Gale Warning 868, NWS Anchorage, AK

000 
FZAK52 PAFC 271252
CWFALU

COASTAL WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE ALASKA
400 AM AKST SAT DEC 27 2008

COASTAL WATERS FORECAST FOR SOUTHWEST ALASKA+BRISTOL BAY+THE
ALASKA PENINSULA WATERS AND THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS UP TO 100 NM OUT.

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.

PKZ199-280300-
400 AM AKST SAT DEC 27 2008
.SYNOPSIS FOR SOUTHWEST ALASKA+BRISTOL BAY+THE ALASKA
PENINSULA WATERS AND THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS...
A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL HOLD OVER THE CENTRAL BERING SEA
THROUGH MON NIGHT. A WEATHER FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN
BERING SEA FRI NIGHT AND WEAKEN THROUGH SUN NIGHT.
$$

PKZ150-280300-
COASTAL WATERS SOUTH OF THE ALASKA PENINSULA SITKINAK TO CASTLE
CAPE
400 AM AKST SAT DEC 27 2008

...GALE WARNING THROUGH SUNDAY...
...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING THROUGH SUNDAY...

.TODAY...NW WIND 45 KT. GUSTS TO 50 KT IN THE MORNING. SEAS 15 FT.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.TONIGHT AND SUN...NW WIND 40 KT. SEAS 15 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.MON...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.TUE...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.WED...NW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 6 FT.  

$$

PKZ155-280300-
COASTAL WATERS SOUTH OF THE ALASKA PENINSULA CASTLE CAPE TO CAPE
SARICHEF
400 AM AKST SAT DEC 27 2008

...GALE WARNING THROUGH SUNDAY...

.TODAY...NW WIND 45 KT. SEAS 13 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.TONIGHT...NW WIND 40 KT. SEAS 12 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN...NW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 11 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.MON AND TUE...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 7 FT. 
.WED...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 6 FT.  

$$

PKZ160-280300-
BRISTOL BAY WATERS CAPE NEWENHAM TO PORT HEIDEN
400 AM AKST SAT DEC 27 2008

...GALE WARNING THROUGH TONIGHT...
...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING THROUGH SUNDAY...

.TODAY...N WIND 40 KT. SEAS 13 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.TONIGHT...N WIND 35 KT. SEAS 12 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS 10 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN NIGHT THROUGH TUE...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.WED...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 5 FT.  

$$

PKZ165-280300-
PORT HEIDEN TO CAPE SARICHEF
400 AM AKST SAT DEC 27 2008

...GALE WARNING THROUGH TONIGHT...
...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING THROUGH SUNDAY...

.TODAY...NW WIND 40 KT. SEAS 16 FT.  SNOW SHOWERS. HEAVY FREEZING
SPRAY. 
.TONIGHT...N WIND 35 KT. SEAS 15 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS 13 FT. SNOW SHOWERS. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN NIGHT...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.MON...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.TUE...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.WED...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 7 FT.  

$$

PKZ180-280300-
SOUTHWEST ALASKA WATERS CAPE NEWENHAM TO DALL POINT
400 AM AKST SAT DEC 27 2008

...GALE WARNING TODAY...
...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING THROUGH SUNDAY...

.TODAY...N WIND 35 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 9 FT. AREAS OF
BLOWING SNOW. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.TONIGHT...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 7 FT. HEAVY
FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 5 FT. SNOW SHOWERS.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN NIGHT AND TUE...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 7 FT.
.WED...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 4 FT.  

$$

PKZ170-280300-
EASTERN ALEUTIANS CAPE SARICHEF TO NIKOLSKI
400 AM AKST SAT DEC 27 2008

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH SUNDAY...

.TODAY...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.TONIGHT...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.SUN THROUGH MON...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.TUE...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.WED...NE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 7 FT.  

$$

PKZ171-280300-
UNALASKA BAY
400 AM AKST SAT DEC 27 2008

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH TONIGHT...

.TODAY...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.TONIGHT...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 7 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.MON AND TUE...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 7 FT. 
.WED...NE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 5 FT.  

$$

PKZ172-280300-
EASTERN ALEUTIANS NIKOLSKI TO ADAK
400 AM AKST SAT DEC 27 2008

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH SUNDAY...

