Gale Warning 7, NWS Anchorage, AK

585 
FZAK62 PAFC 070013
OFFALU

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 PM AKST WED JAN 6 2010

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.

PKZ499-071500-
400 PM AKST WED JAN 6 2010
.SYNOPSIS FOR CENTRAL BERING SEA...
A COMPLEX 962 MB LOW NEAR 45N 165W WILL MOVE TO 47N 151W AT 980 MB
THU NIGHT. A 980 MB LOW NEAR 44N 174E THU AFTERNOON WILL MOVE TO 45N
177W AT 960 MB FRI AFTERNOON.
$$

PKZ411-071500-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE WEST OF 180 AND EAST OF THE INTERNATIONAL
DATELINE
400 PM AKST WED JAN 6 2010

...GALE WARNING TONIGHT...

.TONIGHT...SE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 14 FT. RAIN AND SNOW. 
.THU...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. RAIN.
.THU NIGHT...E WIND 25 KT. SEAS 12 FT. RAIN AND SNOW. 
.FRI...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.FRI NIGHT...NE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.SAT...NE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 18 FT. 
.SUN AND MON...NE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 16 FT. 

$$

PKZ412-071500-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND NORTH OF 56N
400 PM AKST WED JAN 6 2010

.TONIGHT...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.THU AND THU NIGHT...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.FRI THROUGH SAT...NE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.SUN AND MON...NE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 

$$

PKZ413-071500-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND SOUTH OF 56N
400 PM AKST WED JAN 6 2010

.TONIGHT...E WIND 25 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.THU AND THU NIGHT...E WIND 20 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.FRI...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.FRI NIGHT AND SAT...NE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.SUN...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.MON...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS 15 FT.  

$$

PKZ414-071500-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE EAST OF 171W
400 PM AKST WED JAN 6 2010

.TONIGHT...NE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.THU...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.THU NIGHT...NE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 9 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.FRI THROUGH SAT...NE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.SUN...NE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.MON...N WIND 35 KT. SEAS 15 FT.  

$$

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
300 PM AKST TUE JAN 5 2010

.MODEL DISCUSSION...MODELS ARE DOING OVERALL FINE BUT ARE HAVING SOME
DIFFICULTY IN THE SHORT TERM WITH THE SHORT WAVES MOVING NORTHWARD
OVER SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA. THE LOW COMPLEX SOUTH OF THE ALEUTIAN
ISLANDS AND ALASKA PENINSULA WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED AS WELL SINCE
THE MODELS SEEM TO HAVE A GRASP ON IT BUT NOT AN OVERLY FIRM ONE.

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...A LARGE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER WESTERN
BRITISH COLUMBIA BENDS BACK OVER MAINLAND ALASKA WHILE UPPER LEVEL
LOW PRESSURE PERSISTS WELL NORTH OF THE STATE AND SOUTH OF THE
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS. THE JET STREAM WILL REMAIN MOSTLY STATIONARY AS IT
DEPARTS ASIA OVER JAPAN AND HEADS DUE EAST. THAT WILL KEEP IT WELL
SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA.
AT THE SURFACE A RIDGE OVER THE YUKON HAS PUSHED OVER INTERIOR ALASKA
AS A LOW COMPLEX RESIDES SOUTH OF THE ALASKA PENINSULA. A WEATHER
FRONT IN THE WESTERN BERING SEA WILL DEVELOP INTO A CLOSED LOW
OVERNIGHT BUT CONTINUE TO MOVE WEST AND OUT OF THE AREA. THIS PATTERN
IS KEEPING EASTERLY FLOW OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA REGION AS WELL.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...A SHORT WAVE MOVING FROM SOUTH TO NORTH OVER
SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA TODAY BRINGING SOME RAIN TO THE SOUTHERN KENAI
PENINSULA AND SCATTERED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS NORTH OF THAT. THERE IS
A THREAT OF FREEZING RAIN WITH THIS WAVE AS A VERY STRONG INVERSION
HAS KEPT TEMPERATURES AT THE SURFACE BELOW FREEZING IN NUMEROUS
PLACES WHILE TEMPERATURES FROM 1000 TO 3500 FT ARE ABOVE FREEZING IN
MANY AREAS. THIS IS A VERY GOOD PATTERN FR FREEZING RAIN...THE
PRECIPITATION IS JUST LIMITED AT THIS TIME. WHILE RADAR DOES SHOW
WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION...A LOT OF IT IS VIRGA...EVAPORATING BEFORE
IT REACHES THE GROUND.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN REMAINS LARGELY
UNCHANGED WHEN COMPARING TODAY TO THE FORECAST FIVE DAYS OUT. THIS
WILL KEEP MILD TEMPERATURES IN THE AREA THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE
WEEK IN PERSISTENT EASTERLY TO SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...GALE 120 125 130 132 138 140 150 155 160 165 170 176 185.
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 185.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

JAN 10