Blizzard Warning 24, NWS Anchorage, AK

782 
WWAK41 PAFC 152321
WSWAER

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
221 PM AKST MON NOV 15 2010

.AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE CENTRAL INTERIOR
COMBINED WITH LOWER PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHERN GULF WILL LEAD TO
STRONG WINDS DEVELOPING OVER SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA TONIGHT INTO
TOMORROW. THE WINDS WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

AKZ131-161230-
/X.EXT.PAFC.BZ.W.0024.101116T0600Z-101117T0000Z/
NORTHEAST PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...VALDEZ...THOMPSON PASS
221 PM AKST MON NOV 15 2010

...BLIZZARD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO 3 PM
AKST TUESDAY THROUGH THOMPSON PASS...

THE BLIZZARD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO
3 PM AKST TUESDAY. 

WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING THROUGH THOMPSON PASS TO 25 TO
40 MPH. THE RECENT SNOWFALL WILL BE PICKED UP AND BLOWN...REDUCING
VISIBILITY TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES THROUGH THE PASS.
WINDS WILL INCREASE OVERNIGHT TO 45 TO 60 MPH.

TUESDAY AFTERNOON WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN TO 50 TO 65
MPH WITH POSSIBLE GUSTS TO 75 MPH. HOWEVER...THE TRANSPORTABLE
SNOW WILL DIMINISH...BRINGING AN END TO THE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR
VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS...
MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. ALL TRAVEL AND OUTDOOR
ACTIVITY IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.

&&

$$

315 
WWAK41 PAFC 160716
WSWAER

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
1016 PM AKST MON NOV 15 2010

.AN AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE CENTRAL INTERIOR
COMBINED WITH LOWER PRESSURE OVER THE NORTHERN GULF WILL LEAD TO
STRONG WINDS DEVELOPING OVER SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA TONIGHT INTO
TOMORROW. THE WINDS WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

AKZ131-170000-
/X.CON.PAFC.BZ.W.0024.000000T0000Z-101117T0000Z/
NORTHEAST PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...VALDEZ...THOMPSON PASS
1016 PM AKST MON NOV 15 2010

...BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM AKST TUESDAY FOR
THOMPSON PASS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 3 PM AKST TUESDAY. 

WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE ACROSS PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
INTO TUESDAY AS A COLD AIRMASS FILTERS DOWN FROM CENTRAL ALASKA. THROUGH
THOMPSON PASS...EXPECT NORTH WINDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH OVERNIGHT. RECENT
SNOWFALL WILL BE PICKED UP AND BLOWN...REDUCING VISIBILITY TO LESS
THAN ONE QUARTER MILE AT TIMES. BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON...WINDS WILL
INCREASE TO 40 TO 60 MPH...WITH POSSIBLE GUSTS TO 75 MPH. HOWEVER...IN THE
ABSENCE OF ADDITIONAL FRESH SNOWFALL...AVAILABLE TRANSPORTABLE
SNOW LOOKS TO DIMINISH AND VISIBILITY IS EXPECTED TO IMPROVE ON
TUESDAY AFTERNOON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR
VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS...
MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. ALL TRAVEL AND OUTDOOR
ACTIVITY IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.

&&

$$

412 
WWAK41 PAFC 161327
WSWAER

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
427 AM AKST TUE NOV 16 2010

AKZ131-161430-
/X.CAN.PAFC.BZ.W.0024.000000T0000Z-101117T0000Z/
NORTHEAST PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...VALDEZ...THOMPSON PASS
427 AM AKST TUE NOV 16 2010

...BLIZZARD WARNING IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS CANCELLED THE
BLIZZARD WARNING. 

AREAS OF BLOWING WILL REMAIN NEAR THE PASS WITH VISIBILITY
DROPPING TO LESS THAN A MILE AT TIMES TODAY.

$$

SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
520 AM AKST MON NOV 15 2010

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...
ACROSS THE MAINLAND...THE LONG WAVE TROUGH IS SHIFTING EAST...AS A
COLD UPPER LOW OVER THE NORTHERN AK DROPS SOUTHEAST. A SHORTWAVE
TROUGH HAS EJECTED OUT OF THE KUSKOKWIM VALLEY AND IS PASSING THROUGH
THE MAT-SU VALLEY/ANCHORAGE BOWL THIS MORNING. OUT WEST...AN
UPPER-RIDGE IS BUILDING ACROSS THE BERING...AMPLIFIED BY A 150 KT
JET MAX. AT THE SURFACE...A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE HAS DEVELOPED JUST
EAST OF SEWARD AND IS DRIFTING SOUTHEAST. ALSO AN AREA OF HIGH
PRESSURE NEAR ADAK IS BUILDING EAST SUPPORTED BY THE RIDGING ALOFT.

