Wind Chill Advisory 5, NWS Anchorage, AK

403 
WWAK41 PAFC 141359
WSWAER

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
459 AM AKST SAT JAN 14 2012

AKZ131-142100-
/X.EXT.PAFC.BZ.W.0014.000000T0000Z-120114T2100Z/
NORTHEAST PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...VALDEZ...THOMPSON PASS
459 AM AKST SAT JAN 14 2012

...BLIZZARD WARNING NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKST TODAY THROUGH
THOMPSON PASS...

THE BLIZZARD WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKST TODAY. 

* LOCATION...THROUGH THOMPSON PASS.

* SNOW...DRIFTS OF 2 TO 4 FT LIKELY.

* VISIBILITY...ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS.

* WIND...NORTH WIND 45 TO 60 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 80 MPH.

* TIMING...GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY WHILE THE
  AMOUNT OF TRANSPORTABLE SNOW WILL GRADUALLY DIMINISH. THUS
  CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE BY LATE SATURDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS...RECENT SNOWFALL COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS AND
  BLOWING SNOW WILL PRODUCE WHITE-OUT CONDITIONS ALONG PORTIONS OF
  THE ROAD THROUGH THOMPSON PASS. DRIVING WILL BE DIFFICULT IN
  PLACES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. 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.

&&

$$

AKZ145-142100-
/X.CON.PAFC.WC.Y.0005.000000T0000Z-120114T2100Z/
SUSITNA VALLEY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...TALKEETNA...WILLOW...CANTWELL
459 AM AKST SAT JAN 14 2012

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKST TODAY
TOWARD THE PARK...

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON AKST TODAY. 

* LOCATION...TOWARD THE PARK.

* WIND CHILL VALUES...30 BELOW TO 40 BELOW.

* WIND...NORTHEAST 20 TO 35 MPH.

* TIMING...THROUGH NOON SATURDAY.

* IMPACTS...WIND CHILLS WILL CAUSE FROSTBITE AND POSSIBLE 
  HYPOTHERMIA. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WIND CHILL ADVISORY MEANS THAT VERY COLD AIR AND STRONG WINDS
WILL COMBINE TO GENERATE LOW WIND CHILLS. THIS WILL RESULT IN
FROSTBITE AND LEAD TO HYPOTHERMIA IF PRECAUTIONS ARE NOT TAKEN.

&&

$$

152 
WWAK41 PAFC 142101
WSWAER

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
1201 PM AKST SAT JAN 14 2012

AKZ131-142215-
/X.EXP.PAFC.BZ.W.0014.000000T0000Z-120114T2100Z/
NORTHEAST PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...VALDEZ...THOMPSON PASS
1201 PM AKST SAT JAN 14 2012

...BLIZZARD WARNING HAS EXPIRED...

THE BLIZZARD WARNING THROUGH THOMPSON PASS IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

$$

AKZ145-142215-
/X.EXP.PAFC.WC.Y.0005.000000T0000Z-120114T2100Z/
SUSITNA VALLEY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...TALKEETNA...WILLOW...CANTWELL
1201 PM AKST SAT JAN 14 2012

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY HAS EXPIRED...

THE WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. 



$$

SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
130 PM AKST FRI JAN 13 2012

