Gale Warning 934, NWS Anchorage, AK

Issued

Dec 31, 2009, 4:00 AM AKST (13:00 UTC)

Expired

Dec 31, 2009, 6:00 PM AKST

In force

14 hr

Issued by

NWS Anchorage, AK

000 
FZAK62 PAFC 311253
OFFALU

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 AM AKST THU DEC 31 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.

PKZ499-010300-
400 AM AKST THU DEC 31 2009
.SYNOPSIS FOR CENTRAL BERING SEA...
A STATIONARY 985 MB LOW AT 49N 179E WILL BE ABSORBED INTO A 982 MB
LOW AT 49N 179W THIS EVENING. THIS LOW WILL THEN DRIFT WEST TO 51N
165E BY LATE FRI NIGHT. 
$$

PKZ411-010300-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE WEST OF 180 AND EAST OF THE INTERNATIONAL
DATELINE
400 AM AKST THU DEC 31 2009

...GALE WARNING FRIDAY...

.TODAY...E WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. RAIN.
.TONIGHT...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. RAIN AND SNOW. 
.FRI...E WIND 35 KT. SEAS 14 FT. RAIN.
.FRI NIGHT AND SAT...E WIND 35 KT. SEAS 17 FT. 
.SUN AND MON...NE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 20 FT.  

$$

PKZ412-010300-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND NORTH OF 56N
400 AM AKST THU DEC 31 2009

.TODAY...SE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 7 FT. 
.TONIGHT...E WIND 25 KT. SEAS 7 FT. 
.FRI...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.FRI NIGHT AND SAT...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.SUN...NE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.MON...NE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 19 FT.  

$$

PKZ413-010300-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND SOUTH OF 56N
400 AM AKST THU DEC 31 2009

...GALE WARNING TONIGHT AND FRIDAY...

.TODAY...SE WIND 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.TONIGHT AND FRI...E WIND 35 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.FRI NIGHT AND SAT...E WIND 35 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.SUN...NE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 17 FT. 
.MON...NE WIND 40 KT. SEAS 20 FT.  

$$

PKZ414-010300-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE EAST OF 171W
400 AM AKST THU DEC 31 2009

.TODAY...SE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 5 FT. PATCHY FOG. 
.TONIGHT...E WIND 20 KT. SEAS 5 FT. 
.FRI...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.FRI NIGHT AND SAT...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.SUN AND MON...NE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 

$$

NWS Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this gale warning went out at Dec 30, 10:10 PM AKST, 5 hours 50 minutes earlier.

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
300 PM AKST WED DEC 30 2009

.MODEL DISCUSSION...MODELS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT IN THE SHORT TERM
BUT ARE REALLY STRUGGLING ONCE THEY GET INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THE
QUESTIONS IN THE SHORT TERM IN THE EAST REVOLVE AROUND THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A LOW IN THE NORTHERN GULF ON FRIDAY. THE LOW WILL
DEVELOP BUT ITS ACTUAL POSITION AND STRENGTH ARE IN QUESTION.
THE MAIN FEATURE IN THE WEST IS SOUTH OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS BUT IT
IS A BIT OF A MESS FOR THE MODELS. THIS COMPLEX LOW WILL REMAIN SOUTH
OF THE AREA SO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT FROM IT WILL BE RELEGATED TO THE
ALEUTIAN ISLAND AREA.

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH IS OVER THE STATE
TODAY THOUGH IT WILL GET PUSHED INTO THE BERING SEA BY FRIDAY AS A
COLD UPPER LEVEL LOW MAKES ITS WAY INTO THE YUKON INCREASING
NORTHERLY UPPER LEVEL FLOW OVER MOST OF THE STATE.
AT THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN THE DOMINANT FORCE WITH JUST
A FEW LOWS IN THE ALEUTIAN AREA IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE COMPLEX LOW
SOUTH OF THERE.
THE JET STREAM IS WELL SOUTH OF THE AREA AND WILL REMAIN THERE AND
STRENGTHEN THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...SOME AREAS OF FOG AND STRATUS WILL WORK IN AND
OUT OF THE COOK INLET REGION OVERNIGHT AND INTO THURSDAY. THE COPPER
RIVER BASIN WILL LIKELY REMAIN IN THE STRATUS WITH NOTHING TO CLEAR
IT OUT.
THE SLOW PATTERN CHANGE WITH THE RETROGRESSION OF THE HIGH PRESSURE
WILL USHER IN COLDER AIR INTO THE AREA ON FRIDAY. THE COPPER RIVER
DELTA AND VALDEZ AREA WILL BE THE PLACES TO WATCH TO SEE HOW MUCH THE
WINDS INCREASE WITH THIS COLD AIR AND TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...COLD AND DRY AIR WILL SETTLE IN OVER SOUTH
CENTRAL ALASKA OVER THE WEEKEND. SOUTHWEST ALASKA DRY OUT BY THE
WEEKEND AS WELL...WITH PRECIPITATION LIMITED TO BASICALLY SOUTH OF A
LINE RUNNING FROM THE NORTHERN TIP OF KODIAK ISLAND TO CAPE NEWENHAM.
THE ALEUTIANS AND BERING SEA WILL REMAIN IN MOIST EASTERLY FLOW ALOFT
THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK.
AFTER ABOUT MONDAY THE FORECASTS TREND BACK TOWARD CLIMATOLOGY AS
THE GLOBAL NUMERICAL MODELS ARE STILL STRUGGLING TO WORK OUT A COMMON
SOLUTION.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...GALE 172 175.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

DEC 09

Gale Warnings in Alaska, 2009Every gale warning in 2009

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.