU NIGHT.
LOW EVENTUALLY DROPS INTO THE SOUTHERN GULF FRI NIGHT...SO WILL KEEP
CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION IN THE GULF...BUT SHOULD SEE SOME DRYING IN
SOUTHCENTRAL AND COPPER RIVER BASIN.

.WEST...WINDS SHOULD INCREASE ACROSS MUCH BRISTOL BAY...AND AK PEN
TONIGHT AS WEAK LOW MOVES SOUTH OF THE AK PEN AND COLD ADVECTION
KICKS IN. EXPECT GENERALLY GALES ACROSS AND SOUTH OF THE AK
PEN...WITH SOME STORM GUSTS ALONG THE ALASKA PENINSULA AND SOUTH.
AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW ALONG THE AK PEN IS A CONCERN...BUT NOT
EXPECTING MUCH NEW SNOW...SO FEEL THAT BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE NOT
PROBABLE AT THIS TIME. EXPECT WINDS IN THESE AREAS TO WEAKEN SOME WED
NIGHT AND THU AS A WAVE MOVES SOUTH OF THE ALEUTIANS/AK PEN. BRISK
NORTHERLY WINDS WITH COLD ADVECTION LIKELY TO HOLD AFTER THIS OVER
MUCH OF THE CENTRAL/EASTERN BERING SEA AND ACCOMPANYING ALEUTIANS/AK
PEN THROUGH FRI. NOT EXPECTING ANY MAJOR CLEARING OVER THE SW
MAINLAND OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS UPPER TROUGH AND LOW CENTER
DROPPING FROM THE ARCTIC WILL HOLD CLOUDS AND THREAT OF LIGHT SNOW.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...BLIZZARD WATCH FOR 181 WILL BE CANCELED.
MARINE...GALES 130 132 138 150 155 175 AND 176.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

RMC MAR 08