CORRECTS SPELLING AND ZONE CLARIFICATION

VAST PATTERN SHIFT CONTINUING ON COURSE WITH VERY LITTLE NOTICEABLE
CHANGE FROM THURSDAYS FORECAST. AREA OF CLOUDS AND LITE SNOW SUSITNA
VALLEY AND KENAI PENINSULA SLOWLY EDGING EASTWARD AS ADVANCING BERING
SEA FRONT KEEPS THE PATTERN SOMEWHAT PROGRESSIVE. AREAS OF LITE SNOW
SLIDING SOUTHEAST OVER AND ALONG THE SOUTHWEST COAST HAS JUST ABOUT
ENDED FRIDAY AFTERNOON. UPPER RIDGE AXIS IN THE EASTERN BERING TO
SHIFT INLAND TO LIE ALONG 158W OR SO SATURDAY AFTERNOON. RIDGE IS
THEN FLATTENED BY A MUCH WEAKENED FRONT THAT REACHES THE WEST COAST
SATURDAY NIGHT AND MOVES INLAND SUNDAY MORNING. AREAS OF LIGHT SNOW
OR FLURRIES WILL ACCOMPANY THIS FEATURE, HOWEVER, LITTLE IF ANYTHING
WILL REACH OR PASS THE WESTERN ALASKA RANGE. THIS WEAK UPPER IMPULSE
DROPS SOUTHEAST ACROSS KODIAK ISLAND SUNDAY AS STRONGER RIDGE BUILDS
IN OVER THE EASTERN BERING SEA. THIS RIDGE WILL EVOLVE INTO A VERY
FORMIDABLE BLOCK ACROSS THE NORTHERN BERING SEA AS EARLY AS SUNDAY
NIGHT AND REMAIN STATIONARY THROUGH MONDAY. NORTHERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL
BLOW ACROSS ALL OF MAINLAND ALASKA AND THE PANHANDLE SUNDAY, MONDAY
AND TUESDAY. WAVELENGTH OF NORTHERN BERING BLOCK BECOMES LARGE ENOUGH
TO ALLOW RETROGRESSIVE FORCES TO PUSH THE RIDGE CENTER WESTWARD OVER
EASTERN RUSSIAN BETWEEN 175E AND 180 ON WEDNESDAY. THE ONLY EFFECT OF
THIS WILL BE TO DEFLECT NORTHWEST PACIFIC STORMS WEST OF EVEN THE
SHEMYA ATTU AREA WITH AN INVERTED EASTERLY FLOW ALONG THE ALEUTIANS.

VERY COLD AIR THAT'S BEEN OVER WESTERN ALASKA MOVING EASTWARD WITH
-54 AT MERRILL PASS STONEY RIVER THIS MORNING, AND -30 PORT ALSWORTH.
CLEARING AREAS OF SUSITNA VALLEY WILL ALLOW READINGS TO DROP TO 30 TO
35 BELOW IN THE WIND AND CLOUD FREE AREAS OF THE SUSITNA VALLEY AND
WESTERN COOK INLET, SUCH AS WILLOW AND MAYBE SKWENTNA. KENAI
PENINSULA MATANUSKA VALLEY AREAS AND EAST WILL BE WARMER DUE TO
LINGERING CLOUD COVER AND SOME WIND. SAT EVENING AND NIGHT WILL BE
MUCH COLDER ACROSS THESE AREAS WHILE THE WESTERN MAINLAND, ESPECIALLY
THE COAST, WARMS WITH INCOMING FRONTAL REMNANTS. COPPER RIVER
BASIN (141) WILL LIKELY DROP INTO THE -30 TO -40 TEMPERATURE RANGE
AND THE KENAI PENINSULA IN THE -10 TO -30 BELOW RANGE. WINDY AREAS
MAY HAVE CHILLS FALL TO ADVISORY LEVELS.

CURRENT WIND FORECASTS LOOK ON THE BUTTON WITH POSSIBLE GUSTS 35 TO
40 MPH IN THE MATANUSKA VALLEY AND GUSTS TO OR OVER 60 MPH IN THE
CHANNELED AREAS OF PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND AND THE NORTH GULF COAST.
THIS MAY INITIALLY RESULT IN A BRIEF GROUND BLIZZARD AT PLACES LIKE
THOMPSON PASS. PREFRONTAL STORM FORCE WINDS HAVE ENDED WITH THE
BERING SYSTEM AND REMAINING GALES WILL FALL TO THE 15 TO 25 KT RANGE
BY SATURDAY EVENING.

NO RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES EXPECTED THE NEXT 5 DAYS SINCE THE POLAR
VORTEX NOW NORTH OF THE ARCTIC COAST IS MOVING OFF OVER THE NORTHWEST
TERRITORIES TO CENTRAL CANADA, TAKING THE COLDEST PORTION OF THE
AIRMASS WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES WITH IT.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...BLIZZARD WARNING THOMPSON PASS TONIGHT (131).
MARINE...GALES AREAS 121 129 132 138 170 175 179 180 185
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY AREAS 120 121 126 127 128 129 130 132
                                    138 140 141 150
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

PERCY JAN 12