Alert archive / Alaska / Gale Warnings in 2011
Gale Warning 938, NWS Anchorage, AK
NWS Anchorage, AK issued this gale warning at Dec 23, 2011, 4:00 PM AKST. It was in force for 48 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Dec 23, 2011, 4:00 PM AKST (01:00 UTC)
- Expired
- Dec 25, 2011, 4:00 PM AKST
- In force
- 48 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Anchorage, AK
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
122 FZAK61 PAFC 240007 OFFAER OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK 400 PM AKST FRI DEC 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 AKST FRI DEC 23 2011 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A 992 MB LOW NEAR 57N 143W WILL DISSIPATE NEAR 60N 140W LATE TONIGHT. A 982 MB LOW NEAR 51N 154W WILL MOVE TO 57N 142W AT 984 MB SAT AFTERNOON...THEN MOVE TO 60N 148W AT 984 MB ON SUN. $$ PKZ351-241500- GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W 400 PM AKST FRI DEC 23 2011 ...GALE WARNING SATURDAY NIGHT... .TONIGHT...E WIND 10 KT. SEAS 8 FT. .SAT...N WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 11 TO 16 FT. SNOW AND RAIN. .SAT NIGHT...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 11 TO 16 FT. SNOW. FREEZING SPRAY. .SUN...SW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 14 FT. .SUN NIGHT...SW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 11 FT. .MON...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 17 FT. .TUE...SW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 18 FT. .WED...W WIND 20 KT. SEAS 8 FT. $$ PKZ352-241500- GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF 144W 400 PM AKST FRI DEC 23 2011 ...GALE WARNING SATURDAY NIGHT... .TONIGHT...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT BUILDING TO 18 FT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SNOW AND SHOWERS. .SAT...NW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 17 FT. SNOW SHOWERS. FREEZING SPRAY. .SAT NIGHT...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 15 FT. SNOW. FREEZING SPRAY. .SUN...SW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 15 FT. .SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. .MON...W WIND 40 KT. SEAS 20 FT. .TUE...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 18 FT. .WED...W WIND 20 KT. SEAS 7 FT. $$ JAM
4 follow-up statements
876 FZAK61 PAFC 241249 OFFAER OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK 400 AM AKST SAT DEC 24 2011 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W WIND FORECASTS REFLECT THE PREDOMINANT SPEED AND DIRECTION EXPECTED. SEA FORECASTS REPRESENT AN AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST ONE-THIRD OF THE COMBINED WIND WAVE AND SWELL HEIGHT. PKZ399-250300- 400 AM AKST SAT DEC 24 2011 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A 993 MB LOW NEAR 54N 145W INTENSIFIES TO 982 MB SAT AFTERNOON NEAR 57N 143W AND THEN MOVES INLAND SUN MORNING NEAR 60N 149W AT 981 MB. A NORTH PACIFIC LOW INTENSIFIES TO 975 MB AS IT MOVES TO 53N 141W SUN NIGHT. $$ PKZ351-250300- GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W 400 AM AKST SAT DEC 24 2011 ...GALE WARNING TONIGHT AND SUNDAY... .TODAY...NW WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 12 TO 16 FT. RAIN AND SNOW. .TONIGHT...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 15 FT. SNOW AND RAIN. .SUN...SW WIND 35 KT DIMINISHING TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 15 FT. .SUN NIGHT...E WIND 15 TO 30 KT. SEAS 14 FT. .MON...NW WIND 45 KT. SEAS 16 FT. .TUE...SW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 14 FT. .WED...W WIND 20 KT. SEAS 10 FT. $$ PKZ352-250300- GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF 144W 400 AM AKST SAT DEC 24 2011 ...GALE WARNING TONIGHT AND SUNDAY... .TODAY...N WIND 15 TO 30 KT. SEAS 14 TO 19 FT. RAIN SHOWERS AND SNOW. .TONIGHT...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 15 FT. .SUN...W WIND 35 KT BECOMING SW 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 16 FT. .SUN NIGHT...N WIND 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 15 FT. .MON...W WIND 50 KT. SEAS 19 FT. .TUE...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 14 FT. .WED...W WIND 20 KT. SEAS 11 FT. $$
