High Wind Watch 14, NWS Anchorage, AK

748 
WWAK71 PAFC 030058
NPWAER

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
358 PM AKST WED MAR 2 2011

AKZ111-031500-
/X.UPG.PAFC.HW.A.0014.110303T1000Z-110303T2000Z/
/X.NEW.PAFC.HW.W.0021.110303T1000Z-110304T0100Z/
MATANUSKA VALLEY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...PALMER...WASILLA...SUTTON...CHICKALOON
358 PM AKST WED MAR 2 2011

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 4 PM AKST THURSDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 4 PM AKST THURSDAY. THE
HIGH WIND WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE MATANUSKA VALLEY
LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. AT THE SURFACE...THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN AND COLDER AIR WILL MOVE IN FROM
THE COPPER RIVER BASIN. THE COMBINATION OF THESE FACTORS WILL
CAUSE HIGH WINDS IN THE MATANUSKA VALLEY.

WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING AND THEN PEAK LATE TONIGHT
THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON AS THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES
THROUGH. GUSTS UP TO 75 MPH WILL OCCUR DURING THIS PERIOD. WINDS
ARE THEN EXPECTED TO DIMINISH THURSDAY 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.

&&

$$

AKZ131-031500-
/X.NEW.PAFC.HW.W.0021.110303T0058Z-110303T2100Z/
NORTHEAST PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...VALDEZ...THOMPSON PASS
358 PM AKST WED MAR 2 2011

...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKST THURSDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKST THURSDAY. 

AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE ACROSS PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
AND THOMPSON PASS THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. AT THE
SURFACE...THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN AND COLDER AIR WILL
MOVE IN FROM THE COPPER RIVER BASIN. THE COMBINATION OF THESE
FACTORS WILL CAUSE HIGH WINDS FROM THOMPSON PASS THROUGH THE TOWN
OF VALDEZ.

WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS EVENING AND THEN PEAK LATE TONIGHT THROUGH
THURSDAY MORNING AS THE UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVES THROUGH.
GUSTS UP TO 75 MPH WILL OCCUR DURING THIS PERIOD. WINDS ARE THEN
EXPECTED TO DIMINISH THURSDAY 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.

&&

$$

SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 PM AKST TUE MAR 1 2011

.MODEL DISCUSSION...MODELS ARE DOING WELL OVERALL. THERE IS A BIT OF
UNCERTAINTY IN THE GULF BY THURSDAY AS A LOW MOVING IN FROM THE
SOUTHEAST BECOMES A BROAD COMPLEX LOW. AS IS TYPICAL WITH THESE
SYSTEMS THE MODELS ALL TRY TO RESOLVE WHERE EACH INDIVIDUAL WEAK LOW
WILL DEVELOP AND THEY SELDOM AGREE UNTIL IT STARTS TO TAKE SHAPE.
THIS WILL IMPACT MOSTLY THE KODIAK AREA AS THERE COULD BE SOME SNOW
INVOLVED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THESE EMBEDDED LOWS...BUT DETAILS
ARE HARD TO SEE AT THIS TIME.

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...THE WEATHER MAP LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO
THE PAST FEW DAYS. THE OMEGA BLOCK PATTERN PERSISTS OVER THE STATE
TODAY WITH THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE EASTERN BERING SEA. THE
UPPER LEVEL WINDS OVER THE MAINLAND PART OF THE STATE REMAIN DUE
NORTH TO SOUTH AROUND THE RIDGE BUT HAVE DIMINISHED FROM A FEW DAYS
AGO. THE MAIN JET STREAM REMAINS WELL SOUTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. THE
SURFACE HIGH REMAINS OVER THE INTERIOR OF THE STATE AND INTO THE
NORTHERN BERING SEA. BROAD LOW PRESSURE OVER THE GULF WILL KEEP THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE NORTH GULF COAST TIGHT AND THEREFORE KEEP
GUSTY WINDS IN THAT AREA.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...WITH THE PATTERN NOT CHANGING OVER THE LAST
FEW DAYS THE WEATHER IS NOT CHANGING MUCH EITHER. THE WINDS ALONG THE
NORTH GULF COAST WILL PERSIST AND MAY EVEN STRENGTHEN A LITTLE MORE
TOMORROW. THAT WILL MEAN THE VALDEZ AREA AND THOMPSON PASS COULD
POSSIBLY GET BACK NEAR HIGH WIND WARNING LEVELS. THE OTHER AREA OF
CONCERN IS IN THE MATANUSKA VALLEY WHERE WINDS WILL INCREASE LATE
TOMORROW OR TOMORROW NIGHT. AT THIS TIME IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE WINDS
WILL GET QUITE THAT HIGH BUT IT WILL HAVE TO LOOKED AT AND CONSIDERED
WHEN NEW MODEL PACKAGES ARRIVE.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...THE OMEGA BLOCK WILL WEAKEN OVER THE BERING SEA
BY THE WEEKEND AND BECOME A CLOSED UPPER LEVEL HIGH OVER THE CHUKCHI
SEA. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR WEAK LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS TO MOVE FURTHER
INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA AND WESTERN ALEUTIANS.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...GALE 176.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

EZ MAR 11