Alert archive / Alaska / Gale Warnings in 2008

Gale Warning 2, NWS Juneau, AK

January 6, 2008

NWS Juneau, AK issued this gale warning at Jan 6, 2008, 11:00 PM AKST. It was in force for 24 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
Jan 6, 2008, 11:00 PM AKST (08:00 UTC)
Expired
Jan 7, 2008, 11:00 PM AKST
In force
24 hr
Issued by
NWS Juneau, AK

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
FZAK67 PAJK 071224
OFFAJK

OFFSHORE FORECAST FOR GULF OF ALASKA EAST OF 144 WEST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
400 AM AST MON JAN 7 2008

WIND FORECASTS REFLECT THE PREDOMINANT SPEED AND DIRECTION
EXPECTED. SEA FORECASTS REPRESENT THE AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST
ONE-THIRD OF THE COMBINED WINDWAVE AND SWELL HEIGHT.

PKZ398-080630-
.SYNOPSIS FOR GULF OF ALASKA NORTH OF 55 NORTH AND EAST OF
144 WEST...
A STRONG GALE FORCE LOW WILL MOVE N INTO THE FAR SE GULF BY TUE
MORNING...THEN WEAKEN SLIGHTLY AS IT MOVES NW TO THE
NORTH-CENTRAL GULF BY LATE TUE NIGHT. A SHARP LOW PRESSURE
TROUGH WILL EXTEND NW FROM THE LOW INTO THE NORTH-CENTRAL GULF
MON NIGHT AND TUE. 

$$

PKZ310-080630-
GULF OF ALASKA NORTH OF 55 DEGREES NORTH AND EAST OF 144 DEGREES
WEST-
400 AM AST MON JAN 7 2008

...GALE WARNING TONIGHT...

.TODAY...SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. W SWELL. RAIN AND SNOW
SHOWERS.
.TONIGHT...E WIND 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 10 TO 16 FT. RAIN.
.TUE...NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 14 FT S SWELL. RAIN.
.TUE NIGHT...SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 15 FT. SW SWELL. RAIN.
.WED...S WIND 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 12 FT. SW SWELL. 
.THU...SW WIND 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.FRI...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT.  

$$
2 follow-up statements
000 
FZAK67 PAJK 080026
OFFAJK

OFFSHORE FORECAST FOR GULF OF ALASKA EAST OF 144 WEST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
326 PM AST MON JAN 7 2008

WIND FORECASTS REFLECT THE PREDOMINANT SPEED AND DIRECTION
EXPECTED. SEA FORECASTS REPRESENT THE AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST
ONE-THIRD OF THE COMBINED WINDWAVE AND SWELL HEIGHT.

PKZ398-081830-
.SYNOPSIS FOR GULF OF ALASKA NORTH OF 55 NORTH AND EAST OF
144 WEST...
A 973 MB LOW ENTERING THE EASTERN GULF TONIGHT WILL SLOWLY
WEAKEN AS IT MOVES N THROUGH WED MORNING. A STRONG WEATHER FRONT
ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW WILL AFFECT THE EASTERN GULF AND SE AK
THROUGH WED. ANOTHER LOW WILL ENTER THE S EASTERN GULF WED
NIGHT.  

$$

PKZ310-081830-
GULF OF ALASKA NORTH OF 55 DEGREES NORTH AND EAST OF 144 DEGREES
WEST-
326 PM AST MON JAN 7 2008

...GALE WARNING TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...

.TONIGHT...E WIND INCREASING TO 25 TO 35 KT THROUGH THE EVENING.
SEAS 9 BUILDING TO 15 FT LATE. RAIN.
.TUE...NE WIND 25 TO 35 KT...DECREASING TO 20 TO 30 KT IN THE
AFTERNOON. SEAS 13 TO 17 FT...SUBSIDING TO 10 TO 15 FT IN THE
AFTERNOON. RAIN. 
.TUE NIGHT...W WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 17 FT. SW SWELL. RAIN.
.WED...S WIND 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 14 FT. SW SWELL. 
.WED NIGHT...E WIND 15 KT. SEAS 10 FT. SW SWELL. 
.THU...W WIND 15 TO 20 KT. SEAS 11 FT. SW SWELL. 
.FRI...SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.SAT...SW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 15 FT.  

$$
000 
FZAK67 PAJK 081230
OFFAJK

OFFSHORE FORECAST FOR GULF OF ALASKA EAST OF 144 WEST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
400 AM AST TUE JAN 8 2008 

WIND FORECASTS REFLECT THE PREDOMINANT SPEED AND DIRECTION
EXPECTED. SEA FORECASTS REPRESENT THE AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST
ONE-THIRD OF THE COMBINED WINDWAVE AND SWELL HEIGHT.