967 FZAK61 PAFC 250015 OFFAER OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK 400 PM AKST SAT DEC 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. PKZ399-251500- 400 PM AKST SAT DEC 24 2011 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A 981 MB LOW NEAR 58N 142W WILL MOVE NEAR WHITTIER AFTER MIDNIGHT AND WEAKEN TO 988 MB. THE LOW WILL REMAIN INLAND AND DISSIPATE SUN EVENING. A 977 MB LOW SOUTH OF THE GULF SUN NIGHT WILL DEEPEN TO 961 MB NEAR 57N 145W MON AFTERNOON. $$ PKZ351-251500- GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W 400 PM AKST SAT DEC 24 2011 ...GALE WARNING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT... .TONIGHT...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 14 FT. SNOW. .SUN...SW WIND 35 KT DIMINISHING TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 15 FT. FREEZING SPRAY W OF 147W. .SUN NIGHT...SE WIND 20 KT BECOMING E 35 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 12 FT. SNOW. FREEZING SPRAY W OF 147W. .MON...NE WIND 40 KT. SEAS 13 FT. .MON NIGHT...W WIND 45 KT. SEAS 17 FT. .TUE...W WIND 40 KT. SEAS 15 FT. .WED...W WIND 20 KT. SEAS 10 FT. .THU...E WIND 15 KT. SEAS 9 FT. $$ PKZ352-251500- GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF 144W 400 PM AKST SAT DEC 24 2011 ...GALE WARNING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT... .TONIGHT...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 14 FT. FREEZING SPRAY W OF 147W. .SUN...W WIND 35 KT BECOMING SW 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 14 FT. FREEZING SPRAY W OF 147W. .SUN NIGHT...N WIND 25 TO 35 KT. SEAS 12 FT. SNOW. FREEZING SPRAY W OF 147W. .MON...NW WIND 55 KT. SEAS 18 FT. .MON NIGHT...W WIND 55 KT. SEAS 21 FT. .TUE...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 15 FT. .WED...W WIND 20 KT. SEAS 11 FT. .THU...NE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 11 FT. $$ JAM
429 FZAK61 PAFC 251248 OFFAER OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK 400 AM AKST SUN DEC 25 2011 OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE GULF OF ALASKA WEST OF 144W WIND FORECASTS REFLECT THE PREDOMINANT SPEED AND DIRECTION EXPECTED. SEA FORECASTS REPRESENT AN AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST ONE-THIRD OF THE COMBINED WIND WAVE AND SWELL HEIGHT. PKZ399-260300- 400 AM AKST SUN DEC 25 2011 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE REMAINS OVER THE NORTHERN GULF THROUGH SUN AFTERNOON. A NORTH PACIFIC LOW INTENSIFIES TO 961 MB MON AFTERNOON NEAR 58N 144W AND THEN WEAKENS TO 973 MB MON NIGHT NEAR 60N 144W. $$ PKZ351-260300- GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W 400 AM AKST SUN DEC 25 2011 ...GALE WARNING THROUGH MONDAY... .TODAY...SW WIND 35 KT DIMINISHING TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 15 FT. .TONIGHT...SE WIND 20 KT BECOMING E 20 TO 35 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 10 FT. SNOW AND RAIN. .MON...NE WIND 40 KT. SEAS 21 FT. SNOW SHOWERS AND RAIN. .MON NIGHT...W WIND 50 KT. SEAS 20 FT. .TUE...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 18 FT. .WED...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. .THU...W WIND 20 KT. SEAS 12 FT. $$ PKZ352-260300- GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF 144W 400 AM AKST SUN DEC 25 2011 ...STORM WARNING MONDAY... .TODAY...W WIND 35 KT BECOMING SW 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 14 FT. .TONIGHT...N WIND 25 TO 35 KT BECOMING NW 40 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 10 FT. SNOW AND RAIN. .MON...W WIND 40 TO 55 KT. SEAS 14 FT BUILDING TO 22 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. SNOW SHOWERS AND RAIN. .MON NIGHT...W WIND 55 KT. SEAS 27 FT. .TUE...NW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 19 FT. .WED...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. .THU...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 14 FT. $$
