Gale Warning 216, NWS Anchorage, AK

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
400 AM AKST WED FEB 25 2009

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...
VERY STRONG MATURE AND VERTICALLY STACKED LOW OVER THE EASTERN
BERING SEA THIS MORNING. THIS IS SQUEEZING OVER AN IMPRESSIVE UPPER
RIDGE ALONG 170 DEGREES WEST LONGITUDE. A DEEP UPPER LOW OVER
SIBERIA AND ANOTHER OVER HUDSON BAY ARE A FULL SINE WAVE OF HIGHLY
AMPLIFIED FLOW.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...
HURRICANE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED THIS MORNING AROUND THE BERING
LOW AND THEN DIMINISHING THIS EVENING AS THE LOW MOVES INLAND NORTH
OF BETHEL AND THEN WEAKENS RAPIDLY LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY
MORNING. AFTER THE UPPER LOW TOPS THE 170 DEGREE WEST RIDGE IT WILL
QUICKLY DROP SOUTHWARD OVER SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA AND THE RIDGE WILL
POP BACK UP OVER THE EASTERN BERING.

BY THURSDAY EVENING THE UPPER LOW WILL ALREADY BE TO THE PANHANDLE
AND MOST WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH IT WILL CLEAR THE AREA. YET ANOTHER
LOW OVER THE WESTERN BERING SEA WILL THEN SQUEEZE OVER THE TOP OF
THE RIDGE WITH THE WEATHER FROM THIS SYSTEM REACHING THE PRIBILOFS
AND EASTERN ALEUTIANS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THE WEST COAST OF
MAINLAND ALASKA FRIDAY MORNING.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...
THE SYSTEM ALONG THE WEST COAST OF ALASKA ON FRIDAY WILL AGAIN DROP
INTO SOUTH CENTRAL ON SATURDAY...BUT THE FRONT WILL BE EVEN MORE
STRETCHED OUT THAN THE THURSDAY LOW. THE RIDGE WILL ALSO NOT REBOUND
SO FAR NORTH AND THIS WILL ALLOW MORE ZONAL FLOW THROUGH SOUTHERN
ALASKA FOR THE EARLY PORTION OF NEXT WEEK.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...BLIZZARD WARNING 155 161.
         HIGH WIND WARNING 185 195.
MARINE...HURRICANE FORCE WIND WARNING 179.
         STORM WARNING 130 160 165 170 176 180 185.
         GALE WARNING 120 132 138 150 155 171 172 175.
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING 160 185.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

LUDWIG FEB 09