Brisk Wind Advisory 192, NWS Fairbanks, AK

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1236 PM AKST THU DEC 15 2011

.DISCUSSION...

ALOFT...487 DAM LOW OVER DUTCH HARBOR WILL MOVE TO WEST CENTRAL
BRISTOL BAY BY EARLY FRIDAY MORNING AS A 501 DAM LOW. THE LOW
WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN THEN MERGE WITH A 503 DAM LOW IN THE
NORTHEAST BERING SEA SOUTH OF ST LAWRENCE ISLAND...THE LOW WILL
CONTINUE TO DEEPEN AND DRIFT WEST OVER THE WEST CENTRAL BERING
SEA AS A 495 DAM LOW ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON. WEAK TROUGHING WILL
REMAIN OVER THE ARCTIC COAST INTO THE WEEKEND. A RIDGE OF HIGH
PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE STATE INTO
THE WEEKEND...THOUGH A SERIES OF WEAK SHORT WAVES SPINNING OFF
THE LOW NEAR THE WEST COAST WILL MOVE OVER THE TOP OF IT.

SURFACE...THE 946 MB LOW JUST NORTH OF UNIMAK ISLAND WILL MOVE TO
NEAR CAPE NEWENHAM BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON AS IT WEAKENS TO 976 MB.
A TRIPLE POINT LOW WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP THIS EVENING MOVING
TO NEAR YAKUTAT BY FRIDAY MORNING. THE FRONT WILL WORK ITS WAY
INLAND EVENTUALLY DISSIPATING OVER THE INTERIOR BY SATURDAY
MORNING. THE DISSIPATING LOW WILL THEN MERGE WITH A 967 MB LOW
MOVING OUT OF THE NORTH PACIFIC INTO WESTERN BRISTOL BAY TO BECOME
A 968 MB LOW BY SUNDAY MORNING. WEAK TROUGHING WILL REMAIN OVER
THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN INTERIOR. A 1026 MB HIGH 400 NM NORTHWEST
OF BARROW WILL CONTINUE TO BRING WEAK HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE
ARCTIC COAST TODAY THEN RECEDE TO THE NORTH ON SATURDAY. A RIDGE
OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE SOUTHEAST PANHANDLE AND
EASTERN GULF OF ALASKA.

NORTH SLOPE...CONTINUED MOSTLY CLEAR...THOUGH SOME PATCHES OF
STRATUS MAY MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. WINDS RELATIVELY LIGHT WITH
THE EXCEPTION OF THE NORTH WEST COAST WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO SEE
STRONG GRADIENT WINDS WITH THE INTERACTION OF THE HIGH TO THE
NORTH AND THE LOW TO THE SOUTH. TEMPERATURES WILL BE ALL OVER
THE MAP WITH THE AREAS GETTING CLOUDS BEING MUCH WARMER THAN
THE CLEAR AREAS.

INTERIOR...MOSTLY CLOUDY THE NEXT FEW DAY AS THE FRONT EVENTUALLY
MAKES ITS WAY INTO THE INTERIOR AND DISSIPATES. WILL SEE SOME
WINDS THROUGH THE ALASKA RANGE TONIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY THOUGH
SHOULD BE LESS THAN ADVISORY LEVELS WITH GUSTS TO 45 TO 55 MPH.
A FEW FLURRIES WILL BE POSSIBLE SOUTH OF THE YUKON RIVER BUT NO
ACCUMULATION IS EXPECTED. NORTH OF THE YUKON ALONG THE SOUTH
SLOPES OF THE BROOKS RANGE EXPECT 2 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW WITH
OVERRUNNING AND UPSLOPE CONDITIONS.

WEST COAST...PERIODS OF SNOW CONTINUE IN ZONES 214 AND 215
WITH SNOW DEVELOPING IN ZONE 212...216 AND 227 THIS EVENING
AND OVERNIGHT ON THE SEWARD PENINSULA. MOST AREAS WILL SEE
1 TO 3 INCHES OR LESS...BUT HAVE ISSUED WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES
FOR AREAS NEAR THE NULATO HILLS IN ZONES 215 AND 216 FOR 4 TO 6
INCHES OF SNOW THROUGH FRIDAY EVENING. STRONG WINDS WILL GRADUALLY
DIMINISH TONIGHT OVER THE SOUTHERN AREAS AS THE LOW FILLS AND
DRIFTS NORTH.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ215-AKZ216.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ230.
&&

SDB DEC 11