PKZ398-090100-
.SYNOPSIS FOR GULF OF ALASKA NORTH OF 55 NORTH AND EAST OF
144 WEST...
A 975 MB LOW OVER THE EASTERN GULF WILL SLOWLY WEAKEN AS IT
MOVES N THROUGH WED MORNING. A STRONG WEATHER FRONT ASSOCIATED
WITH THE LOW WILL AFFECT THE EASTERN GULF AND SE AK THROUGH WED.
ANOTHER LOW WILL ENTER THE S EASTERN GULF WED NIGHT.  

$$

PKZ310-090100-
GULF OF ALASKA NORTH OF 55 DEGREES NORTH AND EAST OF 144 DEGREES
WEST-
400 AM AST TUE JAN 8 2008 

.TODAY...NE WIND 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 15 FT. RAIN.
.TONIGHT...NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 15 FT. SW SWELL. RAIN IN THE
EVENING.  
.WED...SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 14 FT. SW SWELL. 
.WED NIGHT...N WIND 15 KT. SEAS 9 FT. SW SWELL. 
.THU...SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT. SW SWELL. 
.FRI...SE GALE TO 35 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.SAT...S GALE TO 40 KT. SEAS 15 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 Juneau, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this gale warning went out at Jan 6, 6:00 AM AKST, 17 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 6, 6:00 AM AKST, 17 hours before
SOUTHEAST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
1100 AM AST SUN JAN 6 2008

.SYNOPSIS...
.SHORT RANGE...THE MORNING SATELLITE LOOP SHOWS A WEAKENING
TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE SLOWLY DRIFTING NORTH ACROSS THE PANHANDLE
WITH A LITTLE BREAK IN OVERCAST OVER SOUTHERN ZONES.  THE 12Z GFS
KEEPS THE SAME SYNOPTIC CONDITION FROM THE PREVIOUS RUN.  NO NEED
TO MAKE ANY BIG CHANGES.  WILL GO WITH A COSMETIC TOUCH OVER THE
INHERITED GRIDS.  THIS CURRENT TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN AND
MOVE NORTH THROUGH MONDAY MORNING WITH HEAVY SNOW FOR YAKUTAT AND
GUSTAVUS ZONES.  THIS DRIFTING TROUGH SEEMS LIKE TO GENERATE A
WELL ORGANIZED LINE OF LIFTING ACROSS THE NORTHERN ZONES.  WITH
AN INCREASING SOUTHEAST FLOW OVER THE AREA...THE AFTERNOON
FORECAST PACKAGE WILL NEED TO INCLUDE A SNOW ADVISORY FOR
GUSTAVUS AND A HEAVY SNOW FOR YAKUTAT.  CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
ZONES MAY RECEIVE 1 TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW.

A DEVELOPING LOW WILL MOVE INTO THE CENTRAL GULF MONDAY MORNING
WILL PUSH A FRONT INTO THE SOUTHERN ZONES THROUGH LATE MONDAY.
WINDS WILL PICK UP OVER THE SOUTHERN OUTSIDE WATERS AND CLARENCE
STRAIT TO  GALE FORCE LATE MONDAY.  ZONES 27 AND 28 LOOK LIKE TO
MEET THE WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA LATE MONDAY EVENING.  AHN

.LONG RANGE...THE MODELS THIS MORE ARE IN FAIR AGREEMENT THROUGH
MOST OF THE WEEK. THERE IS SOME DIFFERENCES WITH WHERE THE LOW
LIFTING INTO THE GULF MON NIGHT WILL TRACK THE REST OF THE WEEK.
IT LOOKS LIKE THE GFS IS THE OUTLIER WITH KEEPING THE LOW FURTHER
SOUTH IN THE CENTRAL GULF WHILE THE ECMWF AND UKMET WEAKEN THE
LOW TO A TROF AS IT LIFTS INTO THE NORTHERN GULF LATE TUE NIGHT
INTO WED. AFTER COORDINATING WITH ANC AND NCEP WILL GO WITH THE
FURTHER NORTH SOLUTION SO WILL BLEND 70 PERCENT ECMWF AND THE 30
PERCENT 12Z GFS. THE LARGEST IMPACTS TO THE FORECAST WILL BE IN
THE WINDS AS THEY WILL DIMINISH SOONER THROUGH THE WEEK THAN
PREVIOUS PACKAGE.