161 FZAK61 PAFC 260008 OFFAER OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK 400 PM AKST SUN DEC 25 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. PKZ399-261500- 400 PM AKST SUN DEC 25 2011 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A 985 MB LOW NEAR 51N 148W WILL STRENGTHEN TO 961 MB AS IT MOVES TO 58N 144W MON AFTERNOON. THIS LOW WILL THEN TRACK TO 60N 147W MON NIGHT AT 976 MB AND DISSIPATE AS IT MOVES INLAND ACROSS WESTERN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND TUE MORNING. $$ PKZ351-261500- GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE NORTH OF 57N AND WEST OF 144W 400 PM AKST SUN DEC 25 2011 ...STORM WARNING MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT... .TONIGHT...SE WIND 20 KT BECOMING NE 35 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 10 FT. SNOW. .MON...N WIND 45 TO 55 KT. SEAS 14 TO 19 FT. SNOW AND RAIN. .MON NIGHT...NW WIND 60 KT BECOMING W 50 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 18 TO 23 FT. SNOW. .TUE...SW WIND 40 KT. SEAS 19 FT. .TUE NIGHT...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 11 FT. .WED...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 12 FT. .THU...W WIND 20 KT. SEAS 12 FT. .FRI...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 13 FT. $$ PKZ352-261500- GULF OF ALASKA OFFSHORE SOUTH OF 57N NORTH OF 55N AND WEST OF 144W 400 PM AKST SUN DEC 25 2011 ...STORM WARNING MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT... .TONIGHT...NE WIND 25 KT BECOMING N 40 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 10 TO 14 FT. SNOW. .MON...W WIND 50 TO 60 KT. SEAS 14 FT BUILDING TO 22 FT IN THE AFTERNOON. SNOW AND RAIN. .MON NIGHT...W WIND 55 KT DIMINISHING TO 40 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 25 FT. SNOW. .TUE...SW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 18 FT. .TUE NIGHT...N WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. .WED...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 15 FT. .THU...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 14 FT. .FRI...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 13 FT. $$ JAM
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this gale warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this gale warning went out at Dec 23, 4:00 PM AKST, 0 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 23, 4:00 PM AKST, 0 minutes before
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 PM AKST FRI DEC 23 2011
.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...THE LONG WAVE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN IS NOW
WELL ESTABLISHED AND IS NOT IN A HURRY TO CHANGE. THERE IS AN UPPER
LEVEL TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN COAST OF THE STATE WITH AN UPPER LEVEL
RIDGE OVER THE WESTERN BERING SEA. ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL RIDGE LIES
OVER THE WESTERN COAST OF NORTH AMERICA AND STRETCHES NORTHWARD TO
THE YUKON BORDER WITH THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.
THIS UPPER LEVEL PATTERN WILL KEEP NORTHERLY FLOW OVER THE BERING SEA
REGION AND SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS ALOFT OVER THE EASTERN PART OF THE
FORECAST AREA. THIS WILL ALSO KEEP THE STORM TRACK MOVING THROUGH THE
GULF OF ALASKA AND AWAY FROM THE BERING SEA.
AT THE SURFACE THE LOW THAT BROUGHT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF SNOW TO
THE NORTH GULF COAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA HAS WEAKENED AND MOVED
INTO THE INTERIOR. ANOTHER LOW SOUTHWEST OF THE GULF OF ALASKA WILL
MOVE INTO THE GULF SATURDAY. THE FRONT THAT STRETCHES OUT OF THIS LOW
CAN BE SEE WELL ON SATELLITE AND THERE IS A SECONDARY LOW DEVELOPING
ALONG THAT FRONT IN THE EAST-CENTRAL GULF OF ALASKA. THIS LOW WILL
MOVE TO NEAR YAKUTAT OVERNIGHT AND THEN DISSIPATE.
.MODEL DISCUSSION...MODEL SOLUTIONS ARE INTERESTING TODAY. THE NAM
GFS AND ECMWF ALL INITIALIZE WELL AND END UP A PRETTY MUCH THE SAME
PLACE BY SUNDAY. HOWEVER THEY TAKE DIFFERENT PATHS TO ARRIVE THERE.
THE ISSUE IS THE COMPLEX LOW MOVING THROUGH THE GULF SATURDAY INTO
SUNDAY. THE LOW WILL BE COMPLEX BUT THE GFS IS CONSOLIDATING THE
ENERGY INTO A SINGLE CENTER AND PUSHING ITS PATH THROUGH THE GULF TOO
FAR WEST. THE NAM AND ECMWF ARE SIMILAR BUT DISAGREE WITH THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE LOW. THE BEST SOLUTION PROBABLY LIES IN A
NAM/ECMWF BLEND AS THE AREAS OF DISAGREEMENT WILL NOT HAVE A LARGE
IMPACT OF THE FORECAST AND THEY RECOGNIZE THE COMPLEX NATURE OF THIS
LOW BETTER THAN THE GFS DOES.
