Brisk Wind Advisory 61, NWS Fairbanks, AK

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
229 PM AKST THU FEB 17 2011

.DISCUSSION...
SATELLITE IMAGERY REVEALS STRONG LOW EXITING THE ANADYR GULF TO
THE NORTHEAST WITH OCCLUDED FRONT WRAPPING AROUND THE LOW TO THE
WEST AND THEN TO THE NORTH INTO THE CHUKCHI SEA AND BACK DOWN
TOWARD THE SOUTH AND IS CURRENTLY CROSSING THE NORTHWEST COAST
NEAR PPIZ. THE FRONT EXTENDS SOUTHWEST INTO THE LOWER Y-K DELTA.
LOW HAS FILLED TO APPROXIMATELY 972 MB AND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
TO FILL AS IT MOVES TO THE NORTHEAST TONIGHT AND FRIDAY. SOLID
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT MULTIPLE WEST COAST LOCATIONS INCLUDING
PAOT WITH ZERO VISIBILITY WITH SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW AND WINDS
GUSTING TO 50KTS. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
TODAY WITH WINDS GUSTS APPROACHING 60 MPH AND CONTINUE THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING WHERE WINDS WILL DECREASE TO 30 TO 40 MPH. ANOTHER
COLD MORNING ACROSS THE EASTERN INTERIOR WITH PAEG DROPPING TO 47
BELOW WHILE MUCH OF THE WESTERN AND CENTRAL INTERIOR HAS WARMED UP
UNDER A MID AND UPPER CLOUD DECKS IN THE CENTRAL INTERIOR AND WITH
SNOW ACROSS THE WESTERN INTERIOR. STRONG WINDS CONTINUE ACROSS THE
WESTERN ARCTIC SLOPE WHERE PALU GUSTED TO 55 KTS.

WEST COAST...ONGOING BLIZZARD CONDITIONS AT ST LAWRENCE ISLAND
AND ALONG THE BERING COAST AND SEWARD PENINSULA WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THE NIGHT AND SLOWLY IMPROVE IN FRIDAY MORNING AS THE LOW
CONTINUES TO MOVE NORTHEAST INTO THE CHUKCHI SEA. SNOW SHOWERS AND
REDUCED VISIBILITIES WITH BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO FRIDAY
NIGHT. VISIBILITY IMPROVES WITH DIMINISHED WIND FRIDAY NIGHT
HOWEVER SNOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEXT LOW MOVING INTO THE BERING
WILL BEGIN TO IMPACT THE ST LAWRENCE ISLAND SATURDAY MORNING AND THE
REST OF THE BERING COAST ON SATURDAY NIGHT. THE NEXT LOW TAKES A
VERY SIMILAR PATH AS THE LAST LOW AND IS PROGGED TO BE IN THE
ANAYDR GULF BY 12Z SUNDAY. THIS LATEST LOW IS PROGGED TO BE WEAKER
WITH LESS WIND AND SNOW THAT THE CURRENT LOW.

NORTH SLOPE...LOW VISIBILITIES WITH STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE
TONIGHT ALONG THE WESTERN ARCTIC COAST AS THE FIRST LOW CONTINUES
TO MOVE NORTHEAST OUT OF THE ANAYDR GULF AND INTO THE SOUTHERN
CHUKCHI SEA. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING ALONG THE CENTRAL ARCTIC COAST AND WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES
AS AVAILABLE SNOW COVER IS LOFTED.

INTERIOR...SNOW HAS OVERSPREAD THE WESTERN INTERIOR AND WILL
CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST INTO THE CENTRAL INTERIOR THIS AFTERNOON AND
EARLY EVENING. SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE EASTERN INTERIOR LATE
TONIGHT AND TOMORROW. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN EXPANDED
TO INCLUDE EASTERNMOST ZONES. GENERALLY 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE
EXPECTED HOWEVER LOCATIONS WITH FAVORABLE WEST TO SOUTHWEST
FACING SLOPES WILL LIKELY RECEIVE MORE WITH ENHANCED UP SLOPE.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ217.

BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ213.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ201-AKZ206-AKZ215-AKZ216-AKZ218-
AKZ219-AKZ220-AKZ221-AKZ222-AKZ223-AKZ224-AKZ225-AKZ226.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230-
PKZ235.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ235-
PKZ240-PKZ245.
&&

RL/CC FEB 11