High Wind Watch 12, NWS Anchorage, AK

459 
WWAK71 PAFC 260158
NPWAER

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
458 PM AKST FRI FEB 25 2011

AKZ131-261500-
/X.UPG.PAFC.HW.A.0012.110226T2100Z-110228T0100Z/
/X.NEW.PAFC.HW.W.0020.110226T1500Z-110228T0300Z/
NORTHEAST PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...VALDEZ...THOMPSON PASS
458 PM AKST FRI FEB 25 2011

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM SATURDAY TO 6 PM AKST
SUNDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM SATURDAY TO 6 PM AKST
SUNDAY. THE HIGH WIND WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

AN ARCTIC FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE REGION LATER TONIGHT WILL BRING VERY
COLD TEMPERATURES AND STRONG WINDS ACROSS SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA. AS
THE ARCTIC AIR MASS SETTLES IN...WINDS AROUND NORTHEAST PRINCE
WILLIAM SOUND WILL INCREASE LATE TONIGHT. NORTHEAST WINDS OF 40
TO 60 MPH THROUGH THOMPSON PASS AND 20 TO 40 MPH IN TOWN...WITH
GUSTS OF 65 TO 80 MPH ACROSS THE AREA...ARE EXPECTED THROUGH
SUNDAY AFTERNOON. CONDITIONS SHOULD GRADUALLY BEGIN TO IMPROVE BY
SUNDAY EVENING.

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.

&&

$$

AKZ125-261500-
/X.NEW.PAFC.HW.W.0020.110226T0900Z-110227T0300Z/
WESTERN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WHITTIER...SEWARD...GIRDWOOD...
MOOSE PASS
458 PM AKST FRI FEB 25 2011

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM AKST
SATURDAY NEAR WHITTIER...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 6 PM AKST
SATURDAY NEAR WHITTIER. 

AN ARCTIC FRONT BRINGING VERY COLD TEMPERATURES AND STRONG WINDS
HAS JUST PASSED THROUGH THE AREA. AS THE ARCTIC AIR MASS RUSHES
ACROSS THE AREA...WEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO 30 TO 50
MPH THIS EVENING...WITH GUSTS DEVELOPING AROUND MIDNIGHT OF 70 TO
85 MPH. THESE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON
BEFORE GRADUALLY BEGINNING TO DIMINISH THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT.

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.

&&

$$

AKZ135-261500-
/X.NEW.PAFC.HW.A.0013.110227T0100Z-110228T0300Z/
SOUTHEAST PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...CORDOVA
458 PM AKST FRI FEB 25 2011

...HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
SUNDAY AFTERNOON ALONG THE COPPER RIVER DELTA...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY
AFTERNOON ALONG THE COPPER RIVER DELTA.

AN ARCTIC FRONT MOVING ACROSS THE REGION WILL ALLOW FOR VERY COLD
TEMPERATURES AND STRONG WINDS TO DEVELOP BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
EXPECT NORTH WINDS OF 30 TO 50 MPH ALONG THE COPPER RIVER
DELTA TO DEVELOP BY LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON...WITH GUSTS POSSIBLY
INCREASING AS HIGH AS 70 TO 85 MPH...BEFORE GRADUALLY BEGINNING TO
DIMINISH BY SUNDAY EVENING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A HIGH WIND WATCH MEANS THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR A HAZARDOUS
HIGH WIND EVENT. PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO CLOSELY MONITOR THIS
WEATHER SITUATION. PREPARATION FOR THIS POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS
WEATHER EVENT SHOULD BEGIN NOW. 

&&

$$

SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
500 AM AKST FRI FEB 25 2011

.MODEL DISCUSSION...00Z MODELS CONTINUE TO EXHIBIT VERY GOOD AGREEMENT
AND CONTINUITY THROUGH THE SHORT TERM. ECMWF AND GFS ALSO ARE IN BASIC
AGREEMENT OUT THROUGH DAYS 5-7. USED MAINLY NAM FOR ADJUSTMENTS IN SHORT
TERM GRIDS AND GFS FOR EXTENDED.

