Gale Warning 258, NWS Anchorage, AK

000 
FZAK61 PAFC 292335
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 PM ADT SAT MAR 29 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.

PKZ399-301400-
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...
HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE GULF MOVES TO THE EASTERN GULF TONIGHT AND
BECOMES STATIONARY. A WEATHER FRONT ENTERS THE WESTERN GULF TONIGHT
AND REACHES THE NORTHERN GULF COAST SUN NIGHT THEN WEAKENS THROUGH
MON.

$$

PKZ351-301400-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W
400 PM ADT SAT MAR 29 2008

.TONIGHT...S WIND 15 KT INCREASING TO 25 KT BY MIDNIGHT. SEAS
BUILDING TO 8 FT. 
.SUN...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.SUN NIGHT...S WIND 30 KT. SEAS 13 FT. RAIN.
.MON...S WIND 30 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.MON NIGHT...SE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 16 FT. 
.TUE...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 16 FT. 
.WED...E WIND 20 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.THU...SE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 9 FT.  

$$

PKZ352-301400-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W
400 PM ADT SAT MAR 29 2008

...GALE WARNING TONIGHT...

.TONIGHT...S WIND 25 KT INCREASING TO 35 KT BY MIDNIGHT. SEAS
BUILDING TO 12 FT. RAIN.
.SUN...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 14 FT. RAIN.
.SUN NIGHT...S WIND 30 KT. SEAS 14 FT. RAIN.
.MON...S WIND 25 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.MON NIGHT...SE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 16 FT. 
.TUE...S WIND 30 KT. SEAS 16 FT. 
.WED...SE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.THU...E WIND 15 KT. SEAS 9 FT.  

$$

000 
FZAK61 PAFC 301146
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 AM ADT SUN MAR 30 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.

PKZ399-310200-
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...
A WEATHER FRONT OVER THE OFFSHORE WATERS WILL WEAKEN THROUGH MON
MORNING. ANOTHER FRONT WILL APPROACH THE OFFSHORE WATERS FROM THE
WEST MON AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY TUE MORNING. 
$$

PKZ351-310200-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W
400 AM ADT SUN MAR 30 2008

.TODAY...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.TONIGHT...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. RAIN.
.MON...S WIND 30 KT. SEAS 1 FT. RAIN.
.MON NIGHT...SE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.TUE...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.WED...SW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.THU...S WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT.  

$$

PKZ352-310200-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W
400 AM ADT SUN MAR 30 2008

.TODAY...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 13 FT. RAIN.
.TONIGHT...S WIND 30 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.MON...S WIND 25 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.MON NIGHT...SE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.TUE...S WIND 30 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.WED...SW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.THU...SW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT.  

$$

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
200 PM ADT FRI MAR 28 2008

.MODEL DISCUSSION...MODEL INITIALIZATIONS REASONABLE. FORECAST TRENDS
IN GOOD AGREEMENT AND ALSO REASONABLE. MORNING PACKAGE WAS BASED ON
THE 00Z GFS MODEL. AFTERNOON PACKAGE WILL TREND TOWARD THE 12Z GFS
THROUGH 60 HOURS...WITH LITTLE CHANGE BEYOND.

.UPPER LEVELS...
WEAK TROUGH OVER SOUTHCENTRAL MOVES INTO WESTERN CANADA TONIGHT.
RIDGE BUILDS OVER SOUTHCENTRAL AND THE GULF OF ALASKA TONIGHT. TROUGH
OVER OVER BERING SEA WEAKENS AS IT MOVES SLOWLY EAST. GENERAL
SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL SET UP OVER WESTERN ALASKA TONIGHT AND SPREAD
EAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. LOW CENTER SOUTH OF THE CENTRAL ALEUTIANS
MOVES SOUTH OF THE ALASKA PENINSULA SAT NIGHT AND WEAKENS. NEXT
DEVELOPING LOW CENTER INTENSIFIES AS IT MOVES TO NEAR THE WESTERN
ALEUTIANS SUN.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...SWITCH TO A PROGRESSIVE UPPER FLOW PATTERN
WILL BRING UNSETTLED WEATHER TO MUCH OF ALASKA THROUGH EARLY NEXT
WEEK.