.SHORT TERM FORECAST...THE DEVELOPING LOW IN THE EAST-CENTRAL GULF
WILL BRING A SHOT FOR MORE SNOW FOR THE EASTERN PART OF PRINCE
WILLIAM SOUND AND THE EASTERN COPPER RIVER BASIN TONIGHT. AFTER THAT
THE NEXT LOW MOVING INTO THE GULF WILL BRING A MORE WIDESPREAD SHOT
OF PRECIPITATION INTO THE NORTH GULF COAST AND SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA
CHRISTMAS DAY.
AREAS AROUND SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA AND THE COPPER RIVER BASIN AS WELL
AS SOUTHWEST ALASKA WILL SEE SOME FOG DEVELOP OVERNIGHT AND INTO
TOMORROW.
KODIAK ISLAND WILL SEE DECREASING CLOUDS AS THE LOWS TRACK EASTWARD
ENOUGH TO KEEP THE WINDS FROM THE NORTHWEST.
SNOW SHOWERS IN NORTH TO NORTHWEST FLOW WILL PERSIST IN THE BERING
SEA AND ALEUTIAN ISLANDS.
.LONG TERM FORECAST...THE OVERALL PATTERN OVER THE STATE WILL PERSIST
INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THE RIDGE IN THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL
BERING SEA WILL REMAIN IN PLACE AND KEEP THE STORM TRACK THROUGH THE
GULF OF ALASKA.
.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...GALE 130 132 175 176.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 121 138 140 160 179 180 185.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.
EZ DEC 11In the hours before
Special weather statement, Dec 23, 12:00 PM AKST, 4 hours before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK 1200 PM AKST FRI DEC 23 2011 AKZ101-111-240400- ...SNOW TOTALS AROUND ANCHORAGE AND THE MATANUSKA VALLEY... ANCHORAGE BASHER RD.............................16.0 INCHES MID HILLSIDE..........................16.0 INCHES UPPER DEARMOUN........................14.0 INCHES DEARMOUN & BIRCH......................14.0 INCHES OMALLEY & BIRCH.......................14.0 INCHES CHUGACH STATE PARK OMALLEY TRAILHEAD..13.0 INCHES TUDOR / MULDOON CURVE.................13.0 INCHES DEARMOUN/MAINSAIL.....................12.0 INCHES ELMENDORF AFB..........................7.3 INCHES NWS FORECAST OFFICE....................5.8 INCHES EAGLE RIVER MILE 6.2 EAGLE RIVER ROAD.............14.0 INCHES DOWNTOWN..............................13.5 INCHES BUTTON CIRCLE.........................12.6 INCHES RIVERS EDGE LANE......................12.0 INCHES OSHETNA CIRCLE........................10.5 INCHES PETERS CREEK...........................9.8 INCHES UPPER HILAND ROAD......................9.3 INCHES PALMER/WASILLA KNIK RIVER ROAD........................8.0 INCHES DOWNTOWN...............................5.0 INCHES WEST PALMER............................4.2 INCHES FARM LOOP ROAD.........................4.0 INCHES
The office that day
Everything else NWS Anchorage, AK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 23, 3:27 PM AKST | Wind Chill Advisory | AFC | 13 hr | |
| Dec 23, 4:00 PM AKST | Gale Warning | AFC | 4 days | |
| Dec 23, 4:00 PM AKST | Gale Warning | AFC | 24 hr | |
| Dec 23, 4:00 PM AKST | Heavy Freezing Spray Warning | AFC | 8 days | |
| Dec 23, 4:00 PM AKST | Heavy Freezing Spray Warning | AFC | 4 days | |
| Dec 24, 4:00 AM AKST | Small Craft Advisory | AFC | 12 hr | |
| Dec 24, 10:30 AM AKST | Small Craft Advisory | AFC | 42 hr | |
| Dec 24, 12:13 PM AKST | Winter Weather Advisory | AFC | 17 hr |
Nearby
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.