Gale Warning 1, NWS Fairbanks, AK

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
351 PM AKST MON DEC 31 2012

.DISCUSSION...

UPPER AIR...LONG WAVE RIDGE WITH AXIS EXTENDING NORTH OVER WESTERN
CANADA TO THE EASTERN INTERIOR OF ALASKA WILL PERSIST THIS WEEK.
LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE BERING SEA TO SOUTH OF THE ALEUTIANS
WILL ALSO PERSIST. LOWS TO THE SOUTH OF THE ALEUTIANS WILL MOVE
EAST AND THEN BE FORCED NORTH BY THE LONG WAVE RIDGE TO THE EAST.
A 500 DM LOW OVER THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA WILL MOVE NORTHWEST
AND DISSIPATE NORTHWEST OF NUNIVAK ISLAND WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER LOW
WILL MOVE NORTH ALONG ROUGHLY THE SAME PATH WEDNESDAY THROUGH
THURSDAY NIGHT. THESE LOWS COMBINED WITH THE LONG WAVE RIDGE TO
THE EAST WILL KEEP THE SOUTHERLY FLOW OVER MOST OF NORTHERN ALASKA
INTACT THIS WEEK. A RIDGE OVER THE NORTHERN CHUKCHI SEA WILL BE
PUSHED WEST TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AS LOW PRESSURE MOVES FROM
THE NORTHERN BEAUFORT SEA TO THE WESTERN CHUKCHI SEA.

SURFACE...A TROUGH EXTENDING FROM DISSIPATING LOW SOUTH OF SAINT
LAWRENCE ISLAND TO POINT HOPE WILL WEAKEN TUESDAY MORNING AS LOW
PRESSURE MOVES NORTH TO BRISTOL BAY. BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THE
LOW WILL DISSIPATE INTO ANOTHER TROUGH WITH AXIS FROM SOUTH OF
SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND TO NEAR POINT HOPE. A THIRD LOW WILL FOLLOW
A SIMILAR PATH ON THURSDAY.

NORTH SLOPE...A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT ALONG WITH SCATTERED SNOW
SHOWERS WILL PRODUCE BLOWING SNOW AT TIMES TONIGHT. VISIBILITY DUE
TO THE SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL BE LOWEST OVER THE WESTERN
ARCTIC COAST. ANOTHER INCREASE OF SNOW SHOWERS ON WEDNESDAY WILL
CAUSE BLOWING SNOW...MAINLY OVER THE WESTERN ARCTIC COAST. CAPE
LISBURNE AND POINT LAY WILL CONTINUE WINDY AT TIMES THROUGH
THURSDAY.

WEST COAST...THE WINTER WEATHER WARNING FOR SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND
AND THE BERING STRAIT COAST HAS BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH MONDAY
EVENING. NOME RADAR SHOWED SNOW MOVING OFF TO THE NORTH AND WEST
INTO AN AREA OF LIFTING PRODUCED BY A TROUGH FROM SOUTH OF SAINT
LAWRENCE ISLAND TO POINT HOPE. THE INCREASE OF SNOW ALONG WITH
MODERATE WINDS OF 30 SOMETHING MPH WILL CAUSE A CONTINUATION OF
LOCALLY LOW VISIBILITIES. ADDITIONAL SNOWFALL WILL BE RATHER
LIGHT...IN THE 1 TO 3 INCH RANGE. A COUPLE MORE LOWS MOVING NORTH
OVER THE WEST COAST AREA...TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY..WILL KEEP
SNOW SHOWERS AND LOCAL BLOWING SNOW IN THE FORECAST.

INTERIOR...WARM AND DRY WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE STORY FOR THE
INTERIOR THIS WEEK AS SOUTHERLY FLOW OVER THE ALASKA RANGE
CONTINUES. THIS WILL PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS THROUGH ALASKA RANGE
PASSES AT TIMES. THE WARMEST AREAS WILL BE HIGHER TERRAIN...THOUGH
WITH THE BREEZIEST WINDS. THE EXTENDED RANGE CALLS FOR CONTINUED
WARM INTO LATE JANUARY.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ213.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ210-PKZ225-PKZ230.
&&

DA DEC 12