Gale Warning 99, NWS Juneau, AK

SOUTHEAST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
1100 AM AST SAT MAR 8 2008

.SYNOPSIS...
.SHORT RANGE...THE LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS THE PANHANDLE
UNDER MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES WITH SOME SUNNY BREAKS OVER THE FAR
SOUTHERN AND NORTH AREAS. THERE IS SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS MOVING
OVER THE AREA BUT FOR THE MOST PART THE PANHANDLE WILL BE DRY
THROUGH THE REST OF TODAY. THERE IS A VERY STRONG LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM ENTERING THE SOUTHERN GULF FROM THE NORTH PACIFIC ATTM.
THIS 970MB LOW WILL CONTINUE TO DRIFT NORTH THROUGH THE AFTERNOON
BEFORE DRIFTING NW TONIGHT. THE LOW WILL BEGIN TO FILL THROUGH
SUN AS IT CONTINUES ON THE NW TRACK TO BE NE OF KODIAK BY THE
AFTERNOON.

THE ASSOCIATED WEATHER FRONT IS MOVING INTO THE CENTRAL GULF ATTM
WITH THE BUOY WINDS IN THE CENTRAL GULF INCREASING. THE WINDS
WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE TO STORMS FORCE OVER THE OFFSHORE
WATERS THIS AFTERNOON THEN SPREAD INTO THE NORTHERN GULF TONIGHT.
THE EASTERN GULF WILL SEE THE WINDS INCREASE TO MAX GALES THIS
EVENING. THE WINDS WILL DIMINISH FROM SOUTH TO NORTH FROM EARLY
SUN MORNING THROUGH THROUGH THE AFTERNOON WITH THE LAST PLACE TO
SEE GALES WILL BE NEAR CAPE SUCKLING SUN AFTERNOON. THE INSIDE
WATERS WILL SEE GALES DEVELOP EARLY THIS EVENING IN EAST/WEST
CHANNELS AND OVER THE SOUTHERN INNER CHANNELS. WINDS WILL
INCREASE TO SMALL CRAFT IN ALL OTHER AREAS EXCEPT FOR NORTHERN
LYNN CANAL. MOST OF THESE WINDS WILL DIMINISH THROUGH SUN MORNING
TO LESS THAN 20 KT.

THE COASTAL AREAS OF THE PANHANDLE WILL BEGIN TO SEE THE WINDS
INCREASE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON ALONG WITH RAIN DEVELOPING. THE
WINDS WILL INCREASE TO WIND ADVY FOR ALL OF THE COASTAL AREAS
ALONG WITH THE SOUTHERN INNER CHANNELS THROUGH SUN MORNING. THE
REST OF THE AREA WILL SEE BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS TONIGHT. THE
ONLY AREA THAT WILL NOT SEE BREEZY WINDS WILL BE UP IN FAR INSIDE
CHANNELS AS THEY WILL HAVE A LIGHT NORTH WIND BUT ONCE THE FRONT
LIFTS OVER THE AREA PAGY WINDS WILL INCREASE OUT OF THE SOUTH TO
20 MPH. RAIN WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY THROUGH THE LATE
AFTERNOON IN THE EVENING TIME FRAME...THERE MAYBE SOME AREAS OF
HEAVY RAIN AS THERE IS STRONG UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT ALONG WITH A
100KT JET MOVING OVER THE AREA TONIGHT. THE COLD FRONT WILL LIFT
OVER THE AREA THROUGH SUN MORNING WITH SOME STRONG SHOWERS BEHIND
THE FRONT IN THE AFTERNOON. THERE MAY BE SOME SNOW OR ICE PELLETS
MIX IN WITH SOME THE STRONG SHOWERS THROUGH SUN AFTERNOON AS THE
COLD AIR BEHIND THE FRONT IS FAIRLY COLD. ABJ

.LONG RANGE...MODELS ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT THROUGH THE END OF
LONG TERM FORECAST PERIOD. WILL USE THE GFS SOLUTIONS PRIMARILY
FOR THE AFTERNOON FORECAST PACKAGE TO MAINTAIN CONSISTENCY.
RELAXING WINDS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA FROM SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH
MONDAY EVENING WILL GIVE WAY SOUTHERN ZONES PICKING UP WINDS
THROUGH MIDDAY TUESDAY AS A LOW PASSING ACROSS SOUTH OF THE QUEEN
CHARLOTTES.  A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH WILL REBUILD AND DRIFT EAST
ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH LATE TUESDAY NIGHT.  AS THE NEXT LOW
APPROACHES FROM THE PACIFIC NORTHEAST...OFFSHORE FLOW WILL
GRADUALLY INCREASE ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF AND SOUTHEAST ALASKA
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE THURSDAY.  A FRONT ASSOCIATED
WITH THE LOW WILL MOVE NORTH ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY
MORNING. REMNANTS OF TRAILING EDGE OF THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL
MOVE NORTHEAST AWAY FROM THE PANHANDLE THROUGH LATE FRIDAY NIGHT
WITH RAPIDLY IMPROVING WEATHER THROUGH SATURDAY. AHN

.AJK...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
PUBLIC...WIND ADVY...AKZ17 22 23 27 28

MARINE...STORMS...PKZ310 43 51 52
         GALES...PKZ21 22 33 35 36 41
         SCA...PKZ11 13 31>34