Alert archive / Alaska / Gale Warnings in 2013

Gale Warning 5, NWS Fairbanks, AK

January 12, 2013

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this gale warning at Jan 12, 2013, 2:31 PM AKST. It was in force for 25 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jan 12, 2013, 2:31 PM AKST (23:31 UTC)
Expired
Jan 13, 2013, 3:23 PM AKST
In force
25 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this gale warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Fairbanks, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this gale warning went out at Jan 12, 6:00 AM AKST, 8 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 12, 6:00 AM AKST, 8 hours 31 minutes before
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
600 AM AKST SAT JAN 12 2013

.DISCUSSION...
BROAD RIDGE OVER GULF OF ALASKA WITH AXIS EXTENDING NORTH TO THE
EASTERN BEAUFORT SEA COAST WILL SLOWLY BE FLATTENED AND PUSHED
EAST THROUGH MONDAY AS LOW PRESSURE FROM SIBERIA EXPANDS EASTWARD.
SHORT WAVES MOVING NORTH OVER THE WESTERN SIDE OF THE RIDGE HAVE
PROMPTED THE ISSUANCE OF MANY WINTER WEATHER WARNINGS...
ADVISORIES...AND A BLIZZARD WARNING FOR SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND AND
THE BERING STRAIT. GREATEST SNOW AMOUNTS WILL BE OVER THE NULATO
HILLS WITH UP TO 11 INCHES POSSIBLE. FREEZING RAIN WILL MIX OVER
ZONES 214...215...216...221...AND 227. WINDS THROUGH ALASKA RANGE
PASSES OF 50 MPH MAY BE EXPECTED TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY. A
TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE NORTH SLOPE WILL CAUSE AN
INCREASE OF WINDS TODAY AND AS SNOW MIXES IN ON SUNDAY VISIBILITY
WILL BE REDUCED DUE TO BLOWING SNOW.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ208-AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ211-AKZ212-
AKZ215-AKZ216-AKZ217.

FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FOR AKZ221-AKZ227.

BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ213.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ207-AKZ214.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-
PKZ230-PKZ235-PKZ240-PKZ245.
&&

DA JAN 13

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 12, 10:16 AM AKST, 4 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1016 AM AKST SAT JAN 12 2013

AKZ222-223-225-131500-
MIDDLE TANANA VALLEY-DELTANA AND TANANA FLATS-DENALI-
INCLUDING...FAIRBANKS...FORT WAINWRIGHT...EIELSON AFB...ESTER...
NORTH POLE...MOOSE CREEK...TWO RIVERS...FOX...CHATANIKA...
CHENA HOT SPRINGS...SOURDOUGH CAMP...SALCHA...DELTA JUNCTION...
FORT GREELY...HARDING/BIRCH LAKE...DRY CREEK...DOT LAKE...
HEALY LAKE...HEALY...DENALI NATIONAL PARK...CARLO CREEK...
KANTISHNA
1016 AM AKST SAT JAN 12 2013

...FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT...

A STRONG LOW PRESSURE CENTER MOVING NORTH THROUGH THE BERING SEA
TODAY AND SUNDAY IS RESULTING IN WARM SOUTHERLY FLOW ACROSS
MAINLAND ALASKA. THIS SYSTEM WILL CAUSE TEMPERATURES TO RISE ABOVE
FREEZING OVER PORTIONS OF THE ALASKA RANGE AND MIDDLE TANANA
VALLEY. TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB INTO THE UPPER 20S AND LOWER 30S
IN THE FAIRBANKS AREA ON SUNDAY...AND INTO THE LOWER 40S IN THE
ALASKA RANGE. THE WARM AIR WILL ALSO BE ACCOMPANIED BY GUSTY CHINOOK
WINDS THROUGH THE ALASKA RANGE.

IN ADDITION TO THE WARM TEMPERATURES...THIS WEATHER SYSTEM MAY
BRING A BRIEF PERIOD OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN TO THE MIDDLE TANANA
VALLEY AND ALASKA RANGE SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. THE ALASKA RANGE
WILL BLOCK MOST OR ALL OF THE PRECIPITATION FROM FAIRBANKS
EAST...AND THERE IS STILL SOME UNCERTAINTY HOW MUCH OR IF ANY
FREEZING RAIN WILL OCCUR. WEST OF FAIRBANKS THE LIKELIHOOD FOR A
PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN IS MUCH HIGHER.

THIS WEATHER PATTERN DOES SHOW DIFFERENCES FROM THE PATTERN THAT
BROUGHT THE GREAT FREEZING RAIN EVENT OF NOVEMBER 2010. IF
FREEZING RAIN DOES OCCUR IN THE FAIRBANKS AREA...AMOUNTS ARE
EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT.

EWP

The office that day

Everything else NWS Fairbanks, AK issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 11, 11:57 PM AKSTWinter Storm WarningAFG37 hr
Jan 12, 5:28 AM AKSTBlizzard WarningAFG27 hr
Jan 12, 5:28 AM AKSTWinter Weather AdvisoryAFG29 hr
Jan 12, 10:50 AM AKSTBlizzard WarningAFG67 hr
Jan 12, 10:50 AM AKSTWinter Weather AdvisoryAFG34 hr
Jan 12, 2:31 PM AKSTGale WarningAFG72 hr

Nearby

Gale Warnings in Alaska, 2013Every gale warning in 2013

Sources

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