A 975 MB LOW WILL BE LIFTING OUT OF THE NORTH PACIFIC INTO THE SE
GULF THROUGH MON NIGHT. THIS LOW WILL KEEP THE STRONG ADVY WIND
GUSTS GOING OVER THE SOUTHERN COASTAL ZONES THROUGH THE NIGHT.
THESE STRONG GUSTS WILL MOVE NORTH THROUGH MON NIGHT TO INCLUDE
ZONE 23 26 29. THE REST OF THE PANHANDLE WILL SEE BREEZY TO WINDY
CONDITIONS THROUGH TUE WITH ADVY GUSTS NEAR PAGY THROUGH TUE. THE
MARINE AREAS WILL SEE GALES OVER THE COASTAL AREAS WITH SMALL
CRAFTS OVER THE INSIDE WATERS WITH STRONGER GUSTS OUT OF INTERIOR
PASSES MON NIGHT THROUGH TUE AFTERNOON.

AS FOR PRECIP...THE NORTHERN AREAS WILL REMAIN ON THE DRY SIDE
THROUGH TUE MORNING BEFORE THE MOISTURE LIFTS NORTH BY THE
AFTERNOON. THE SOUTHERN COASTAL AREAS WILL SEE RAIN THROUGH MON
NIGHT WITH A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW OVER THE CENTRAL AREAS
DEVELOPING BY TUE MORNING. AMOUNTS WILL NOT BE THAT MUCH AS BY
THE AFTERNOON MOST OF THE MIX PRECIP WILL HAVE CHANGED TO ALL
RAIN. THE NORTHERN AREAS WILL SEE MAINLY ALL SNOW WITH SOME MIX
PRECIP THROUGH TUE AFTERNOON WITH AMOUNTS ON THE LOW SIDE.

SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE OVER THE PANHANDLE THROUGH THE REST
OF THE WEEK AS THE LOW MOVES INTO THE NORTHERN GULF AND DISSIPATE
BY WED NIGHT AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROF MOVES INLAND. THESE SHOWERS
WILL BE SOLID AS IT WILL BE ON THE COLDER SIDE.

THERE IS SOME DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS WITH A LOW THAT WILL MOVE JUST
SOUTH OF THE PANHANDLE ON WED NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. THE ECMWF
BRINGS THIS LOW OVER THE SOUTHERN AREAS OF THE SE AK BUT THE GFS
MOVES THIS FEATURE WELL TO THE SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA...WILL
NOT CHANGE THIS PART OF THE FORECAST THROUGH DAY 7 AS THERE IS
LARGE SPREADS IN THE EVOLUTION OF THE WEATHER PATTERN AS THE
MODELS ARE ALSO SHOWING ANOTHER FAIRLY STRONG LOW MOVING INTO THE
GULF FOR NEXT WEEKEND.

.AJK...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
PUBLIC...HVY SNOW WRNG FOR AKZ017 THRU MON AM. ...SNOW ADVY FOR
AKZ020 THROUGH MON PM.
MARINE...GALE WRNG FOR PKZ041-036 MON. ...SCA FOR REST OF CSTL
WTRS.

The office that day

Everything else NWS Juneau, AK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 6, 3:06 PM AKSTSnow AdvisoryAJK29 hr
Jan 6, 11:00 PM AKSTGale WarningAJK36 hr
Jan 7, 10:22 AM AKSTGale WarningAJK25 hr
Jan 7, 10:22 AM AKSTSmall Craft AdvisoryAJK6 days
Jan 7, 10:23 AM AKSTGale WarningAJK25 hr

Nearby

Gale Warnings in Alaska, 2008Every gale warning in 2008

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.