Gale Warning 379, NWS Anchorage, AK

Issued

Mar 31, 2012, 4:00 PM AKDT (00:00 UTC)

Expired

Apr 1, 2012, 7:00 AM AKDT

In force

15 hr

Issued by

NWS Anchorage, AK

000 
FZAK52 PAFC 312300
CWFALU

COASTAL WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE ALASKA
400 PM AKDT SAT MAR 31 2012

COASTAL WATERS FORECAST FOR SOUTHWEST ALASKA+BRISTOL BAY+THE
ALASKA PENINSULA WATERS AND THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS UP TO 100 NM OUT.

WIND FORECASTS REFLECT THE PREDOMINANT SPEED AND DIRECTION
EXPECTED. SEA FORECASTS REPRESENT AN AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST
ONE-THIRD OF THE COMBINED WIND WAVE AND SWELL HEIGHT.

PKZ199-011500-
400 PM AKDT SAT MAR 31 2012
.SYNOPSIS FOR SOUTHWEST ALASKA+BRISTOL BAY+THE ALASKA
PENINSULA WATERS AND THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS...

HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE WESTERN BERING SEA TONIGHT AND SHIFTS
TO THE EASTERN BERING SEA SUN NIGHT. A WEATHER FRONT MOVES ACROSS
THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS SUN. A 1002 MB LOW MOVES TO 45N 176E MON
AFTERNOON. 

$$

PKZ150-011500-
COASTAL WATERS SOUTH OF THE ALASKA PENINSULA SITKINAK TO CASTLE
CAPE
400 PM AKDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY SUNDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...N WIND 15 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.SUN...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 7 FT. 
.SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.MON AND MON NIGHT...NW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.TUE...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.WED...S WIND 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.THU...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS 6 FT.  

$$

PKZ155-011500-
COASTAL WATERS SOUTH OF THE ALASKA PENINSULA CASTLE CAPE TO CAPE
SARICHEF
400 PM AKDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING SUNDAY NIGHT...
...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...NW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 8 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN...N WIND 20 KT. SEAS 8 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 10 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.MON...NW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.MON NIGHT...W WIND 20 KT. SEAS 7 FT. 
.TUE...SW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.WED...S WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.THU...NW WIND 15 KT. SEAS 8 FT.  

$$

PKZ160-011500-
BRISTOL BAY WATERS CAPE NEWENHAM TO PORT HEIDEN
400 PM AKDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY SUNDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...W WIND 10 KT. 
.SUN...NW WIND 20 KT. 
.SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 25 KT. 
.MON...NW WIND 20 KT. 
.MON NIGHT...W WIND 20 KT. 
.TUE...S WIND 20 KT. 
.WED...SE WIND 25 KT. 
.THU...VARIABLE WIND LESS THAN 10 KT.  

$$

PKZ165-011500-
PORT HEIDEN TO CAPE SARICHEF
400 PM AKDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...
...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY SUNDAY...

.TONIGHT...NW WIND 20 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 6 FT. SNOW 
SHOWERS. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 8 FT. HEAVY FREEZING
SPRAY. 
.SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 20 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 6 FT. HEAVY
FREEZING SPRAY. 
.MON...NW WIND 20 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 6 FT. 
.MON NIGHT...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 4 FT.
.TUE...SE WIND 25 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 6 FT. 
.WED...S WIND 25 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 6 FT. 
.THU...VARIABLE WIND 10 KT. SEAS IN ICE FREE WATERS 4 FT.  

$$

PKZ180-011500-
SOUTHWEST ALASKA WATERS CAPE NEWENHAM TO DALL POINT
400 PM AKDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...N WIND 25 KT. 
.SUN AND SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 25 KT. 
.MON...NW WIND 15 KT. 
.MON NIGHT...SW WIND 15 KT. 
.TUE...N WIND 25 KT. 
.WED...E WIND 25 KT. 
.THU...SW WIND 20 KT.  

$$

PKZ170-011500-
EASTERN ALEUTIANS CAPE SARICHEF TO NIKOLSKI
400 PM AKDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...NW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. SNOW SHOWERS. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN AND SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.MON...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.MON NIGHT...W WIND 15 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.TUE...SE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.WED...W WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.THU...SW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 9 FT.  

$$

PKZ171-011500-
UNALASKA BAY
400 PM AKDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH SUNDAY...

