Gale Warning 25, NWS Anchorage, AK

000 
FZAK61 PAFC 261212
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 AM AKST MON JAN 26 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.

PKZ399-270300-
400 AM AKST MON JAN 26 2009
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...
A 1000 MB LOW NEAR 54N 152W WILL STRENGTHEN TO 989 MB AS IT MOVES 
TO 57N 139W MON EVENING. THE LOW WILL THEN WEAKEN AND MOVE INTO
WESTERN CANADA BY TUE AFTERNOON. 
$$

PKZ351-270300-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W
400 AM AKST MON JAN 26 2009

...GALE WARNING THROUGH TUESDAY...

.TODAY...NE WIND 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. RAIN.
.TONIGHT...W TO NW WIND 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 12 FT. RAIN.
.TUE...W WIND 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.TUE NIGHT...SW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.WED...S WIND 20 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.THU...SW WIND 40 KT. SEAS 16 FT. 
.FRI...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 19 FT.  

$$

PKZ352-270300-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF 144W
400 AM AKST MON JAN 26 2009

...GALE WARNING THROUGH TONIGHT...

.TODAY...NE WIND 25 TO 35 KT BECOMING NW IN THE AFTERNOON. 
SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. RAIN.
.TONIGHT...NW WIND 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 12 FT. RAIN.
.TUE...W WIND 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 9 TO 13 FT. 
.TUE NIGHT...SW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT. 
.WED...SE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.THU...SW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 18 FT. 
.FRI...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 23 FT.  

$$

000 
FZAK61 PAFC 270000
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 PM AKST MON JAN 26 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.

PKZ399-271500-
400 PM AKST MON JAN 26 2009
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...
A 991 MB LOW NEAR 57N 141W AND A SECOND 992 MB LOW NEAR 55N 146W WILL
MERGE AND MOVE INLAND NEAR SITKA AT THE SAME STRENGTH. A BROAD AREA
OF LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE INTO THE WESTERN GULF WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.


$$

PKZ351-271500-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W
400 PM AKST MON JAN 26 2009

...GALE WARNING TONIGHT...

.TONIGHT...N WIND 25 KT BECOMING N 35 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
12 FT. RAIN AND SNOW. 
.TUE AND TUE NIGHT...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.WED...S WIND 20 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.WED NIGHT...SE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.THU...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.FRI AND SAT...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 19 FT. 

$$

PKZ352-271500-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W
400 PM AKST MON JAN 26 2009

.TONIGHT...NW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. RAIN AND SNOW. 
.TUE...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.TUE NIGHT...SW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 11 FT. RAIN AND SNOW. 
.WED AND WED NIGHT...S WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.THU...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 16 FT. 
.FRI AND SAT...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 22 FT. 

$$

492 
FZAK61 PAFC 271155
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 AM AKST TUE JAN 27 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.

PKZ399-280300-
400 AM AKST TUE JAN 27 2009
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...A 991 MB LOW NEAR 57N 135W
WILL MOVE INLAND AND DISSIPATE OVER WESTERN CANADA TONIGHT. A 993 MB
LOW NEAR 52N 165W TONIGHT WILL BECOME A 989 MB LOW NEAR 57N 154W WED
NIGHT. 

$$

PKZ351-280300-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W
400 AM AKST TUE JAN 27 2009

.TODAY...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.TONIGHT...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 11 FT. RAIN AND SNOW.
.WED...S WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. RAIN AND SNOW. 
.WED NIGHT...S WIND 20 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.THU...SW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.FRI...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 21 FT. 
.SAT...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 20 FT.  

$$

PKZ352-280300-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W
400 AM AKST TUE JAN 27 2009

.TODAY...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.TONIGHT...S WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. RAIN. 
.WED...SE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. RAIN.
.WED NIGHT...SW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.THU...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 17 FT. 
.FRI...W WIND 40 KT. SEAS 25 FT. 
.SAT...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 20 FT.  

$$

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
200 PM AKST SUN JAN 25 2009

.MODEL DISCUSSION...
MODELS CONTINUE TO HAVE PROBLEMS HANDLING THE NORTH PACIFIC LOW
MOVING INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY. STILL THINK
THERE WILL BE TWO INDIVIDUAL LOW CENTERS...WITH THE SECONDARY LOW
DEVELOPING TONIGHT BECOMING THE DOMINANT LOW. MODELS ARE ALSO HAVING
PROBLEMS RESOLVING THE COMPLEX OF LOWS BEGINNING TO AFFECT THE
ALEUTIANS. ACCORDINGLY...FORECASTS THROUGH 36 HOURS WERE CONSTRUCTED
USING A COMPROMISE OF THE NAM/GFS/UKMET SOLUTIONS WITH MAINLY MINOR
TWEAKS. MINIMAL CHANGES WERE ALSO MADE TO THE EXISTING FORECAST
BEYOND 36 HOURS.