.TODAY...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.TONIGHT AND SUN...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.SUN NIGHT...NE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.MON...NE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.TUE AND WED...E WIND 35 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 

$$

PKZ175-280300-
WESTERN ALEUTIANS ADAK TO KISKA
400 AM AKST SAT DEC 27 2008

...GALE WARNING THROUGH SUNDAY...

.TODAY...E WIND 40 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.TONIGHT...E WIND 40 KT. SEAS 17 FT. 
.SUN...SE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 17 FT. 
.SUN NIGHT...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 16 FT. 
.MON AND TUE...E WIND 40 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.WED...E WIND 45 KT. SEAS 20 FT.  

$$

PKZ176-280300-
WESTERN ALEUTIANS KISKA TO ATTU
400 AM AKST SAT DEC 27 2008

...STORM WARNING TODAY...

.TODAY...E WIND 50 KT. SEAS 24 FT. RAIN AND SNOW. 
.TONIGHT...SE WIND 40 KT. SEAS 25 FT. RAIN AND SNOW. 
.SUN...SE WIND 40 KT DIMINISHING TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS
22 FT. 
.SUN NIGHT...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 19 FT. 
.MON AND TUE...E WIND 45 KT. SEAS 20 FT. 
.WED...E WIND 50 KT. SEAS 24 FT.  

$$

PKZ185-280300-
ST MATTHEW ISLAND WATERS
400 AM AKST SAT DEC 27 2008

...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING THROUGH SUNDAY...
...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY TODAY AND SUNDAY...

.TODAY...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.TONIGHT...NW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 5 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 7 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN NIGHT AND MON...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 7 FT. 
.TUE...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 5 FT. 
.WED...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT.  

$$

PKZ179-280300-
PRIBILOF ISLANDS NEAR-SHORE WATERS
400 AM AKST SAT DEC 27 2008

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH TONIGHT...

.TODAY...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.TONIGHT...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 9 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 7 FT. SNOW SHOWERS. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN NIGHT...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.MON...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.TUE...NE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.WED...NE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 6 FT.  

$$

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
300 PM AKST FRI DEC 26 2008

.MODEL DISCUSSION...MODELS ARE DOING WELL WITH THE WEATHER PATTERN
BECOMING MORE SETTLED. NOT REAL CONCERNS INTO NEXT WEEK WITH THE
MODELS.

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...THE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN IS BEGINNING
TO SETTLE DOWN INTO A MORE STABLE ONE. THE UPPER LEVEL AND SURFACE
HIGH OVER THE BERING SEA WILL REMAIN IN PLACE INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT
WEEK. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE EASTERN PART OF THE STATE AND
INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA WILL MOVE INTO SOUTHEAST ALASKA BY SUNDAY
WHILE THE STRONG SURFACE LOW JUST A LITTLE SOUTH OF YAKUTAT WILL
SLOWLY WEAKEN AND DRIFT SOUTHEAST OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
THE MAIN PART OF THE JET STREAM WILL REMAIN SOUTH OF THE AREA BUT A
JET STREAK BETWEEN THE BERING SEA HIGH AND GULF LOW WILL BE PRESENT
OVER THE EASTERN BERING SEA AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA THROUGH SUNDAY
NIGHT.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...THE MAJOR FORECAST ISSUE FOR ALL AREAS WILL BE
WIND. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT IS QUITE TIGHT OVER MUCH OF THE STATE AND
WINDS ALONG THE NORTH GULF COAST AND KODIAK ISLAND ARE ESPECIALLY
STRONG. THESE WILL SLOWLY DIMINISH OVERNIGHT AND THROUGH SATURDAY AS
THE LOW IN THE GULF WEAKENS.
THE NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE BERING SEA IS ALSO CONDUCIVE FOR SNOW
SHOWERS ALONG THE ALASKA PENINSULA AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. THERE IS A
SHORT WAVE MOVING ACROSS THE ALASKA PENINSULA THIS AFTERNOON AND IT
WILL BRING BRIEF PERIODS OF NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS. THESE ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO BE LONG LIVED SO A BLIZZARD WARNING IS NOT EXPECTED AT
THIS TIME.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...COLD AND BREEZY.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...BLIZZARD WARNING 125 131. HIGH WIND WARNING 171.
MARINE...GALE 120 121 129 141 155 160 165 170 171 175 176 179 180.
         STORM 130 132 138 140 150.
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 121 129 130 132 138 140 141 150 160 165
                              180 185.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

DEC 08