Gale Warning 17, NWS Anchorage, AK

000 
FZAK61 PAFC 150004
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 PM AKST WED JAN 14 2009

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W

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.

PKZ399-151500-
400 PM AKST WED JAN 14 2009
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...

SOUTH FLOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRI. A WEATHER FRONT OVER THE
SOUTHWEST GULF WILL MOVE TO THE EASTERN GULF THU MORNING. A
DEVELOPING LOW OVER THE NORTH PACIFIC WILL STRENGTHEN TO 969 MB NEAR
54N 155W THU NIGHT THEN MOVE INLAND NEAR 59N 159W FRI AFTERNOON.

$$

PKZ351-151500-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W
400 PM AKST WED JAN 14 2009

...GALE WARNING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...SE WIND 35 KT DIMINISHING TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
21 FT. RAIN.
.THU...SE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 21 FT. RAIN.
.THU NIGHT...SE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 19 FT. RAIN.
.FRI...SE WIND 40 KT. SEAS 21 FT. 
.FRI NIGHT...S WIND 25 KT. SEAS 19 FT. 
.SAT...SE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 18 FT. 
.SUN...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 16 FT. 
.MON...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 12 FT.  

$$

PKZ352-151500-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W
400 PM AKST WED JAN 14 2009

...GALE WARNING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...SE WIND 35 KT. SEAS BUILDING TO 22 FT. 
.THU...SE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 22 FT. RAIN.
.THU NIGHT...SE WIND 40 KT. SEAS 22 FT. RAIN.
.FRI...S WIND 40 KT. SEAS 22 FT. 
.FRI NIGHT...S WIND 25 KT. SEAS 19 FT. 
.SAT...SE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 17 FT. 
.SUN...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.MON...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 11 FT.  

$$

000 
FZAK61 PAFC 151243
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 AM AKST THU JAN 15 2009

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W

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.

PKZ399-160300-
400 AM AKST THU JAN 15 2009
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...
A DEVELOPING LOW IN THE NORTH PACIFIC WILL STRENGTHEN TO 956 MB NEAR
56N 157W EARLY FRI MORNING AND THEN MOVE INLAND NEAR 59N 159W FRI
AFTERNOON. A 988 MB LOW WILL DEVELOP NEAR 53N 158W SAT MORNING.
$$

PKZ351-160300-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W
400 AM AKST THU JAN 15 2009

...STORM WARNING FRIDAY...

.TODAY...S WIND 35 KT. SEAS 20 FT. RAIN.
.TONIGHT...SE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 21 FT. 
.FRI...SE WIND 50 KT BECOMING S 35 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 24 FT. 
.FRI NIGHT...S WIND 35 KT. SEAS 22 FT. 
.SAT AND SUN...S WIND 30 KT. SEAS 17 FT. 
.MON...NW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 11 FT.  
$$

PKZ352-160300-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W
400 AM AKST THU JAN 15 2009

...GALE WARNING THROUGH FRIDAY...

.TODAY...SE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 22 FT. RAIN.
.TONIGHT...SE WIND 40 KT. SEAS 23 FT. 
.FRI...SE WIND 45 KT BECOMING S 35 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 24 FT. 
.FRI NIGHT...SE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 21 FT. 
.SAT...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 16 FT. 
.SUN...SW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.MON...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT.  
$$

000 
FZAK61 PAFC 160034
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 PM AKST THU JAN 15 2009

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W

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.

PKZ399-161500-
400 PM AKST THU JAN 15 2009
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...
SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRI NIGHT. A DEVELOPING LOW IN
THE NORTH PACIFIC WILL STRENGTHEN TO 957 MB NEAR 56N 158W FRI MORNING
THEN MOVE INLAND NEAR 59N 160W FRI AFTERNOON. ANOTHER LOW OVER THE
NORTH PACIFIC WILL MOVE WILL MOVE NORTH AND STRENGTHEN TO 981 MB NEAR
58N 145W SAT AFTERNOON.
$$

PKZ351-161500-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W
400 PM AKST THU JAN 15 2009

...STORM WARNING FRIDAY...

.TONIGHT...SE WIND 30  KT INCREASING TO E 45 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
BUILDING TO 21 FT. RAIN.
.FRI...SE WIND 50 KT BECOMING S 40 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 25 FT.
RAIN.
.FRI NIGHT...S WIND 30 KT BECOMING SE 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
20 FT SUBSIDING. 
.SAT...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 17 FT. 
.SAT NIGHT...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.SUN...S WIND 30 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.MON...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.TUE...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT.  

$$

PKZ352-161500-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W
400 PM AKST THU JAN 15 2009

...STORM WARNING FRIDAY...

