Alert archive / Alaska / Gale Warnings in 2008
Gale Warning 502, NWS Anchorage, AK
NWS Anchorage, AK issued this gale warning at Aug 18, 2008, 4:00 PM AKDT. It was in force for 14 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Aug 18, 2008, 4:00 PM AKDT (00:00 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 19, 2008, 6:00 AM AKDT
- In force
- 14 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Anchorage, AK
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 FZAK61 PAFC 182311 OFFAER OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK 400 PM AKDT MON AUG 18 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. PKZ399-191400- .SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A 976 MB LOW AT 54N 151W WILL MOVE TO 52N 142W AT 980 MB BY TUE AFTERNOON THEN TO 50N 131W AT 989 MB BY WED AFTERNOON. $$ PKZ351-191400- GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W 400 PM AKDT MON AUG 18 2008 ...GALE WARNING THROUGH TUESDAY... .TONIGHT...E WIND 45 KT. SEAS 19 FT. RAIN. .TUE...NE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 16 FT. .TUE NIGHT...NE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 12 FT. .WED...W WIND 15 KT. SEAS 9 FT. .WED NIGHT...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 7 FT. .THU...E WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. .FRI THROUGH SAT...SE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. $$ PKZ352-191400- GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF 144W 400 PM AKDT MON AUG 18 2008 ...GALE WARNING THROUGH TUESDAY... .TONIGHT...E WIND 40 KT. SEAS 15 FT. RAIN. .TUE...NE WIND 40 KT DIMINISHING TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 15 FT. .TUE NIGHT...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 13 FT. .WED...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 9 FT. .WED NIGHT...SE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 7 FT. .THU...E WIND 25 KT. SEAS 7 FT. .FRI...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 11 FT. .SAT...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 10 FT. $$
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this gale warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this gale warning went out at Aug 18, 1:00 PM AKDT, 3 hours earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 18, 1:00 PM AKDT, 3 hours before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
100 PM AKDT MON AUG 18 2008
.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...
STRONG VERTICALLY STACKED LOW OVER THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA MOVING
ESSENTIALLY EASTWARD. CYCLONIC FLOW AT UPPER LEVELS OVER ALL OF
SOUTHERN ALASKA. RIDGE AT THE SURFACE AND ALOFT OVER THE CENTRAL
BERING SEA. THE MAIN JET STREAM SCRAPES THE ALEUTIANS...BUT IS
ESSENTIALLY SOUTH OF THE AREA.
.MODEL DISCUSSION...
GOOD MODEL AGREEMENT THROUGH 60 HOURS. STUCK MAINLY WITH THE 00Z
AND/OR 12Z GFS FOR THE AFTERNOON PACKAGE...WITH A LITTLE 12Z NAM AND
ECMWF SPRINKLED IN FOR GOOD MEASURE. DIFFERENCES FROM 60 TO 120
HOURS ARE MAINLY IN THE DETAILS...BUT ENOUGH MODEL DIVERGENCE TO
LOWER CONFIDENCE. PREFERENCE FOR THIS PERIOD WAS SLIGHTLY TOWARD THE
ECMWF.
.SHORT TERM FORECAST...
GULF LOW STILL PRODUCING STORM FORCE WINDS THROUGH TONIGHT THEN
MOVING EAST AND SOUTH OF THE AREA WITH THE LOW BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
PLENTY OF RAIN IN KODIAK FROM THIS SYSTEM...AND POSSIBLY THE
SOUTHERN KENAI PENINSULA. SHOWERS EXPECTED INLAND THIS EVENING AND
EVEN SOME THUNDERSTORMS. THE BEST INSTABILITY IS GENERALLY NORTH OF
A LINE RUNNING FROM GLENNALLEN THROUGH MCGRATH. SOME SUPPRESSION OF
CONVECTION OVER MUCH OF SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA DUE TO HIGH CLOUDS AND
SOME DOWNWARD MOTION FROM THE GULF LOW.
ON TUESDAY MOST OF THE SHOWERS WILL BE ALONG THE BERING SEA COAST
DUE TO A RESIDUAL TROUGH OVER BRISTOL BAY. SOME WARMING ALOFT OVER
THE KUSKOKWIM VALLEY AND SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA WILL KEEP SHOWERS TO A
MINIMUM.
.LONG TERM FORECAST...
THE BRISTOL BAY LOW WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY INTO THE WEEKEND
WHILE INCREASING IN STRENGTH AND SIZE ALLOWING SHOWER ACTIVITY TO
INCREASE AGAIN OVER SOUTHER ALASKA.
BY FRIDAY AND INTO THE WEEKEND THE MODELS ARE NOT IN TOTAL AGREEMENT
ON THE TIMING OF SYSTEMS...BUT ALL AGREE ON KEEPING THE MEAN TROUGH
POSITION OVER SOUTHWEST ALASKA FOR CONTINUED SHOWERS IN THE CYCLONIC
FLOW.
.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...STORM WARNING 132 150.
GALE WARNING 120 130 138.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.
LUDWIG AUG 08The office that day
Everything else NWS Anchorage, AK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18, 4:00 PM AKDT | Small Craft Advisory | AFC | 12 hr | |
| Aug 19, 4:00 AM AKDT | Gale Warning | AFC | 12 hr | |
| Aug 19, 4:00 AM AKDT | Small Craft Advisory | AFC | 24 hr |
Nearby
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.