Gale Warning 28, NWS Fairbanks, AK

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
435 AM AST TUE FEB 19 2008

.DISCUSSION...

ALOFT...FAST SOUTHERLY FLOW OVER NORTHERN ALASKA WILL DIMINISH
BY 12Z FRI. VERY WARM TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL COOL SOME BY 12Z
FRI...BUT REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.

ANOTHER SURGE OF STRONG WINDS BELOW 600 MB WILL SWEEP ACROSS
THE INTERIOR THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH TONIGHT...BRINGING ANOTHER
ROUND OF ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS IN ALASKA RANGE PASSES AND IN
THE DELTA JUNCTION AREA...AND ABOVE TREE LINE IN ZONES 220-221-222.

THE WIND FORECAST ALONG THE EASTERN ARCTIC COAST CONTINUE TO
BE PROBLEMATICAL...HOWEVER THE CURRENT MODEL RUNS ARE NOT AS
DIVERGENT AS THE ONES FROM YESTERDAYS FORECAST CYCLE. GFS/NAM/ECMWF
DEVELOPING A WEAK LOW OVER THE EASTERN INTERIOR ARCTIC SLOPE BY
12Z WED. NAM/ECMWF SOLUTIONS FOR 00Z THU SHOW THIS LOW BECOMING
ABSORBED BY A DEEPER LOW MOVING NORTHWARD ALONG THE WEST COAST.
GFS MAINTAINS THE EASTERN LOW AS A SEPARATE ENTITY MOVING IT
SLOWLY NORTH INTO THE ARCTIC. TODAYS GFS RUN A LOT LESS AGGRESSSIVE
IN DEEPENING THE EASTERN LOW AND IN THAT RESPECT IS MUCH MORE IN
LINE WITH THE NAM/ECMWF. ALL MODELS KEEPING THE STRONGEST WINDS
OFFSHORE. HAVE OPTED FOR SOME INCREASE IN WINDS IN THE ARCTIC
WITH SOME BLOWING SNOW...BUT BLIZZARD SEEMS UNLIKELY. A STRIKE
AGAINST BLIZZARD CONDITIONS IS THE LACK OF STRONG HIGH PRESSURE IN
THE ARCTIC.

BRISK NORTH WINDS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER MUCH OF THE WEST COAST
TONIGHT...LIKELY CONTINUING INTO FRIDAY. WITH SHARP COLD ADVECTION
INDICATED AT LOWER LEVELS...WIND CHILL WILL LIKELY BE AN ISSUE FOR
THE WEST COAST AREAS LATER IN THE WORK WEEK.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ220-AKZ221-AKZ222-AKZ223-AKZ225-AKZ226.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ213.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ245.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ225-PKZ230-PKZ235-
PKZ240-PKZ245.

&&

RF FEB 08