Winter Storm Watch 7, NWS Fairbanks, AK

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
319 PM AKDT FRI MAR 18 2011

.DISCUSSION...
LONG ANTICIPATED CHANGES IN THE LARGE SCALE FLOW REGIME ARE UNDERWAY
ACROSS THE REGION...AS HIGH ALOFT THAT HAS BEEN IN PLACE SOMEWHERE
NEAR NORTHERN ALASKA FOR THREE WEEKS NOW IS MOVING EWD...ALLOWING
FOR MORE SLY FLOW ALOFT TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE CWA.

AT THE SURFACE...DEEP STORM IN THE SW BERING SEA NOW WKNG RPDLY
AND DRFTG NWD...WITH OCCLN EARLY WASHED OUT. THE NEXT IN THE
SERIES IS WAVE PRESENTLY NEAR 39N/180...WHICH WILL TRACK TO NEAR
DUTCH HARBOR AND DEEPEN TO 963 MB BY 4PM SAT. MODELS HAVE COME
INTO RSBL AGREEMENT WITH THIS FEATURE...MOVING TO VCNTY OF THE
BERING STRAIT BY 4AM MON AND GRADLY WKNG. MEANWHILE...BROAD HIGH
OVER ERN ALASKA AND THE YUKON RECENTERING FARTHER EAST BUT OVER
HIGH PRES PRSTG AT LEAST UNTIL SUN AM.

NORTH SLOPE...HIGH PRES OVER THE BROOKS RANGE WILL CONTINUE TO
PRODUCE SOME W-SW WINDS OVER CENTRAL AND ERN ZONES. FALLING PRES
OVER THE CHUKCHI SEA WILL START ALLOW FOR E-SE WINDS OVER WRN
ZONES. NO SGFNT WX XPCD BEFORE LATE SUN AT THE EARLIEST IN SRN
ZONE 201.

WEST COAST...OLD LOW AND FRONTAL SYSTEM DESTINED TO NOT HAVE MUCH
IMPACT OVER THE FAR WEST. THE NEXT INCOMING LOW WILL HAVE MORE OF
AN IMPACT. INTIALLY THIS WILL BE MOSTLY ZONES 214 AND THEN 213.
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WWA WILL BE NEEDED FOR LATE SAT/SUN..ESPCLY
ZONE 214.

MODERATION IN TEMPS ALREADY UNDERWAY...AND THIS WILL CONTINUE.
SOME MID-HIGH CLOUDS INTO THE WRN INTR ON SUN BUT ERN ZONES
REMAINING GENLY CLR UNTIL EARLY NXT WEEK.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220.
&&

RT MAR 11