.MODEL DISCUSSION...
MODELS CAPTURE THE SYNOPTIC PICTURE AND FEATURES SATISFACTORILY. WITH
WIDESPREAD COLD-ADVECTION FILTERING DOWN THE MAINLAND AND INTO THE
GULF OF AK...THE STRONGEST ASSOCIATED WINDS ARE BEST CAPTURED BY THE
NAM...BUT ALL MODELS SEEM REASONABLE.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...
SOUTHCENTRAL...
SNOW SHOWERS TO END FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST TODAY AS THE
SHORTWAVE TROUGH DROPS SOUTHEAST INTO THE GULF OF AK AND THE COLD/DRY
AIRMASS SCOURS OUT LOW-LVL MOISTURE. THIS WILL RESULT IN DECREASED
CLOUDINESS AND MUCH MORE SUNSHINE.  HOWEVER...BRISK NORTH WINDS WILL
DEVELOP LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING. BY TUESDAY...THE
STRONGEST CORE OF WINDS LOOK TO MOVE THROUGH...WITH THE STRONGEST
WINDS ALONG THE NORTH GULF COAST. A HIGH WIND WATCH FOR THE COPPER
RIVER DELTA HAS BEEN ISSUED WITH THE MORNING PACKAGE. DROPPING
TEMPERATURES ACROSS ALL OF SOUTHCENTRAL COUPLED WITH THE WINDS WILL
PRODUCE WIND CHILLS NEAR ZERO DURING THE AFTERNOONS TO 10 TO 15 BELOW
ZERO AT NIGHT THROUGH MID-WEEK. ACROSS MARINE AREAS GALE FORCE WINDS
FILTERING THROUGH THE NORTHERN GULF WILL INCREASE TO STORM
FORCE...ESPECIALLY OUT OF FAVORED BAYS AND PASSES SUCH AS KAMISHAK
BAY. THE COLDER AIR AND WINDS ALSO SHOULD SUPPORT AREAS OF HEAVY
FREEZING SPRAY. THE COLD UPPER-LOW WILL SLIP SOUTH THROUGH THE GULF
OF AK AND INTO THE NORTH PACIFIC ON WEDNESDAY. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT
THEN LOOKS TO THEN WEAKEN ALONG WITH THE WINDS.

SOUTHWEST...
COLD DRY AIR WILL ALSO SPILL DOWN THROUGH THE SW MAINLAND THE NEXT
COUPLE OF DAYS. WIND CHILLS RANGING FROM 10 TO 25 BELOW ZERO CAN BE
EXPECTED ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE KUSKOKWIM VALLEY. THE AREA OF HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDING ACROSS THE BERING WILL OTHERWISE PROVIDE FAIR
WEATHER.

BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS...
A FRONT WILL ADVANCE TOWARDS THE WESTERN BERING/ALEUTIANS BUT STALL
OUT ON WEDNESDAY AS THE STRONG HIGH PRESSURE SUPPORTED BY THE
BLOCKING RIDGE HOLD FAST OVER THE CENTRAL BERING. PERIODS OF RAIN
LOOK TO CLIP THE FAR WESTERN ALEUTIANS. GALE-FORCE WINDS TO ACCOMPANY
THE PRECIPITATION AS THE PRESSURE GRADIENT GETS SQUEEZED BETWEEN THE
AFOREMENTIONED HIGH PRESSURE AND THE STALLING FRONT. .OTHERWISE THE
REMAINDER OF THE ALEUTIAN CHAIN AND BERING LOOK TO REMAIN RELATIVELY
DRY INTO MID-WEEK.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...
THE BLOCKING UPPER RIDGE IN THE BERING SLOWLY MOVE EAST TO THE
MAINLAND LATE IN THE WEEK. THIS LOOKS TO HELP BREAK THE COLD-SNAP
OVER THE MAINLAND. RESULTING ONSHORE FLOW HOWEVER BRINGS INCREASED
MOISTURE AND CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...HIGH WIND WATCH 135
MARINE...STORM...130
         GALE...351 352 411 120 121 126 127 128 129 132 140 141 150
                160 172 175 176 185
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY...121 126 127 128 129 130 138 140 141
                                180
FIRE WEATHER...NONE

JAM NOV 10

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
730 AM AKST MON NOV 15 2010

AKZ101-111-160600-

...COLD AND BREEZY CONDITIONS ARRIVING TODAY...

COLD AIR IS SPILLING ACROSS THE ALASKA RANGE TODAY. LIGHT SNOW THIS
MORNING WILL GIVE WAY TO PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES AND COLDER TEMPERATURES
LATER THIS AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP INTO THE TEENS THIS
EVENING AS WINDS INCREASE FROM THE NORTH. THE COMBINATION OF COLDER
TEMPERATURES AND GUSTY NORTH WINDS WILL RESULT IN WIND CHILL READINGS
APPROACHING ZERO. TEMPERATURES ON TUESDAY WILL REMAIN STEADY IN THE
TEENS AS WINDS INCREASE FROM THE NORTH. STRONGER WINDS CAN BE
EXPECTED THROUGH PALMER AND WASILLA WHERE LOCAL VISIBILITIES MAY BE
REDUCED IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW.

THIS COLD AND WINDY PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO LAST THROUGH WEDNESDAY
WHEN HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE AREA AND WINDS BEGIN TO DIMINISH.
TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR OR SLIGHTLY BELOW CLIMATOLOGICAL NORMAL
THROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK.

AVERAGE TEMPERATURES FOR ANCHORAGE THIS TIME OF YEAR
----------------------------------------------------
HIGH.....28
LOW......16

OBSERVED TEMPERATURES THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS IN ANCHORAGE
--------------------------------------------------------
             HIGH            LOW
THURSDAY      33             26
FRIDAY        34             28
SATURDAY      40             32
SUNDAY        38             32

FORECAST TEMPERATURES THIS WEEK IN ANCHORAGE
--------------------------------------------
             HIGH            LOW
MONDAY        34*            18
TUESDAY       19             10
WEDNESDAY     18             7
THURSDAY      22             8

* HIGH TEMPERATURE OF 34 WAS RECORDED EARLY MONDAY MORNING.
TEMPERATURES ARE DROPPING INTO THE LOWER TO MID 20S AND WILL CONTINUE
TO DROP THROUGH THE EVENING.

AB