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...OLD VERTICALLY STACKED LOW THAT MOVED N OVER
THE BERING SEA LAST FEW DAYS IS NOW LOCATED N OF PABR AND IS SLIDING E
FLATTENING UPPER RIDGING OVER ERN AK/NWRN CANADA. WEAKENING OCCLUDED
FRONTAL SYSTEM HAS SPLIT/DISSIPATED OVER AK PEN/ERN ALEUTIANS BUT THE
REST OF IT IS CROSSING CENTRAL AND SW INTERIOR...DRIVEN BY FAIRLY STRONG
CONSOLIDATED WSWRLY JET FLOW. THE ARCTIC LOW WILL WEAKEN FURTHER TODAY
AND TONIGHT AND DIVE SE OVER NWRN CANADA AND ERN HALF MAINLAND AK AS A
SHORT-WAVE TROUGH. THE REMAINS OF THE FRONT WILL PUSH THROUGH S-CENTRAL
AK THIS MORNING AND COPPER RIVER BASIN EARLY AFTERNOON. BEHIND THE TROUGH
PASSAGE...A STRONG NW TO N LOW-MID LEVEL FLOW WILL DEVELOP OVER MAINLAND
AK TONIGHT AND SAT AS UPPER RIDGING REBOUNDS BEHIND OVER THE ERN ALEUTIANS
AND AK PEN. BY SAT MORNING...A SURFACE TROUGH WILL FORM OVER THE ERN GULF
AK AND OFFSHORE SE AK WHILE STRONG SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN OVER
THE WRN AK MAINLAND. AS THE HIGH MOVES FURTHER INLAND SAT NIGHT/SUN AND
A SURFACE LOW STRENGTHENS OFFSHORE OF THE SRN PANHANDLE...STRONG N TO NE
SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL DEVELOP OVER S-CENTRAL AK. THIS WILL BE
ALIGNED WITH CONSOLIDATED NRLY JET FLOW OVER ALL OF THE CENTRAL AND ERN
MAINLAND OF AK. STRONGEST PRESSURE GRADIENTS AND JET FLOW FOR N TO NE GAP
WINDS WILL BE SAT NIGHT THROUGH EARLY MON.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...
ALEUTIANS AND AK PEN: ERN ALEUTIANS AND AK PEN WILL JUST SEE DIMINISHING
-RA TODAY AND TONIGHT AS REMAINS OF FRONTAL SYSTEM DISSIPATE. DRY WEATHER
THERE TOMORROW AND AT LEAST THROUGH TUE AS UPPER RIDGING REBUILDS. FOR WRN
AND CENTRAL ALEUTIANS SNOW SHOWERS CHANGING TO RAIN LATE TODAY AND TONIGHT
AS WARM FRONT AHEAD OF NPAC LOW MOVES N...ALONG WITH GALE FORCE E AND SE
WINDS. PERIODS OF RAIN AND WIND WILL CONTINUE THERE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AS
OMEGA BLOCK FORMS WITH ERN BERING UPPER RIDGING...LEAVING THAT AREA UNDER
MILD MOIST SRLY FLOW.

SW AK: SNOW DIMINISHING RAPIDLY TODAY AS UPPER TROUGH SWINGS THROUGH WITH
SIGNIFICANT COLD ADVECTION. NW TO N WINDS INCREASING TONIGHT AND SAT AS
UPPER RIDGING REBUILDS TO W. CONTINUED COLD WITH NRLY WINDS SUN...BUT SOME
MODERATION POSSIBLE MON AS CLOSED UPPER HIGH BUILDS IN OVER CENTRAL BERING
AND 500 MB HEIGHTS RISE.

S AND E OF THE AK RANGE: SNOW TODAY FROM FRONTAL REMNANTS/SHORT WAVE...MIXED
WITH RAIN GULF COAST WILL RAPIDLY DIMINISH THIS AFTERNOON. HEAVIEST SNOWFALL
WILL BE ERN SUSITNA VALLEY AND E OF PALMER TOWARD CHICKALOON. RAPID COOLING
AND DRYING TONIGHT BEHIND SHORT-WAVE WITH INCREASING NW TO N WINDS. GAP
WINDS INCLUDING KNIK AND MATANUSKA VALLEY WINDS WILL DEVELOP AND INCREASE
SAT THROUGH SUN...AND CONTINUE INTO MON. STRONGEST WINDS LIKELY THROUGH
THOMPSON PASS AND NEAR WHITTIER...HIGH WIND WATCH MAY BE ISSUED. MUCH COLDER
SAT NIGHT THROUGH MON...AND WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR NRN SUSITNA VALLEY MAY
ALSO BE ISSUED.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...CLOSED UPPER HIGH OVER NORTHERN BERING SEA MON WILL
REMAIN STATIONARY IN OMEGA BLOCK PATTERN THROUGH AT LEAST THU. WEAK SHORT
WAVES WILL DROP S OVER MAINLAND AK PERIODICALLY IN STRONG NRLY FLOW AHEAD
OF IT...EACH BRINGING A LITTLE COOLER AIR AND HELPING TO MAINTAIN GUSTY
N TO NE WIND PATTERN. NEEDLESS TO SAY...ALL AREAS EXCEPT CENTRAL AND WRN
ALEUTIANS WILL REMAIN DRY FOR FORESEEABLE FUTURE. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN
SLIGHTLY TO MUCH BELOW NORMAL FOR MOST OF THE MAINLAND...BUT CLOSER TO
NORMAL FURTHEST W IN AREAS OF CLOSEST PROXIMITY TO THE UPPER RIDGE.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE
MARINE...STORMS: 129 130
         GALES: 120 121 125 127 128 132 138 140 141 150 172 175 176 351
                352 411 412 413 414
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY: 120 121 126 127 128 129 130 138 179 185 414

MAR FEB 11