Gale Warning 366, NWS Anchorage, AK

000 
FZAK51 PAFC 021155
CWFAER

COASTAL WATERS FORECAST FOR SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE ALASKA
400 AM ADT WED APR 2 2008

MARINE FORECAST FOR THE NORTHERN GULF OF ALASKA COAST
UP TO 100 NM OUT INCLUDING KODIAK ISLAND
AND COOK INLET

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.

PKZ197-030200-
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE NORTH GULF COAST+KODIAK ISLAND WATERS+
COOK INLET...
A 1008 MB LOW 70 NM NORTHEAST OF KODIAK WILL WEAKEN TODAY AND
DISSIPATE TONIGHT. A WEATHER FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW IN THE
BERING SEA WILL APPROACH THE GULF FROM THE WEST THU AND THU NIGHT. 

$$

PKZ120-030200-
CAPE SUCKLING TO GORE POINT
400 AM ADT WED APR 2 2008

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH TONIGHT...

.TODAY...SE WIND 20 KT IN THE MORNING BECOMING VARIABLE 10 KT. SEAS
9 FT. 
.TONIGHT...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.THU...S WIND 15 KT. SEAS 7 FT. 
.THU NIGHT...S WIND 15 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.FRI...SE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.SAT...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.SUN...NE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT.  

$$

PKZ121-030200-
RESURRECTION BAY
400 AM ADT WED APR 2 2008

.TODAY...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT. RAIN.
.TONIGHT THROUGH FRI...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT. 
.SAT...N WIND 15 KT. SEAS 3 FT. 
.SUN...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 5 FT.  

$$

PKZ125-030200-
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
400 AM ADT WED APR 2 2008

.TODAY...E WIND 20 KT BECOMING VARIABLE 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS
5 FT SUBSIDING TO 2 FT. RAIN.
.TONIGHT THROUGH THU NIGHT...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT. 
.FRI...SE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.SAT...E WIND 25 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.SUN...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT.  

$$

PKZ129-030200-
PASSAGE CANAL
400 AM ADT WED APR 2 2008

.TODAY...EAST WIND 15 KT. SEAS 2 FT. RAIN. 
.TONIGHT AND THU...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT. RAIN SHOWERS. 
.THU NIGHT...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT. 
.FRI...E WIND 15 KT. SEAS 2 FT. 
.SAT...E WIND 15 KT. SEAS 2 FT. 
.SUN...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT.  

$$

PKZ130-030200-
BARREN ISLANDS AND KAMISHAK BAY WATERS
400 AM ADT WED APR 2 2008

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY TODAY...

.TODAY...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.TONIGHT...SW WIND 15 KT. SEAS 7 FT. 
.THU...S WIND 15 KT. SEAS 7 FT. 
.THU NIGHT...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.FRI...E WIND 35 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.SAT...NW WIND 40 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.SUN...NW WIND 40 KT. SEAS 13 FT.  

$$

PKZ132-030200-
SHUYAK ISLAND TO SITKINAK
400 AM ADT WED APR 2 2008

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH THURSDAY...

.TODAY...NW WIND 15 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.TONIGHT...SW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.THU...S WIND 20 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.THU NIGHT...SE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 7 FT. 
.FRI...S WIND 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.SAT...NW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.SUN...NW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 13 FT.  

$$

PKZ138-030200-
SHELIKOF STRAIT
400 AM ADT WED APR 2 2008

.TODAY...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 3 FT. 
.TONIGHT...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT BECOMING SW 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
BUILDING TO 4 FT. 
.THU...S WIND 15 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.THU NIGHT...SE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 3 FT. 
.FRI...E WIND 20 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.SAT THROUGH SUN...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 5 FT. 

$$

PKZ140-030200-
COOK INLET NORTH OF KAMISHAK BAY AND ENGLISH BAY
400 AM ADT WED APR 2 2008

.TODAY...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT. 
.TONIGHT...SW WIND 15 KT. SEAS 3 FT. 
.THU...S WIND 15 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.THU NIGHT...SE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.FRI...NE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.SAT THROUGH SUN...NW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 5 FT. 

$$

PKZ141-030200-
KACHEMAK BAY
400 AM ADT WED APR 2 2008

.TODAY...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 3 FT. 
.TONIGHT...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT. 
.THU...S WIND 15 KT. SEAS 2 FT. 
.THU NIGHT...SE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 3 FT. 
.FRI...E WIND 25 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.SAT...NW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.SUN...NW WIND 15 KT. SEAS 4 FT.  

