Gale Warning 40, NWS Fairbanks, AK

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
247 PM AKST SAT MAR 7 2009

.DISCUSSION...
ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM TO IMPACT THE STATE TONIGHT AND INTO MONDAY.
SNOW WILL SPREAD EAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL
STAY WEST OF TANANA AND BETTLES...LOCATIONS TO THE EAST WILL MOST
LIKELY RECEIVE LESS THAN 3 INCHES FROM THIS STORM AS IT SLOWLY
WEAKENS OVER THE BERING SEA THROUGH THURSDAY.

MODELS BRING SIGNIFICANT WINDS...STORM FORCE WINDS BACK TO SAINT
LAWRENCE ISLAND AGAIN STARTING TONIGHT. HOW STRONG THE WINDS ARE
WILL DEPEND UP ON HOW STRONG THE RIDGE IS TO THE EAST THAT WILL
COVER THE EASTERN TWO THIRDS OF THE STATE. AT THIS TIME...WIND
GUSTS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO EXCEED 70 MPH AT THEIR PEAK THIS
EVENING. VERY STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO EXPECTED THROUGH THE
KOBUK AND SELAWIK VALLEYS...AS WELL AS THROUGH THE NULATO HILLS.

NEAR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED AHEAD OF THE WARM FRONT
AS IT MOVES ALONG THE COAST...DID NOT UPGRADE WINTER STORM
WARNINGS TO BLIZZARD WARNINGS BECAUSE OF MODEL UNCERTAINTY WITH
HOW FAR NORTH THE WARM AIR WILL MIGRATE. IN ADDITION...CURRENT
MODELS ARE NOT QUITE AS LIBERAL WITH THE MOISTURE AS PREVIOUS
VERSIONS BUT NONETHELESS...THERE WILL BE A LOT OF SNOW AND A LOT
OF WIND WITH SOME FREEZING RAIN MIXING IN ON SUNDAY FROM NOME
SOUTHWARD...SOME WINTER STORM WARNINGS MAY BE UPGRADED TO BLIZZARD
WARNINGS NORTH OF NOME AS THE SITUATION EVOLVES.

MID TERM...STORM TRACK APPEARS TO SHIFT SOUTHWARD LATER THIS WEEK.
COLD AIR FROM WESTERN CANADA COULD SLIDE IN FROM THE WEST NEXT
WEEKEND AND DIP TEMPERATURES OVER MOST OF THE STATE BELOW NORMAL.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR AKZ202.

WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ211-
AKZ212-AKZ213-AKZ214-AKZ215-AKZ216-AKZ217.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ201-AKZ205.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230.

STORM WARNING FOR PKZ210.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230-PKZ235-
PKZ240-PKZ245.
&&

KA MAR 09