Gale Warning 394, NWS Anchorage, AK

349 
FZAK61 PAFC 232345
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 PM AKDT MON MAY 23 2011

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W

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.

PKZ399-241500-
400 PM AKDT MON MAY 23 2011
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...
A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF OF
ALASKA AND NORTH GULF COAST THROUGH WED. THE WEATHER FRONT OVER
KODIAK ISLAND AND THE SOUTHWESTERN GULF OF ALASKA WILL REMAIN NEARLY
STATIONARY AND DISSIPATE BY MON NIGHT. A SECOND WEATHER FRONT WILL
APPROACH KODIAK ISLAND FROM THE WEST TUE NIGHT. 
$$

PKZ351-241500-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W
400 PM AKDT MON MAY 23 2011

.TONIGHT...E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.TUE...E WIND 20 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. 
.TUE NIGHT...SE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.WED...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.WED NIGHT AND THU...E WIND 25 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.FRI AND SAT...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
$$

PKZ352-241500-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W
400 PM AKDT MON MAY 23 2011

...GALE WARNING TUESDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...E WIND 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 9 TO 13 FT. 
.TUE...E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT. RAIN.
.TUE NIGHT...SE WIND 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 7 TO 13 FT. RAIN.
.WED...SE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.WED NIGHT...SE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.THU...E WIND 20 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.FRI AND SAT...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
$$

643 
FZAK61 PAFC 241156
OFFAER

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 AM AKDT TUE MAY 24 2011

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W

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.

PKZ399-250300-
400 AM AKDT TUE MAY 24 2011
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA...
A WEAK RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE EASTERN GULF OF
ALASKA AND NORTH GULF COAST THROUGH WED NIGHT. A WEATHER FRONT WILL
APPROACH KODIAK ISLAND TUE NIGHT AND MOVE INTO THE WESTERN GULF OF
ALASKA WED NIGHT. 
$$

PKZ351-250300-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W
400 AM AKDT TUE MAY 24 2011

.TODAY...SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 9 FT. 
.TONIGHT AND WED...E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. 
.WED NIGHT...E WIND 20 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.THU...E WIND 20 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.FRI AND SAT...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 

$$

PKZ352-250300-
GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF
144W
400 AM AKDT TUE MAY 24 2011

.TODAY...E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 7 TO 11 FT. 
.TONIGHT...SE WIND 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT. RAIN.
.WED...E WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. RAIN.
.WED NIGHT...E WIND 25 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.THU...E WIND 15 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.FRI AND SAT...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 

$$

SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
200 PM AKDT SUN MAY 22 2011

.MODEL DISCUSSION...

MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH ALL SYNOPTIC FEATURES THROUGH THE
SHORT TERM PERIOD OUT THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. BLENDED TOWARDS
THE NAM MODEL FOR THIS FORECAST PACKAGE WITH LITTLE TO NO SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES FROM THE MORNING FORECAST PACKAGE.

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...

A CONSOLIDATING LOW COMPLEX IN THE MID LEVELS RESIDES NEAR THE
EASTERN ALEUTIANS. SEVERAL DISTURBANCES ARE ROTATING AROUND THIS
FEATURE...WHICH INCLUDES A SHARP SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE WITH
ASSOCIATED SURFACE FRONT FROM THE AKPEN EAST ACROSS THE GULF. THIS
MID LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE INLAND TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY BUT THE
SURFACE FRONT WILL STRUGGLE TO MAKE IT TO THE SOUTHERN KENAI
PENINSULA AS A SURFACE HIGH BUILDS THIS EVENING THROUGH MONDAY OVER
THE NORTH GULF COAST. HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING ALOFT WILL BUILD INTO
SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA FROM THE NORTHEAST BY MONDAY EVENING AND PERSIST
INTO MIDWEEK...RESULTING IN WARMER TEMPERATURES AND SUNNIER SKIES.

OUT WEST...IMMEDIATELY ON THE HEELS OF THE DEPARTING LOW COMPLEX
SOUTH OF THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS ON MONDAY A MODERATE STRENGTH LOW WILL
MOVE INTO THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS BY MONDAY MORNING AND THEN STALL
SOUTH OF THE ALASKA PENINSULA BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. THIS SYSTEM
WILL BRING NEAR-GALE FORCE WINDS AND PERIODS OF RAIN AS IT MOVES
THROUGH THE REGION.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...

SOUTH AND EAST OF THE ALASKA RANGE...

WEATHER FRONT WILL CONTINUE MOVING ONSHORE THROUGH THIS EVENING WITH
RAIN OVER THE USUAL SOUTH AND WEST FACING SLOPES AND MORE SHOWERY
ACTIVITY IN NORTHEAST PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND. THIS SYSTEM WILL BE
FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER FRONT MONDAY MORNING THROUGH AFTERNOON WHICH WILL
MEET STRONG RESISTANCE FROM A STRENGTHENING HIGH OVER THE NORTH GULF
COAST. THIS WILL KEEP AREAS FROM PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND EAST MOSTLY DRY
AND WILL HELP CONCENTRATE THE RAIN ALONG SOUTH AND WEST FACING SLOPES
OF THE SOUTHERN KENAI PENINSULA SOUTH THROUGH KODIAK ISLAND. THIS
SYSTEM WILL FALL APART AND MOVE SOUTH MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY AS A
BUILDING RIDGE ALOFT MOVES SOUTH OVER THE REGION AND BRINGS WARMER
AND DRIER AIR TO MOST OF SOUTHCENTRAL FOR MIDWEEK.

SOUTHWEST ALASKA/BERING REGIONS...

FREQUENT PERIODS OF RAIN AND SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVER MOST AREAS
THROUGH MID WEEK. EXPECT GUSTY WINDS OVER THE SOUTHWEST MAINLAND AT
TIMES ALONG AND ALSO ALONG THE ALEUTIANS IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE LOW
THAT WILL MOVE INTO THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS BY MONDAY AFTERNOON AND
THEN TRAVERSE EAST ACROSS THE ISLAND CHAIN THROUGH TUESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY. FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS COULD BE A CONCERN TUESDAY IN THE
LOWER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY AS THE BUILDING RIDGE ALOFT MAKES IT JUST FAR
ENOUGH WEST TO AFFECT THIS AREA.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...

STARTING MIDWEEK...THE LONGWAVE TROUGH NEAR THE ALASKA PENINSULA
SHIFTS SOUTH INTO THE NORTH PACIFIC WHILE RIDGING PERSISTS OVER
MAINLAND ALASKA. THIS SHOULD ESTABLISH A BROAD AREA OF SUBSIDENCE
OVER INTERIOR PARTS OF THE STATE AND A SHOWERY PATTERN OVER SOUTHWEST
ALASKA AND THE BERING SEA. HIGH TEMPERATURES POKING ABOVE 70 DEGREES
BY THE END OF THE WEEK IN INLAND VALLEYS WITH POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY OVER SOUTHWEST ALASKA TOWARDS THE END OF THE WEEK AS WELL.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...130
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

29 MAY 11