$$

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
130 PM ADT TUE APR 1 2008

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...
VERY PROGRESSIVE...ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN PRESENT OVER THE STATE
WITH STRONG WEST TO EAST FLOW. THIS AFTERNOON AT UPPER LEVELS...A
TROUGH IS PRESENT WEST OF THE ALEUTIAN CHAIN...A RIDGE OVER THE
CENTRAL BERING...A TROUGH OVER THE SOUTHWEST MAINLAND...AND A
BLOCKING RIDGE OVER THE YUKON. THINGS GET A BIT MORE COMPLICATED AT
THE SURFACE...WITH TWO SURFACE TROUGH AXES ASSOCIATED WITH THE UPPER
LEVEL TROUGH. ONE TROUGH AXIS IS ORIENTED NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST
OVER KODIAK ISLAND...WITH AN EMBEDDED SURFACE LOW NEAR OR JUST WEST
OF BUOY 46001. THE STRONGEST WINDS AND MAJORITY OF PRECIPITATION ARE
AHEAD OF THIS TROUGH AXIS. THE OTHER TROUGH AXIS IS ORIENTED NORTH
SOUTH OVER THE FAR EASTERN BERING...WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS AND
MAJORITY OF PRECIPITATION ON THE BACK SIDE OF THIS TROUGH AXIS. A
STRONG OCCLUDED FRONT IS APPROACHING THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS.

.MODEL DISCUSSION...
MODELS ARE IN FAIR AGREEMENT WITH FORECAST FAVORING GFS WHERE
DISCREPANCIES ARISE.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...
SOUTHCENTRAL...
SURFACE LOW PRESSURE IN THE GULF OF ALASKA WILL SLOWLY MOVE NORTH TO
NEAR SEWARD THROUGH WEDNESDAY AND THEN DISSIPATE. HOWEVER...MOIST
AND MILD UPPER LEVEL SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH
FRIDAY. COASTAL AREAS WILL SEE PERSISTENT RAIN MIXED WITH SNOW AT
TIMES. THE CHALLENGE WILL BE DECIDING WHEN AND IF ANY PRECIPITATION
REACHES THE NORMALLY DRIER AREAS FROM KENAI NORTHEAST TO THE
ANCHORAGE BOWL AND MATSU VALLEY. WITH UPPER LEVEL SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST
FLOW...IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SOME MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION WILL
FINALLY REACH THESE AREAS...THOUGH IF IT DOES...TEMPERATURES SHOULD
BE TOO WARM FROM ACCUMULATING SNOW.

SOUTHWEST MAINLAND...
UNSETTLED WEATHER TO PERSIST OVER THE SOUTHWEST MAINLAND WITH
PERIODS OF RAIN AND SNOW AS LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS MOVE SOUTHWEST TO
NORTHEAST ACROSS THE BERING...PASSING JUST NORTH OF THE SOUTHWEST
MAINLAND. MAIN CONCERN COMES TOMORROW NIGHT WITH A STRONG WARM FRONT
MOVING ONSHORE. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE AHEAD OF THE FRONT
FROM THE WESTERN CAPES TO THE KUSKOKWIM DELTA COAST.

BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS...
SNOW SHOWERS AND GUSTY WINDS ARE PRESENT OVER THE EASTERN
BERING/ALEUTIANS/AKPEN THIS AFTERNOON...BUT THESE WILL BE SHORTLIVED
AS A FAST MOVING SHORTWAVE RIDGE MOVES IN LATER TONIGHT. A FAIRLY
STRONG LOW AND ASSOCIATED FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS
TONIGHT AND THROUGH THE CENTRAL BERING WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
A WEAKER LOW FOLLOWS A SIMILAR TRACK THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...
PATTERN CHANGE APPEARS TO TAKE PLACE BEGINNING THIS WEEKEND...WITH
THE MEAN CYCLONIC FLOW MOVING EAST FROM THE EASTERN BERING INTO THE
MAINLAND...BRINGING WITH IT COLDER TEMPERATURES TO THE MAINLAND.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...BLIZZARD WATCH ZONES 155 161 195.
MARINE...GALE WARNING ZONES 120 125 165 170 171 172 175 176 179.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

FOISY APR 08