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...
THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA AND EASTERN
MAINLAND...AND THE LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE BERING SEA AND CENTRAL
ALEUTIANS CONTINUE TO BREAK DOWN. AS THESE FEATURES DEAMPLIFY...FLOW
WILL BECOME NEARLY ZONAL ACROSS THE AREA BY TUESDAY. ELSEWHERE A 125
KT JET EXTENDS FROM THE GULF OF ALASKA THROUGH THE ALASKA
PANHANDLE...AND A 165 KT JET IS LOCATED SOUTHWEST OF THE EASTERN
ALEUTIANS.

AT THE SURFACE...AN OLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY EXTENDS ACROSS THE NORTHERN
GULF COAST. A 1018 MB LOW IS LOCATED NEAR 54N 144W. A DEVELOPING LOW
IS EVIDENT ON SATELLITE IMAGERY NEAR 50N 156W. A 1012 MB LOW OVER
SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND IS DISSIPATING WHILE REMAINING STATIONARY.
ANOTHER LOW IS WEST OF ATTU AT 1004 MB.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...

.SOUTHCENTRAL...
SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL PERSIST ALONG COASTAL AREAS AND THE
COPPER RIVER BASIN THROUGH TONIGHT...BUT WILL COME TO AN END AS THE
FRONTAL BOUNDARY DISSIPATES BY TOMORROW MORNING. ELSEWHERE ACROSS
SOUTHCENTRAL EXPECT PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES TO PREVAIL THROUGH
TUESDAY. THE AFOREMENTIONED 1018 MB LOW WILL DISSIPATE AS THE NEW LOW
NEAR 50N 156W BECOMES DOMINANT. THIS LOW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE
NORTHEASTERN GULF BY MONDAY MORNING. AS THE LOW MOVES INTO THE GULF
GUSTY GAP WINDS WILL BE DEVELOPING FOR PLACES LIKE
SEWARD...WHITTIER...THOMPSON PASS...AND THE COPPER RIVER DELTA. THE
LOW IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN FAR ENOUGH SOUTH AND EAST TO KEEP THE
THREAT OF PRECIPITATION ACROSS SOUTHCENTRAL TO A MINIMUM.

.SOUTHWEST...
SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS AND LIGHT WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS SOUTHWEST
ALASKA THROUGH TUESDAY. SNOW THAT HAS BEEN MORE WIDESPREAD IN THE
KUSKOKWIM VALLEY AND DELTA TODAY WILL BECOME SCATTERED IN NATURE
THROUGH TONIGHT. AS THE LOW CURRENTLY NEAR ATTU APPROACHES THE ALASKA
PENINSULA ON TUESDAY EXPECT MAJORITY OF EFFECTS TO BE FELT ALONG THE
PENINSULA...WITH SNOW AND RAIN BECOMING WIDESPREAD BY TUESDAY NIGHT.

.BERING SEA AND ALEUTIANS...
PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW NEAR ATTU WILL CONTINUE TO
SPREAD EASTWARD OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. RAIN WILL MIX WITH SNOW
IN THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS TONIGHT AS WARM AIR IS PULLED
NORTHWARD...BUT SHOULD REMAIN ALL SNOW IN THE PRIBILOFS. SNOW AND
RAIN WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN
ALEUTIANS TOMORROW INTO TUESDAY AS THE LOW NEARS. AS THE LOW DEPARTS
TO THE EAST EXPECT GUSTY NORTHERLY AND EASTERLY FLOW TO
DEVELOP...WITH SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS PERSISTING.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...
UPPER LEVEL ZONAL FLOW WILL STEER THE LOW NEAR ATTU EASTWARD INTO THE
GULF OF ALASKA BY THE END OF THE WEEK. AMPLE MOISTURE AND GALE FORCE
WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY THIS LOW AS IT MOVES ACROSS THE ALEUTIANS AND
ALASKA PENINSULA. MODELS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST THAT COLDER AIR MAY
FILTER INTO THE REGION ON THE BACKSIDE OF THIS LOW BY THE END OF THE
WEEK.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE
MARINE...GALE 120 175 176
FIRE WEATHER...NONE

NRH JAN 09