Gale Warning 599, NWS Anchorage, AK

000 
FZAK61 PAFC 241046
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 AM AKDT FRI OCT 24 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.

PKZ399-250200-
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...STRONG WESTERLY FLOW OVER
THE GULF TODAY WILL WEAKEN TONIGHT AS WEAK HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN. A
990 MB LOW MOVES NORTHEAST TO 55N 146W LATE SAT NIGHT.
$$

PKZ351-250200-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W
400 AM AKDT FRI OCT 24 2008

...GALE WARNING THROUGH TONIGHT...

.TODAY...W WIND 45 KT. GUSTS TO 55 KT THIS MORNING. SEAS 24 FT. 
.TONIGHT...W WIND 35 KT BECOMING SW 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
SUBSIDING TO 18 FT.  
.SAT...SE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.SAT NIGHT...E WIND 40 KT. SEAS 16 FT. 
.SUN...NE WIND 40 KT. SEAS 17 FT. 
.MON...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.TUE...W WIND 20 KT. SEAS 9 FT.  

$$

PKZ352-250200-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W
400 AM AKDT FRI OCT 24 2008

...GALE WARNING TODAY AND SATURDAY...

.TODAY...W WIND 35 KT. GUSTS TO 45 KT THIS MORNING. SEAS 24 FT.  
.TONIGHT...W WIND 25 KT BECOMING SE 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
SUBSIDING TO 18 FT. 
.SAT...E WIND 25 KT INCREASING TO 40 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS
14 FT. 
.SAT NIGHT...E WIND 50 KT. SEAS 22 FT. 
.SUN...N WIND 40 KT. SEAS 18 FT. 
.MON...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 16 FT. 
.TUE...W WIND 20 KT. SEAS 9 FT.  

$$

000 
FZAK61 PAFC 250004 CCA
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 PM AKDT FRI OCT 24 2008

CORRECTED ZONE 352

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.

PKZ399-251400-
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...

A RIDGE OVER KODIAK ISLAND WILL MOVE ACROSS THE GULF BY SAT
AFTERNOON. A 1009 MB LOW OVER THE CENTRAL NORTH PACIFIC WILL
STRENGTHEN TO 984 MB NEAR 53N 153W SAT AFTERNOON THEN WEAKEN TO 994
MB NEAR 56N 143W SUN AFTERNOON.

$$

PKZ351-251400-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W
400 PM AKDT FRI OCT 24 2008

...STORM WARNING SATURDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...W WIND 35 KT BECOMING SW 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
19 FT. 
.SAT...SE WIND 20 KT INCREASING TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS
12 FT. 
.SAT NIGHT...NE WIND INCREASING TO 50 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 19 FT.
RAIN.
.SUN...NE WIND 50 KT. SEAS 20 FT. 
.SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.MON...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.TUE...W WIND 20 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.WED...E WIND 15 KT. SEAS 4 FT.  

$$

PKZ352-251400-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W
400 PM AKDT FRI OCT 24 2008

...STORM WARNING SATURDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...W WIND 35 KT BECOMING SE 15 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
20 FT. 
.SAT...E WIND 25 KT INCREASING TO 35 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS
BUILDING TO 16 FT. 
.SAT NIGHT...E WIND 55 KT. SEAS 19 FT. RAIN.
.SUN...N WIND 50 KT. SEAS 21 FT. 
.SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.MON...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.TUE...W WIND 20 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.WED...SE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 5 FT.  

$$

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
500 AM AKDT THU OCT 23 2008

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...
A 974 MB LOW IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF ALASKA JUST SOUTHWEST OF
MIDDLETON ISLAND IS THE MAIN FEATURE OF INTEREST THIS MORNING. THE
LOW MOVES ONSHORE NEAR CORDOVA THIS EVENING. SEVERAL WEAK SHORTWAVES
AND WEAK SURFACE LOWS IN COLD NORTHWEST FLOW ARE PRESENT OUT WEST.
ONE WEAK LOW IS OVER NORTON SOUND THIS MORNING AND TWO OTHERS ARE
PRESENT BETWEEN SAINT MATTHEW AND THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS.

.MODEL DISCUSSION...
MODELS ARE HAVING A FEW ISSUES AND FORECAST GENERALLY REFLECTS THE
BEST COMPROMISE POSSIBLE UNTIL THE MODELS GET A BETTER HANDLE ON
THINGS. ONE POINT OF CONTENTION IS THE HANDLING OF SEVERAL COMPLEX
LOWS OUT IN THE BERING. ANOTHER ISSUE IS A WEAK LOW TRYING TO
UNDERCUT THE EASTERN BERING RIDGE AND MOVE IN THE FAR WESTERN GULF
LATE FRIDAY OR FRIDAY NIGHT.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...
SOUTHCENTRAL...
974 MB LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM TO MOVE ONSHORE AROUND CORDOVA THIS
EVENING. SNOW EXTENDS NORTH FROM THE LOW INTO PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
AND THE COPPER RIVER BASIN. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW IS IN
EFFECT LATE TODAY THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING FOR THE COPPER RIVER
BASIN...AND A BLIZZARD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THOMPSON PASS. AREAS
WEST OF A LINE FROM THE WESTERN KENAI TO ANCHORAGE TO TALKEETNA ARE
EXPECTED TO REMAIN DRY FROM THIS SYSTEM. A BIG ISSUE WILL BE THE
WINDS TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF THE LOW. QUITE A FEW AREAS IN THE
NORTHERN GULF COASTAL WATERS...ESPECIALLY NEAR CHANNELED
TERRAIN...WILL SEE STORM FORCE WINDS OR WIND GUSTS LATE TODAY
THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. THE COLDEST AIR OF THE SEASON WILL BE
USHERED IN ON THESE NORTH TO WEST WINDS AND WITH HIGH PRESSURE
BUILDING IN FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...SATURDAY MORNING COULD BE
VERY COLD.

SOUTHWEST MAINLAND...
COLD TEMPERATURES WILL BE THE MAIN STORY OVER THE SOUTHWEST MAINLAND
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WEAK SHORTWAVES IN NORTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL
BRING SOME ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS TO THE REGION.

BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS...
COOL WEST TO NORTHWEST UPPER LEVEL FLOW WILL PERSIST THROUGH
SATURDAY WITH SHOWER ACTIVITY...MAINLY FALLING AS SNOW. WINDS WILL
GENERALLY BE AT OR BELOW SMALL CRAFT LEVEL WITH THE EXCEPTION OF
GALE FORCE WINDS TODAY INTO THIS EVENING FROM THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS
EASTWARD ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE GULF LOW.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...
ANOTHER DECENT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE NORTH INTO
THE GULF OF ALASKA SATURDAY NIGHT OR SUNDAY. WARMER UPPER LEVEL
WESTERLY FLOW IS EXPECTED TO TAKE OVER AT LEAST THE WEST/CENTRAL
BERING/ALEUTIANS SUNDAY AND MONDAY.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...BLIZZARD WARNING 131 THOMPSON PASS.
MARINE...STORM WARNING 120 130 132 351 352
         GALE WARNING 121 125 129 138 140 141 150 155 160 165 170
            414.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

FOISY OCT 08