Gale Warning 245, NWS Anchorage, AK

000 
FZAK62 PAFC 172352
OFFALU

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 PM AKDT TUE MAR 17 2009

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA

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.

PKZ499-181400-
400 PM AKDT TUE MAR 17 2009
.SYNOPSIS FOR CENTRAL BERING SEA...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE CENTRAL BERING SEA THROUGH THU. A
WEATHER FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS THU.

$$

PKZ411-181400-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE WEST OF 180 AND EAST OF THE INTERNATIONAL
DATELINE
400 PM AKDT TUE MAR 17 2009

.TONIGHT...E WIND 25 KT. SEAS 11 FT. FREEZING SPRAY N OF 56N. 
.WED...SE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.WED NIGHT...SE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.THU...SE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.THU NIGHT...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.FRI...E WIND 35 KT. SEAS 16 FT. 
.SAT...E WIND 40 KT. SEAS 19 FT. 
.SUN...NE WIND 40 KT. SEAS 21 FT.  

$$

PKZ412-181400-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND NORTH OF 56N
400 PM AKDT TUE MAR 17 2009

...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.WED...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 7 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY.
.WED NIGHT...NW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 6 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.THU...NW WIND 15 KT. SEAS 5 FT. 
.THU NIGHT...NE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.FRI...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.SAT...NE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.SUN...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS 15 FT.  

$$

PKZ413-181400-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND SOUTH OF 56N
400 PM AKDT TUE MAR 17 2009

.TONIGHT...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.WED...N WIND 15 KT. SEAS 7 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.WED NIGHT...NE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 7 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.THU...NE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 5 FT. 
.THU NIGHT...E WIND 25 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.FRI...E WIND 40 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.SAT...E WIND 40 KT. SEAS 18 FT. 
.SUN...NE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 18 FT.  

$$

PKZ414-181400-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE EAST OF 171W
400 PM AKDT TUE MAR 17 2009

...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 9 FT. HEAVY FREEZING
SPRAY. 
.WED...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 9 FT. HEAVY FREEZING
SPRAY.
.WED NIGHT...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 9 FT. HEAVY
FREEZING SPRAY. 
.THU...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 8 FT. 
.THU NIGHT...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 7 FT. 
.FRI...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 5 FT. 
.SAT...NE WIND 35 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 14 FT. 
.SUN...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 14 FT.  

$$

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
400 PM AKDT MON MAR 16 2009

.MODEL DISCUSSION...MODEL ARE DOING WELL WITH THE OVERALL PATTERN
WHICH WILL NOT BE CHANGING FOR MUCH OF THE WEEK. THIS PATTERN IS A
SITUATION WHERE DETAILS WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER IN THE GULF OF
ALASKA AREA. THE GFS IS LOOKING GOOD IN THE WESTERN AREAS WITH A
SLIGHT PREFERENCE FOR THE NAM IN THE EAST DUE TO THE SMALL SCALE
FEATURES.

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE EXTENDS OVER THE
CENTRAL BERING SEA AND INTO EASTERN RUSSIA. A COLD UPPER LEVEL TROUGH
IS EXTENDING OVER THE MAINLAND PART OF THE STATE INTO THE GULF OF
ALASKA. THE COMBINATION IS GIVING GOOD UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT FOR WINDS
OVER SOUTHWEST ALASKA AND THE ALASKA PENINSULA. THE SURFACE HIGH JUST
NORTHWEST OF BARROW WITH A COMPLEX LOW IN THE GULF IS CREATING A
STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE STATE. THE DETAILS OF THIS COMPLEX
LOW WILL DETERMINE THE WEATHER IN AREAS ALONG AND NEAR THE GULF FOR
MOST OF THE WEEK.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...FOR AN OVERALL PATTERN THAT WILL NOT CHANGE
MUCH THERE CAN BE LARGE CHANGES IN THE WEATHER IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF
TIME AS A SMALL LOW SPINS UP IN THE LOW COMPLEX AND BRINGS MODERATE
SNOWFALL OVER AN AREA AND THEN CLEARS OUT AGAIN SHORTLY. THESE ARE
THE DETAILS THAT WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED CLOSELY OVER THE NEXT FEW
DAYS.
STRONG WINDS IN THE EASTERN BERING SEA AND ACROSS THE ALASKA
PENINSULA WILL PERSIST FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
STRONG OFFSHORE WINDS WILL PERSIST ALONG THE NORTH GULF COAST AS
WELL. AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW WILL ALSO BE PREVALENT IN THESE AREAS
INTO TUESDAY.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...THE UPPER LEVEL LONG WAVE PATTERN DOES NOT
CHANGE MUCH UNTIL THE WEEKEND WHICH WILL KEEP THINGS ON THE COLDER
SIDE THROUGH LATE IN THE WEEK.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE
MARINE...GALE 120 130 150 155 160 165 180
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 121 130 132 138 140 141 150 155 160 165
                              179 180 185
FIRE WEATHER...NONE

MAR 09