Brisk Wind Advisory 61, NWS Fairbanks, AK

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
349 PM AKST SAT FEB 9 2013

.DISCUSSION...
UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE LOCATED OVER THE CHUKOTSK PENINSULA IS
PROGGED TO SLIDE SOUTHWARD TOWARD THE BERING SEA AND SLIGHTLY
SOUTHWEST OF ST MATTHEW ISLAND BY SUNDAY NIGHT. BOTH THE GFS AND
ECMWF ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT WITH KEEPING THE FORECAST OF THE
UPPER LEVEL PATTERN AS IT DRIFTS THIS UPPER LEVEL LOW SLIGHTLY
NORTHWARD TOWARD ST LAWRENCE ISLAND BY MONDAY NIGHT.

AT THE SURFACE...AGAIN THE GFS AND ECMWF ARE VERY SIMILAR WITH
BOTH MODELS SPLITTING THE ENERGY FROM THE SURFACE LOW PRESSURE
CURRENTLY LOCATED OVER PORT HEIDEN IN THE ALASKAN PENINSULA. THE
NORTHERN PIECE WILL DEVELOP A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE AND MOVE
NORTHWARD TOWARDS THE SEWARD PENINSULA BY SUNDAY NIGHT. AS THE
SOUTHERN PIECE WILL REDEVELOP INTO A SURFACE LOW OVER KODIAK
ISLAND AND MOVE NORTHEAST TOWARDS WILLIAM SOUND BY MONDAY.

NORTH SLOPE...WIND CHILL ADVISORIES ARE POSTED ALONG MUCH OF THE
NORTH SLOPE WITH COLDER AIR IN PLACE AND STRONGER WINDS CONTINUING
TONIGHT AND INTO SUNDAY MORNING. SOME CONCERN THAT THE WIND CHILL
ADVISORIES MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED INTO THE DAY ON SUNDAY. WINDS
WILL INCREASE NEAR SHORE ALONG THE COASTAL ZONES 240 AND 245
OVERNIGHT TONIGHT BUT SHOULD TAPER OFF THROUGH THE DAY ON SUNDAY.

WESTERN ALASKA...EARLIER THIS MORNING THE WALES OBSERVATION WAS
BEGINNING TO DETERIORATE WITH VISIBILITIES DROPPING TO A QUARTER
OF A MILE OR LESS AT TIMES. WITH THE COMBINATION OF POOR
VISIBILITY IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW AND CONDITIONS EXPECTING TO
REMAIN THROUGH SUNDAY...UPGRADED THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TO
BLIZZARD WARNING. WALES HAS SINCE THEN REMAINED QUARTER OF A MILE
OR ZERO VISIBILITIES IN HEAVY SNOW SINCE. WINTER WEATHER WARNINGS
WILL ALSO CONTINUE THROUGH PORTIONS OF THE YUKON DELTA THROUGH
SUNDAY AND EXTENDED THE WARNINGS THROUGH 9AM. HOWEVER... SOME
MODELS SUGGESTING THE SNOW CONTINUING. GENERALLY SEEING ADDITIONAL
SNOW AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES...PLEASE READ WARNINGS FOR SPECIFIC
AMOUNTS. ALSO EXTENDED THE GALE AND BRISK WARNINGS AS THE SURFACE
LOW MOVES TOWARDS THE SEWARD PENINSULA.

CENTRAL AND EASTERN INTERIOR...AFTER A SLOW START TO THE DAY THE
TEMPERATURES WERE ABLE TO BREAK THROUGH WITH SEVERAL AREAS
REACHING UP INTO THE MID 30S. EVEN FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT IS CURRENTLY AT 28 DEGREES ABOVE. THERE WAS SOME INITIAL
CONCERN EARLIER THIS MORNING WITH FLURRIES DEVELOPING OVER NENANA
AND PORTIONS OF THE TANANA FLATS...HOWEVER THAT QUICKLY
DIMINISHED. MAIN CONCERN FOR THE SOUTHERN INTERIOR WILL BE THE
STRONGER WINDS MAINLY IN THE PASSES AND HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF
DENALI AND EASTERN ALASKA AREAS. WIND ADVISORIES WILL REMAIN IN
EFFECT THROUGH THE DAY ON SUNDAY. SEVERAL LOCATIONS IN THE EASTERN
ALASKA RANGE HAVE WIND GUSTS OF 50 MPH OR GREATER. ALTHOUGH VERY
FEW OBSERVATIONS FOR PUBLIC ZONE 225 HAVE INDICATED GUSTS OF 65
MPH...THE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE OVERNIGHT AND INTO THE
DAY ON SUNDAY. WILL SEE SNOW DEVELOPING OVER THE GREATER FAIRBANKS
AREA ON SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR AKZ201-AKZ202-AKZ203-AKZ204-AKZ205-
AKZ207.

WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ212-AKZ214-AKZ215.

WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ225-AKZ226.

BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ213.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210-PKZ225.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ220-PKZ230-PKZ240-PKZ245.
&&

MAK FEB 13