Blizzard Watch 34, NWS Anchorage, AK

356 
WWAK42 PAFC 021352 CCA
WSWALU

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
552 AM AKDT MON APR 2 2012

AKZ195-031400-
/X.COR.PAFC.BZ.A.0034.120404T0300Z-120405T0000Z/
PRIBILOF ISLANDS-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...SAINT PAUL
552 AM AKDT MON APR 2 2012

...BLIZZARD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON. 

* SNOW...STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATION OF 2 TO 5 INCHES POSSIBLE.

* VISIBILITY...MAY BE REDUCED TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT TIMES.

* WIND...NORTH 25 TO 40 MPH.

* TIMING...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL DEVELOP LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
  CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE DURING THE EVENING AND CONTINUE
  THROUGH THE NIGHT AND INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING. CONDITIONS WILL
  BEGIN TO IMPROVE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

* IMPACTS...SNOWFALL COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS AND BLOWING SNOW
  MAY PRODUCE WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES. DRIVING MAY BECOME
  VERY DIFFICULT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FALLING AND/OR
BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND EXTREMELY POOR VISIBILITIES.
THIS CAN LEAD TO WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS AND MAKE TRAVEL VERY
DIFFICULT.

&&

$$

541 
WWAK42 PAFC 031258
WSWALU

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
458 AM AKDT TUE APR 3 2012

AKZ195-040200-
/X.UPG.PAFC.BZ.A.0034.120404T0300Z-120405T0000Z/
/X.NEW.PAFC.BZ.W.0049.120403T2200Z-120404T2000Z/
PRIBILOF ISLANDS-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...SAINT PAUL
458 AM AKDT TUE APR 3 2012

...BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO NOON
AKDT WEDNESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ANCHORAGE HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO NOON
AKDT WEDNESDAY. THE BLIZZARD WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 

* SNOW...STORM TOTAL ACCUMULATION OF 3 TO 6 INCHES POSSIBLE.

* VISIBILITY...WILL BE REDUCED TO ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS AT 
  TIMES.

* WIND...NORTH 25 TO 40 MPH.

* TIMING...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL DEVELOP EARLY THIS AFTERNOON
  WITH BLIZZARD CONDITIONS EXPECTED BY MID AFTERNOON. CONDITIONS
  WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS
  SHOULD END BY MIDDAY WEDNESDAY...THOUGH SNOW SHOWERS AND
  BLOWING SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING.

* IMPACTS...SNOWFALL COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS AND BLOWING SNOW 
  WILL PRODUCE WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS AT TIMES. DRIVING MAY BECOME 
  VERY DIFFICULT. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS
AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITE-OUT
CONDITIONS...MAKING TRAVEL VERY DIFFICULT. ALL TRAVEL AND OUTDOOR
ACTIVITY IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.

&&

$$

SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
500 PM AKDT SUN APR 1 2012

.MODEL DISCUSSION...
THE MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT OUT WEST BUT HAVE ISSUES WITH THE
LOW MOVING TOWARD SOUTHEAST ALASKA IN THE SHORT TERM. THE EC IS THE
OUTLIER AS THE GFS AND NAM BOTH BRING THE LOW TOWARD DIXON ENTRANCE
IN THE MID 970S BY MONDAY NIGHT AND THE EC IS SLOWER AND DEEPER. THIS
IS PRIMARILY AN ISSUE FOR THE PANHANDLE AS THE WIND FIELD OVER THE
WESTERN GULF SHOWS MINOR DIFFERENCES IN RESPONSE TO THIS.

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...
A TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN BERING EXTENDS BACK TO THE PARENT UPPER LOW
OVER THE KAMCHATKA PENINSULA WHILE A RIDGE LIES ALONG THE DATE
LINE.THE WARM FRONT IN ADVANCE OF THE SURFACE LOW IS OCCLUDING AS IT
SLOWLY MOVES NORTH AND EAST. A BROAD UPPER LOW IS OVER THE SOUTHERN
GULF OF ALASKA. AT THE SURFACE THE OLD LOW JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE
GULF CONTINUES TO WEAKEN AND DRIFT TO THE SOUTH. THE 986 MB LOW 1000
NM SOUTH OF PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND IS RAPIDLY INTENSIFYING AND MOVING
NORTHEAST TOWARD THE PANHANDLE.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...
SOUTH CENTRAL...
EASTERLY WAVES ARE STILL BRINGING RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS TO THE
SOUTHERN MAINLAND FROM THE PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND AREA TO THE COPPER
RIVER BASIN THE SUSITNA VALLEY AND COOK INLET REGION AND KODIAK
ISLAND. MOISTURE NOW OVER NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA AND THE YUKON
TERRITORY WILL CONTINUE TO ROTATE TO THE WEST KEEPING THE THREAT OF
SHOWERS GOING FOR THE EASTERN COPPER RIVER BASIN. THE RIDGING ALOFT
BUILDING FROM THE BERING COAST SHOULD HOLD BACK THE MOISTURE FROM
REACHING THE SUSITNA VALLEY AND COOK INLET. CLEARING SKIES OVER THE
SUSITNA VALLEY AND COOK INLET COULD RESULT IN SOME RADIATION COOLING
AND INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR FOG.

SOUTHWEST...
NORTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER MOST OF THE AREA WITH ISOLATED
SNOW SHOWERS MAINLY ALONG THE UP SLOPE REGIONS OF THE BRISTOL BAY
ZONE AND ALONG THE ALASKA RANGE AND KILBUCK MOUNTAINS. LOW CLOUDS AND
FOG WILL AGAIN BE AN ISSUE ALONG THE BERING SEA COAST AND BRISTOL BAY
COAST TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING.

ALEUTIANS/BERING...
NORTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE
BERING RESULTING IN COLD ADVECTION SNOW SHOWERS FROM THE PRIBILOFS
DOWN ACROSS THE ALASKA PENINSULA AND THE EASTERN ALEUTIANS. RAIN AND
FOG ASSOCIATED WITH THE WARM FRONT OVER THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS WILL
SPREAD TO THE CENTRAL ALEUTIANS THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...
BY MID WEEK AN UPPER RIDGE WILL BE OVER SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH CENTRAL
ALASKA AS A DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH DIGS SOUTH FROM THE BERING STRAIT
TO THE CENTRAL ALEUTIANS. EXPECT DRY CONDITIONS OVER THE SOUTHERN
MAINLAND WHILE SOUTHWEST ALASKA TO THE CENTRAL ALEUTIANS SEE MORE
MOIST CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH FAST MOVING LOW MOVING INTO THE
EASTERN BERING SEA AND BRISTOL BAY AREA BY WEDNESDAY. LATER IN THE
WEEK THE LOW AND UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVE OVER THE MAINLAND AND WILL
BRING CLOUDY WETTER CONDITIONS INTO THE REGION TOWARD THE WEEKEND.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...GALES 172 176 185.
         STORM 175
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

SAM APR 12