.TONIGHT...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. SNOW SHOWERS. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 20 KT. SEAS 6 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.MON AND MON NIGHT...W WIND 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT. 
.TUE...SE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 3 FT. 
.WED...W WIND 20 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.THU...SW WIND 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT.  

$$

PKZ172-011500-
EASTERN ALEUTIANS NIKOLSKI TO ADAK
400 PM AKDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...NW WIND 20 KT INCREASING TO 30 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 10
FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN...N WIND 30 KT BECOMING S 20 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 11 FT.
FREEZING SPRAY. 
.SUN NIGHT...S WIND 25 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.MON...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.MON NIGHT...NE WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT. 
.TUE...SE WIND 40 KT. SEAS 17 FT. 
.WED...NW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.THU...SW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 11 FT.  

$$

PKZ175-011500-
WESTERN ALEUTIANS ADAK TO KISKA
400 PM AKDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...E WIND 20 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.SUN...SE WIND 20 KT INCREASING TO 30 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. SEAS 
10 FT. 
.SUN NIGHT...S WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. RAIN AND SNOW. 
.MON...W WIND 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. 
.MON NIGHT...NE WIND 40 KT. SEAS 16 FT. 
.TUE...N WIND 45 KT. SEAS 19 FT. 
.WED...W WIND 35 KT. SEAS 15 FT. 
.THU...SW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT.  

$$

PKZ176-011500-
WESTERN ALEUTIANS KISKA TO ATTU
400 PM AKDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...GALE WARNING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...E WIND 25 KT INCREASING TO SE 35 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS
11 FT. 
.SUN...S WIND 35 KT. SEAS 14 FT. RAIN AND SNOW. 
.SUN NIGHT...SW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 16 FT. SNOW AND RAIN. 
.MON...SW WIND 35 KT. SEAS 17 FT. 
.MON NIGHT...NW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 12 FT. 
.TUE...NW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.WED...SW WIND 30 KT. SEAS 13 FT. 
.THU...SW WIND 25 KT. SEAS 11 FT.  

$$

PKZ185-011500-
ST MATTHEW ISLAND WATERS
400 PM AKDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...GALE WARNING SUNDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...N WIND 25 KT. 
.SUN...N WIND 20 KT. 
.SUN NIGHT...N WIND 20 KT E OF SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND...E 35 KT W OF
SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND. 
.MON...SE WIND 30 KT. 
.MON NIGHT...SW WIND 20 KT. 
.TUE...NE WIND 20 KT. 
.WED...N WIND 30 KT. 
.THU...S WIND 20 KT.  

$$

PKZ179-011500-
PRIBILOF ISLANDS NEAR-SHORE WATERS
400 PM AKDT SAT MAR 31 2012

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY THROUGH SUNDAY...

.TONIGHT...NW WIND 25 KT. SNOW SHOWERS. 
.SUN...N WIND 25 KT. 
.SUN NIGHT...NW WIND 15 KT BECOMING VARIABLE 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. 
.MON...S WIND 15 KT. 
.MON NIGHT...W WIND 20 KT. 
.TUE...E WIND 25 KT. 
.WED...N WIND 20 KT. 
.THU...S WIND 20 KT.  

$$

NWS Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this gale warning went out at Mar 31, 2:00 PM AKDT, 2 hours earlier.

SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
200 PM AKDT SAT MAR 31 2012

.MODEL DISCUSSION...MODEL INITIALIZATIONS LOOK REASONABLE. THEY ARE
NOW STARTING TO CONVERGE ON A COMMON POSITION WITH A LOW APPROACHING
THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS MON. THE GFS/ECMWF BOTH PLACE THE CENTER NEAR
THE CENTRAL ALEUTIANS TUE AFTERNOON. THIS IS QUITE THE DEPARTURE FROM
THE PREVIOUS RUNS OF THE GFS WHICH DROVE THE CENTER WELL INTO THE
BERING SEA. THE MODELS ARE STILL DIFFERING ON THE CENTRAL PRESSURE
WITH THE ECMWF BEEN THE DEEPEST. THE ECMWF HAS BEEN THE MOST
CONSISTENT WITH THIS FEATURE...SO WILL BLEND HEAVILY TOWARD THIS
MODEL FOR THE AFTERNOON FORECAST PACKAGE. IN THE EAST...MODELS ARE IN
GOOD AGREEMENT OVER THE MAINLAND AND HAVE SIMILAR TIMING OF THE
EASTERLY WAVE MOVING WEST ACROSS SOUTHCENTRAL TONIGHT/SUN. BIG
DIFFERENCES OCCUR BETWEEN THE GFS/ECMWF WITH STRONG LOW MOVING TOWARD
THE QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS ON TUE. WILL ONCE AGAIN LEAN TOWARD THE
MORE CONSISTENT ECMWF SOLUTION WITH THIS FEATURE.