.TONIGHT...SE WIND 30 KT INCREASING TO 45 KT AROUND MIDNIGHT. SEAS
BUILDING TO 23 FT. RAIN.
.FRI...SE WIND 55 KT BECOMING S 35 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 28 FT.
RAIN.
.FRI NIGHT...S WIND 30 KT BECOMING SE 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
21 FT SUBSIDING. 
.SAT...N WIND 35 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.SAT NIGHT...E WIND 25 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.SUN...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.MON...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.TUE...S WIND 25 KT. SEAS 11 FT.  

$$

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
500 PM AKST TUE JAN 13 2009

.MODEL DISCUSSION...
MODELS ARE IN GENERALLY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT THOUGH
THERE STILL TIMING DIFFERENCES OF THE SHORTWAVES MOVING INTO THE GULF
AND SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA.

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...
AN UPPER TROUGH OVER THE BERING SEA AND AN UPPER RIDGE ALONG THE WEST
COAST OF CANADA AND OVER SOUTHEAST ALASKA CONTINUES TO STEER STRONG
SOUTHERLY FLOW OVER MAINLAND ALASKA.

A 964 MB LOW SOUTH OF THE CENTRAL ALEUTIANS WITH A WEATHER FRONT OVER
THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS, THE ALASKA PENINSULA AND THE GULF OF ALASKA
HAD MOVED SNOW INTO BRISTOL BAY, EASTERN KUSKOKWIM VALLEY, THE
SUSITNA VALLEY AND MOST OF SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA THIS MORNING. SNOW IS
EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO RAIN ALONG THE CENTRAL GULF COAST AND PARTS OF
BRISTOL BAY THIS EVENING.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...
ALEUTIANS AND BERING SEA...THE LOW SOUTH OF THE CHAIN WILL TURN
NORTHEAST AND DISSIPATE NEAR DUTCH HARBOR THURSDAY. ANOTHER 970 MB
LOW WILL DEVELOP SOUTH OF THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS THURSDAY. THE AREA OF
WARM AIR ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE LOW SPREAD INTO THE EASTERN BERING
THROUGH TONIGHT. A STRONG NORTHERN WINDS OVER THE CENTRAL AND WESTERN
BERING WILL PERSIST THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. A STATIONARY FRONT WILL
DEVELOP ALONG 170W LONGITUDE BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND REMAIN THROUGH
THURSDAY.

SOUTHWEST ALASKA....STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE WARM
MOIST AIR INTO THE AREA THROUGH THE PERIOD. AREAS OF SNOW OVER
BRISTOL BAY AND EASTERN KUSKOKWIM VALLEY WILL SPREAD INTO REST OF
SOUTHWEST ALASKA BY LATE TONIGHT. THE SNOW WILL CHANGE TO RAIN WITH A
FEW AREAS OF FREEZING RAIN OVER THE BRISTOL BAY ZONE TONIGHT AND OVER
MOST OF THE KUSKOKWIM VALLEY AND INLAND PORTIONS OF THE KUSKOKWIM
DELTA WEDNESDAY. NORTH WINDS ALONG THE KUSKOKWIM DELTA COAST WILL
INCREASE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY WITH POSSIBLE BLIZZARD CONDITION
DEVELOPING ALONG THE COAST WEDNESDAY. WINDS WILL DIMINISH WEDNESDAY
EVENING.

SOUTHCENTRAL AK...
A STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH WARMER, MOISTER AIR
OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA AND SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA THROUGH THURSDAY
NIGHT. SNOW WILL BEGIN TO CHANGE TO RAIN FROM THE SOUTH AS
TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO WARM THROUGH TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. THE
WESTERN SUSITNA VALLEY AND NORTHERN COPPER RIVER BASIN IS EXPECTED TO
GET THE MOST SNOW DUE TO UPSLOPE EFFECTS. ISOLATED AREAS OF FREEZING
RAIN MAY DEVELOP AS THE THE PRECIPITATION TRANSITION FROM SNOW TO
RAIN. LOCAL GAP WINDS WILL DEVELOP THROUGH THE KENAI AND CHUGACH
MOUNTAINS AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT INCREASES OVER THE SOUTHCENTRAL
REGION OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...
VERY LITTLE CHANGE IS EXPECTED IN THE OVERALL PATTERN. THE LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM NEAR THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS WILL WEAKEN AND DIG A
TROUGH OVER WESTERN ALASKA TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK. THIS WILL MOVE
THE CORE OF STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW FROM THE CENTRAL GULF INTO THE
EASTERN GULF BY THE WEEKEND.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...HIGH WIND WATCH FOR ZONES 101 AND 125 ALONG TURNAGAIN ARM.
MARINE...STORM...120
         GALE...125, 130, 132, 150, 170, 172, 175, 176,179, 180, 185
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

NM JAN 09