Storm Warning 57, NWS Anchorage, AK

820 
FZAK62 PAFC 181156
OFFALU

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 AM AKDT THU MAR 18 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.

PKZ499-190200-
400 AM AKDT THU MAR 18 2010
.SYNOPSIS FOR CENTRAL BERING SEA...
A WEATHER FRONT DISSIPATES THU NIGHT OVER THE EASTERN BERING. HIGH
PRESSURE THEN BUILDS OVER THE EASTERN BERING THROUGH FRI NIGHT.  A
993 MB LOW MOVES TO 54N 172E FRI NIGHT. AN ASSOCIATED WEATHER FRONT
MOVES TO THE CENTRAL BERING FRI NIGHT.
$$

PKZ411-190200-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE WEST OF 180 AND EAST OF THE INTERNATIONAL
DATELINE
400 AM AKDT THU MAR 18 2010

...GALE WARNING THROUGH TONIGHT...

.TODAY...SW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 28 FT. 
.TONIGHT...SW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 23 FT.  
.FRI...S WIND 30 KT. SEAS 19 FT. SNOW. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.FRI NIGHT...S WIND 30 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.SAT...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 14 FT SUBSIDING TO 11 FT. 
.MON...SE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 16 FT.  

$$

PKZ412-190200-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND NORTH OF 56N
400 AM AKDT THU MAR 18 2010

.TODAY...SW WIND 25 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 14 TO 22 FT. SNOW.
.TONIGHT...SW WIND 25 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 12 TO 21 FT.
FREEZING SPRAY. 
.FRI...SW WIND 30 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 12 TO 18 FT. FREEZING
SPRAY.
.FRI NIGHT...S WIND 30 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 15 FT. 
.SAT...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 13 FT. 
.SUN...SE WIND 25 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 11 FT. 
.MON...E WIND 25 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 8 FT.  

$$

PKZ413-190200-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND SOUTH OF 56N
400 AM AKDT THU MAR 18 2010

.TODAY...SW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 14 TO 21 FT. 
.TONIGHT...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 12 TO 19 FT. 
.FRI...SW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 16 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.FRI NIGHT AND SAT...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.SUN AND MON...E WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 

$$

PKZ414-190200-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE EAST OF 171W
400 AM AKDT THU MAR 18 2010

.TODAY...SE WIND 25 KT. PATCHY FOG. SNOW.
.TONIGHT...SW WIND 20 KT. SNOW.
.FRI...W WIND 15 KT. 
.FRI NIGHT...NW WIND 15 KT. 
.SAT AND SUN...NE WIND 25 KT. 
.MON...NE WIND 20 KT.  

$$

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
500 AM AKDT WED MAR 17 2010

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...

UPPER LEVEL RIDGE EXTENDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL BERING AND OVER INTERIOR
AK THIS MORNING. CLOSED UPPER LOWS ARE OVER THE WESTERN GULF AND
KAMCHATKA. AT THE SURFACE...LOWS ARE JUST EAST OF THE KAMCHATKA
PENINSULA AND OVER SE AK...WITH HIGH PRESSURE OVER MAINLAND AK
EXTENDING OVER THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS. A WEATHER FRONT IS OVER THE
WESTERN BERING MOVING SLOWLY EAST.

.MODEL DISCUSSION...

MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH THU WITH THE BERING FRONT
REACHING THE WEST COAST OF AK BEFORE DISSIPATING THU AFTERNOON...A
NORTH PACIFIC LOW WEAKENING AS IT APPROACHES KODIAK ISLAND IN THE
SAME TIME FRAME...AND AN ASSOCIATED WEATHER FRONT MOVING INTO THE
SOUTHERN GULF WED NIGHT AND REACHING THE NORTHEASTERN GULF COAST THU
NIGHT. AT THIS TIME THE EC BECOMES THE MORE CONSISTENT MODEL. THE
FORECAST IS A BLEND OF THE GFS THROUGH FRI...THE EC THROUGH THE
WEEKEND AND HPC GUIDANCE EARLY NEXT WEEK.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...

IN THE WEST...GALES AND SOME STORM FORCE WINDS WILL PRECEDE THE FRONT
AS IT MOVES EAST TODAY AND TONIGHT. RAIN AND SNOW WILL CHANGE TO SNOW
SHOWERS BEHIND THE FRONT...WHICH SHOULD REACH THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS
THU. ON FRI AND SAT A WEAK FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE CHAIN WITH RAIN AND
SNOW BEFORE DISSIPATING SAT NIGHT.

FOR SOUTHWEST AK...CLEAR AND DRY CONDITIONS TODAY WILL GIVE WAY TO
SOME SNOW SHOWERS THU AS A NORTH PACIFIC LOW PUSHES TO THE AK PEN AND
THEN DISSIPATES. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN SAT...ENDING ANY LINGERING
SNOW SHOWERS.

SOUTH AND EAST OF THE AK PEN...CLEAR AND DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
THROUGH THIS EVENING...WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY
OVER THE WRANGELL MOUNTAINS. ONSHORE FLOW BEGINS WED NIGHT AS THE
FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE NORTH PACIFIC LOW APPROACHES THE COAST.
RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS THU WILL BE LIMITED TO COASTAL AREAS WITH MORE
REACHING WEST AND NORTH OF THE CHUGACH AND KENAI MOUNTAINS ON FRI AND
SAT.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...

IN THE WEST...RIDGING WILL END PRECIPITATION SUN BUT ANOTHER FRONT
WILL BRING SNOW AND RAIN TO THE WESTERN ISLANDS MON AND TUE. CLEAR
AND DRY CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST OVER SOUTHWEST AK INTO TUE. SOUTHEAST
ALASKA SHOWERS WILL END SUN AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FOR THE
BEGINNING OF THE WEEK.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE
MARINE...GALES 120 130 132 172 175 176 185
FIRE WEATHER...NONE

DS MAR 10