High Wind Watch 11, NWS Anchorage, AK

120 
WWAK72 PAFC 231316
NPWALU

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
416 AM AKST WED FEB 23 2011

AKZ191-240100-
/X.UPG.PAFC.HW.A.0011.110223T1800Z-110224T0300Z/
/X.NEW.PAFC.HW.W.0019.110223T1700Z-110224T0100Z/
WESTERN ALEUTIANS-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...SHEMYA AND AMCHITKA
416 AM AKST WED FEB 23 2011

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM
AKST THIS AFTERNOON WEST OF KISKA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM AKST
THIS AFTERNOON. THE HIGH WIND WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

A POWERFUL NORTH PACIFIC LOW WILL MOVE INTO THE WESTERN BERING
SEA THIS AFTERNOON. STRONG NORTH WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE
WESTERN ALEUTIANS WEST OF KISKA THIS MORNING WITH GUSTS TO 80 MPH.
THESE NORTH WINDS WILL ALSO BE ACCOMPANIED BY HEAVY SNOWFALL...WHICH
MAY REDUCE VISIBILITY TO ONE MILE OR LESS AT TIMES. CONDITIONS
WILL IMPROVE THIS EVENING AS WINDS DIMINISH AND SHIFT TO THE WEST.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED
OR OCCURRING. PEOPLE ARE URGED TO SECURE LOOSE OBJECTS THAT COULD
BE BLOWN AROUND OR DAMAGED BY THE WIND.

$$

SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 PM AKST TUE FEB 22 2011

.MODEL DISCUSSION...THE MODELS ARE HAVING NO TROUBLE IN THE EAST WITH
NOTHING BUT A LARGE RIDGE TO DEAL WITH OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THE
FEATURE OF NOTE TO WATCH WILL BE THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANOTHER TROUGH IN
THE NORTHERN GULF FRIDAY OR SATURDAY.
THE WESTERN PART OF THE STATE IS A BIT OF A DIFFERENT STORY. THE NAM
AND ECMWF ARE JUST ABOUT IN LOCKSTEP WITH THE STRENGTH AND MOVEMENT
OF THE LARGE LOW APPROACHING THE WESTERN BERING SEA. THE GFS IS
WEAKER AND MUCH FASTER WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THIS LOW. THE ECMWF/NAM
SOLUTION WAS THE PREFERRED SOLUTION FOR THIS AFTERNOONS FORECAST
PACKAGE.

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...A WARM CORE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IS
AMPLIFYING OVER THE MAINLAND PART OF THE STATE. THE JET STREAM WILL
FOLLOW ALONG WITH THIS RIDGE AND RIDE OVER THE TOP BRINGING STRONG
SOUTHERLY FLOW INTO THE BERING SEA WHICH IS WHERE THE STORM TRACK HAS
BEEN AND WILL REMAIN FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS. A STRONG SURFACE RIDGE
OVER THE MAINLAND PART OF THE STATE WILL MOVE SOUTHWARD AND OVER THE
GULF OF ALASKA TOMORROW AS A STRONG LOW MOVES NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH
THE WESTERN BERING SEA. ANOTHER SURFACE RIDGE WILL BUILD BACK IN OVER
THE MAINLAND PART OF THE STATE RIGHT BEHIND THIS LOW.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...THE BLIZZARD WARNING FOR THOMPSON PASS WAS
CANCELED THIS MORNING AFTER CONDITIONS DID NOT DEVELOP. THE WIND
INCREASED AS FORECAST BUT THE SNOW WAS EVIDENTLY NOT TRANSPORTABLE
AND THEREFORE VISIBILITIES WERE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BY ANY
BLOWING SNOW. WINDS IN THE VALDEZ AND CORDOVA AREAS WILL REMAIN
STRONG THROUGH THE NIGHT AND THEN DIMINISH TOMORROW AS THE SURFACE
LOW MOVES INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA.
SOUTHWEST ALASKA WILL SEE INCREASING WINDS AS THE STRONG LOW IN THE
WESTERN BERING SEA INCREASES THE PRESSURE GRADIENT BETWEEN IT AND THE
GULF OF ALASKA RIDGE. TEMPERATURES WILL BE MILD AS SOUTHWEST ALASKA
REMAINS FIRMLY IN THE WARM SECTOR OF THIS SYSTEM. PRECIPITATION WILL
BE MOSTLY ALONG THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS TONIGHT AS THE FRONT WILL REMAIN
FAR TO THE WEST THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...THE NEXT RIDGE WILL BUILD INTO THE EASTERN
BERING SEA AND WESTERN ALASKA LATE IN THE WEEK. THIS WILL CLEAR OUT
MOST OF THE MAINLAND FORECAST AREA. ANOTHER SURFACE TROUGH WILL
DEVELOP ALONG THE NORTH GULF COAST KICKING WINDS UP AGAIN IN THAT
AREA.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...GALE 129 155 165 170 172 179 180 185.
         STORM  175 176.
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 121 129 140.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

FEB 11