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...
.500MB...A BROAD CUT-OFF LOW WITH SEVERAL SMALL WAVES ROTATING AROUND
ITS CORE IS EVIDENT OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA. WEAK RIDING EXTENDS
ACROSS THE NORTHERN MAINLAND. A WEAK TROUGH EXTENDS FROM THE EASTERN
BERING SEA TO OVER EASTERN RUSSIA. STRONG WESTERLY FLOW EXTENDS
ACROSS MUCH OF THE NORTH PACIFIC FROM JAPAN TO SOUTH OF THE
ALEUTIANS.

.SURFACE...A MIXTURE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS EXTENDS ACROSS
SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA. WEAK RIDGING ALONG THE NORTH GULF COAST AND WEAK
TROUGHING OVER COOK INLET IS PRODUCING GUSTY WINDS FROM PORTAGE
VALLEY TO OVER WESTERN TURNAGAIN ARM THIS AFTERNOON. CLOUDY
CONDITIONS ARE EVIDENT OVER THE MAINLAND WITH SOME LIGHT SNOW AND FOG
OVER THE BRISTOL BAY REGION. BRISK AND GUSTY NORTHERLY FLOW OVER THE
EASTERN BERING SEA IS PRODUCING SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE EAST
ALEUTIANS AND AK PEN. A WEAK FRONTAL TROUGH IS EVIDENT OVER THE
WESTERN ALEUTIANS AND IS PRODUCING GUSTY EAST WINDS AND SNOW.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...

.SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA...WEAK COLD ADVECTION AND AN EASTERLY WAVE
MOVING WEST FROM THE COPPER RIVER BASIN TONIGHT WILL BRING SOME
SNOW/SNOW SHOWERS. THE WAVE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE WEST OF THE COPPER
RIVER BASIN AROUND MIDNIGHT AND WEAKEN AS IT SPLITS SUN WITH SOME OF
THE ENERGY MOVING INTO WESTERN MAINLAND AND WESTERN GULF. SNOW
AMOUNTS WITH THIS SYSTEM LOOK RELATIVELY LIGHT...EXCEPT FOR UPSLOPE
AREAS OVER THE WESTERN COPPER RIVER BASIN. SHOULD SEE DRIER
CONDITIONS MOVE IN DURING THE DAY SUN AS THE WAVE EXITS THE AREA. A
SECONDARY WAVE MOVES OUT OF WESTERN CANADA TO OVER THE COPPER RIVER
BASIN/NORTHERN GULF ON MON AND PROBABLY WILL BRING RENEWED SHOWER
ACTIVITY.

SOUTHWEST...
SNOW SHOWERS...ESPECIALLY OVER BRISTOL BAY...WILL TAPER OFF THROUGH
THIS EVENING. WEAK RIDGING MOVES OVER THE REGION TONIGHT...SO EXPECT
AREAS OF FOG TO DEVELOP. STRATUS AND FOG SUN MORNING WILL GIVE WAY TO
A LITTLE CLEARLY WITH NORTHERLY WINDS AND SOME ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS.

BRISK NORTHERLY FLOW AND SNOW SHOWERS WILL PERSIST OVER THE AK PEN
THROUGH SUN.

ALEUTIANS/BERING...
NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE BERING
RESULTING IN COLD ADVECTION SNOW SHOWERS FROM THE PRIBILOFS DOWN
ACROSS THE ALASKA PENINSULA.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...
BY MID WEEK AN UPPER BERING RIDGE MOVES TOWARD THE SOUTHWEST AND
BUILDS IN OVER MAINLAND TROUGH THE REST OF THE WEEK. EXPECT DRY
CONDITIONS OVER THE STATE WELL INTO THE WEEKEND.

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

RMC MAR 12

Gale Warnings in Alaska, 2012Every gale warning in 2012

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.