Gale Warning 319, NWS Anchorage, AK

382 
FZAK62 PAFC 221148
OFFALU

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 AM AKDT FRI APR 22 2011

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.

PKZ499-230300-
400 AM AKDT FRI APR 22 2011
.SYNOPSIS FOR CENTRAL BERING SEA...
A 977 MB LOW NEAR 51N 165W MOVES TO 56N 156W AT 982 MB SUN MORNING.
A 1006 MB LOW MOVES FROM 58N 176E SATURDAY AFTERNOON TO 56N 177W AT
997 MB BY SUNDAY MORNING.

$$

PKZ411-230300-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE WEST OF 180 AND EAST OF THE INTERNATIONAL
DATELINE
400 AM AKDT FRI APR 22 2011

.TODAY...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.TONIGHT...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.SAT...NW WIND 15 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.SAT NIGHT...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.SUN...NW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.MON...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.TUE...NE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 9 FT.  

$$

PKZ412-230300-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND NORTH OF 56N
400 AM AKDT FRI APR 22 2011

.TODAY...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS 10 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.TONIGHT...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SAT...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SAT NIGHT...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.SUN...NE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.MON...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.TUE...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 8 FT.  

$$

PKZ413-230300-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND SOUTH OF 56N
400 AM AKDT FRI APR 22 2011

.TODAY...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.TONIGHT...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.SAT...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.SAT NIGHT...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.SUN...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.MON...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.TUE...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 9 FT.  

$$

PKZ414-230300-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE EAST OF 171W
400 AM AKDT FRI APR 22 2011

.TODAY...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 10 FT. FREEZING
SPRAY. 
.TONIGHT...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 11 FT. FREEZING
SPRAY. 
.SAT...NW WIND 30 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 11 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SAT NIGHT...NW WIND 30 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 11 FT. 
.SUN...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 10 FT. 
.MON...W WIND 15 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 7 FT. 
.TUE...S WIND 25 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 7 FT.  

$$

SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
200 PM AKDT THU APR 21 2011

.MODEL DISCUSSION...MODELS ARE IN GENERALLY GOOD AGREEMENT THROUGH
THE SHORT TERM AND REASONABLE. AFTERNOON PACKAGES WILL BASED IN PART
ON THE NAM IN THE EAST AND GENERALLY THE GFS IN THE WEST.

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...UPPER LEVEL RIDGING DOMINATES THE BERING
SEA. A WELL DEFINED LOW CENTER IS EVIDENT SOUTH OF UNALASKA WITH A
WEAK TROUGH EXTENDING WESTWARD ALONG THE ALEUTIANS. MEANWHILE...TO
THE EAST...A LARGE REGION OF LOW PRESSURE ENCOMPASSES THE NORTHWEST
TERRITORIES. A TROUGH ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW PRESSURE REGION IS
DIGGING WESTWARD ACROSS ALASKA AND INTO THE BRISTOL BAY REGION. THE
UPPER LEVEL JET IS CURRENTLY POISED ACROSS THE NORTH PACIFIC ALONG
THE 40 N PARALLEL.

.AT THE SURFACE...RIDGING ACROSS THE BERING CONTINUES TO SUPPORT A
STRATUS AND FOG DECK ACROSS THE REGION. A BROAD 979 MB LOW SOUTH OF
DUTCH HARBOR SPANS ACROSS MUCH OF THE ALEUTIANS. A FRONT ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS LOW EXTENDS ACROSS THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS TO JUST SOUTH OF
THE WESTERN AK PEN THIS MORNING AND IS PRODUCING RAIN AND GUSTY
WINDS. THIS FRONT WILL MOVE NORTH TO EAST AND IMPACT MUCH OF MAINLAND
ALASKA OVER THE NEXT OVER THE NEXT 36 HRS.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...
.SOUTHCENTRAL...A FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE NORTH PACIFIC LOW WILL
MOVE ACROSS KODIAK ISLAND ISLAND LATE TONIGHT AND TO OVER
SOUTHCENTRAL/NORTH GULF COAST FRI. LOOKS LIKE AN OPEN WAVE DEVELOPS
ALONG THE FRONT AS IT MOVES NORTH. PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL INCREASE
IN ADVANCE OF THIS FRONT AND PRODUCE STRONG GAP WINDS AND ACROSS MUCH
OF SOUTHCENTRAL WITH ACCOMPANYING GALES OVER THE GULF. A SECONDARY
FRONT AND ASSOCIATED WAVE MOVES INTO THE GULF FRI NIGHT/SAT AND
PRODUCES ANOTHER ROUND OF GALES OVER THE GULF AND STRONG PRESSURE
GRADIENTS ALONG THE NORTH GULF COAST. THE BRUNT OF THE MOISTURE
SHOULD REMAIN ALONG THE COASTS AND SE EXPOSURES OF SOUTHCENTRAL.
TEMPS SHOULD BE WARM ENOUGH THAT PRECIPITATION ALONG THE COASTS
SHOULD BE RAIN...MAY SEE SOME MIXED SHOWERS INLAND.

.SOUTHWEST MAINLAND...THE PORTION OF THE FRONT APPROACHING THE AK PEN
THIS AFTERNOON SPREAD MOISTURE INTO BRISTOL BAY TONIGHT AND THE DELTA
ON FRI. PRECIPITATION LIKELY TO BE MIXED OVER BRISTOL BAY AND SHOULD
GENERALLY START AS SNOW OVER THE DELTA...BUT MIX WITH RAIN FROM
BETHEL EAST FRI AFTERNOON...SNOW SHOULD HOLD ON LONGER TO THE WEST.
BRISTOL BAY AHEAD OF FRONT WILL PRODUCE SOME BLOWING SNOW OVER THE
DELTA...MAINLY WEST O BETHEL. ALSO MAY SEE A FEW SPOTS OF FREEZING
RAIN AND THE FRONT MOVES WEST ACROSS THE SW MAINLAND. GUSTY GAP WINDS
LIKELY ALONG THE ALEUTIAN RANGE.

.ALEUTIANS...
RAIN WILL IMPACT MUCH OF THE ALEUTIANS AS THE LOW SOUTH OF DUTCH
HARBOR MOVES GRADUALLY EASTWARD. A FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW
WILL BRING RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS TO THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS...WHILE
STRONG WINDS ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE LOW WILL BRING STRONG WINDS TO
THE CENTRAL ALEUTIANS.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...A PROGRESSIVE PATTERN WILL DOMINATE THE WEATHER
OVER THE NEXT WEEK. LOW PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE THE BERING AGAIN AND A
SERIES OF LOWS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPACT THE GULF OF ALASKA.
.SHORT TERM FORECAST...

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
MARINE...GALE 120 125 130 132 170 172 179
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY...179
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

RMC APR 11