Gale Warning 230, NWS Anchorage, AK

Issued

Mar 6, 2014, 4:00 PM AKST (01:00 UTC)

Expired

Mar 7, 2014, 4:00 AM AKST

In force

12 hr

Issued by

NWS Anchorage, AK

262 
FZAK62 PAFC 070024
OFFALU

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
400 PM AKST THU MAR 6 2014

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA

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.

PKZ499-071300-
400 PM AKST THU MAR 6 2014
.SYNOPSIS FOR CENTRAL BERING SEA...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE BERING SEA THROUGH SAT AFTERNOON.
A WEATHER FRONT OVER THE ALASKA PENINSULA WILL SLOWLY SPREAD WEST
THROUGH THE ALEUTIANS THROUGH SAT AFTERNOON.

$$

PKZ411-071300-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE WEST OF 180 AND EAST OF THE INTERNATIONAL
DATELINE
400 PM AKST THU MAR 6 2014

...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...NE WIND 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 12 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY N OF
57N. 
.FRI...NE WIND 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 10 FT. SNOW. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY N
OF 56N. 
.FRI NIGHT...NE WIND 15 TO 30 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT. SNOW. HEAVY
FREEZING SPRAY N OF 57N. 
.SAT AND SAT NIGHT...NE WIND 10 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 10 FT. 
.SUN THROUGH TUE...NE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 10 FT.  

$$

PKZ412-071300-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND NORTH OF 56N
400 PM AKST THU MAR 6 2014

...GALE WARNING TONIGHT...
...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...NE WIND 35 KT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY. 
.FRI...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 11 FT. SNOW SHOWERS. HEAVY FREEZING
SPRAY. 
.FRI NIGHT...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 7 FT. HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY N OF 
57N.
.SAT AND SAT NIGHT...NE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. 
.SUN THROUGH TUE...NE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 9 FT.  

$$

PKZ413-071300-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND SOUTH OF 56N
400 PM AKST THU MAR 6 2014

.TONIGHT...NE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 10 FT. SNOW SHOWERS. FREEZING
SPRAY. 
.FRI...NE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. SEAS 9 FT. PATCHY FOG. SNOW. FREEZING
SPRAY. 
.FRI NIGHT...NE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. SEAS 7 FT. PATCHY FOG. SNOW.
FREEZING SPRAY...MAINLY N OF 55N. 
.SAT AND SAT NIGHT...NE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT. 
.SUN THROUGH TUE...NE WIND 10 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 9 FT.  

$$

PKZ414-071300-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE EAST OF 171W
400 PM AKST THU MAR 6 2014

...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...NE WIND 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 9 FT. PATCHY FOG. SNOW SHOWERS.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY...MAINLY N OF 57N. 
.FRI...NE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT. PATCHY FOG. SNOW. HEAVY
FREEZING SPRAY N OF 57N. 
.FRI NIGHT...NE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 5 FT. PATCHY FOG. SNOW. HEAVY
FREEZING SPRAY N OF 57N. 
.SAT AND SAT NIGHT...N WIND 10 TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 6 FT. 
.SUN THROUGH TUE...N WIND 15 TO 30 KT. SEAS 4 TO 9 FT.  

$$

NWS Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this gale warning went out at Mar 6, 1:00 PM AKST, 3 hours earlier.

SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
100 PM AKST THU MAR 6 2014

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...
THERE IS AN UPPER LEVEL HIGH BUILDING INTO SOUTHERN ALASKA FROM THE
NORTHERN GULF OF ALASKA. THERE IS AN UPPER LOW OVER THE BERING SEA
WHICH IS LOOSELY CONNECTED TO ANOTHER LOW OVER THE SOUTHWEST GULF.

.MODEL DISCUSSION...
THE NUMERICAL MODELS ARE STILL STRUGGLING WITH HOW THEY HANDLE THE
LOW MOVING INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA FROM THE SOUTH FROM LATE FRIDAY
THROUGH SUNDAY. THE ECMWF IS WEAKER THAN THE OTHER MODELS. THE GFS
PROVIDES A NICE "COMPROMISE" LOCATION...BUT IS POSSIBLY A BIT TOO
STRONG. THE ECMWF CANNOT BE DISCOUNTED DUE TO ITS RECENT SUPERIOR
PERFORMANCE...BUT IT IS AN OUTLIER IN THE SOLUTIONS. THE AFTERNOON
FORECASTS WILL LEAN TOWARD THE GFS LOCATION FOR THE LOW...BUT WILL
BACK OFF THE STRENGTH A BIT.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...
FOR SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA...HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA
THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. THIS HIGH WILL WEAKEN LATER SATURDAY
THROUGH SUNDAY AS THE LOW CURRENTLY IN THE SOUTHWEST GULF WORKS ITS
WAY NORTH. ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY SOME PRECIPITATION FROM THIS
LOW WILL MOVE INTO SOUTH CENTRAL...BUT LIKELY STAY EAST OF THE
ANCHORAGE AREA. FORECAST CHALLENGES INCLUDE JUST HOW MUCH LOW CLOUDS
(AND MORNING FOG) WILL BE OVER THE AREA...AS THE UPPER HIGH MAY
"TRAP" SOME MOISTURE IN THE LOW LEVELS.

FOR SOUTHWEST ALASKA...THE AREA WILL BE MAINLY DRY WITH THE UPPER
RIDGE BUILDING INTO THE AREA. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE A BIT
BELOW NORMAL WITH A FAIRLY COOL LOW LEVEL AIR MASS.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE.
MARINE...GALE WARNING 132 150.
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 160 179 180 185.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

LUDWIG MAR 14

Gale Warnings in Alaska, 2014Every gale warning in 2014

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