EAST...SNOW SHOWERS LIKELY TO CONTINUE OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA UNTIL
PASSAGE OF UPPER TROUGH TONIGHT. PROBABLY WILL SEE PATCHY FOG ACROSS
SOUTHCENTRAL TONIGHT WITH SUBSIDENCE IN ADVANCE OF UPPER RIDGE. WEAK
FRONTAL TROUGH SPREADS SNOW TO THE WESTERN GULF SAT MORNING. SOUTHERN
END OF THE FRONTAL TROUGH WILL SLOW AND WEAKEN. SW FLOW ALOFT WILL
ELONGATE FRONT NORTH INTO THE INTERIOR. MAY SEE A FAIR AMOUNT OF SNOW
INTO THE SUSITNA VALLEY WITH ONSET OF SW FLOW IN THE MID-LEVELS SAT
NIGHT AND SUNDAY. EXPECT WILL SNOW OR MIXED OVER
SOUTHCENTRAL/NORTHERN GULF THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH SW FLOW ALOFT.
EAST-WEST PRESSURE GRADIENTS BUILD ACROSS SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA SAT
WITH APPROACH OF WEAKENING FRONT. GRADIENTS WILL INCREASE FURTHER SAT
SAT NIGHT/SUN AS LOW CENTER MOVES INTO BRISTOL BAY. PRESSURE GRADIENT
MAY SLACKEN SOME SUN NIGHT BEFORE TIGHTENING AGAIN MON WITH APPROACH
OF YET ANOTHER LOW CENTER. SO...WINDY CONDITIONS LIKELY TO DEVELOP
OVER SOUTHCENTRAL SAT AND CONTINUE INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.

.WEST...FRONTAL TROUGH APPROACHING THE PRIBILOFS ISLANDS IS PRODUCING
NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AS OF EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT FRONT
SHOULD PUSH EAST THROUGH THIS EVENING AND TEMPS WITH WARM AND WINDS
SUBSIDE. MAY SEE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS DEVELOP ALONG THE DELTA COAST
AFTER MIDNIGHT TONIGHT WITH APPROACH OF FRONTAL TROUGH. FRONT LIKELY
TO BRING A COUPLE INCHES OF SNOWS AND GUSTY SOUTHEAST. IF CONDITIONS
DEVELOP...THEN THEY SHOULD SUBSIDE IN THE AFTERNOON AS FRONT MOVES
INLAND AND COASTAL WINDS DIMINISH. DEVELOPING 980S LOW CENTER MOVES
TO NEAR DUTCH HARBOR SAT EVENING AND WEAKENS AS IT MOVES INTO BRISTOL
BAY EARLY SUN. NEXT IN A SERIES OF CENTERS MOVES TO THE WESTERN
ALEUTIANS IN THE MID 980S SUN EVENING. THIS CENTER CONTINUES TO
INTENSIFY AS IT MOVES TO BRISTOL BAY MON EVENING. TEMPS IN GENERAL
WILL WARM OVER MUCH OF THE BERING SEA/SW ALASKA OVER THE NEXT COUPLE
OF DAYS.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE OVER THE
MAINLAND THROUGH MID-NEXT WEEK AS UPPER TROUGH MOVES OVER THE WESTERN
AND CENTRAL MAINLAND. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE CENTRAL AND
EASTERN BERING SEA BY MIDWEEK..SO WILL SEE A MOVE BACK TOWARD MORE
STABLE CONDITIONS.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...BLIZZARD WARNING ZONE 195. BLIZZARD WATCH ZONE 155.
MARINE...GALE 130.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

RMC MAR 08