Alert archive / Alaska / Gale Warnings in 2014

Gale Warning 766, NWS Anchorage, AK

December 2, 2014

NWS Anchorage, AK issued this gale warning at Dec 2, 2014, 3:35 AM AKST. It was in force for 12 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
Dec 2, 2014, 3:35 AM AKST (12:35 UTC)
Expired
Dec 2, 2014, 3:05 PM AKST
In force
12 hr
Issued by
NWS Anchorage, AK

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

916 
FZAK62 PAFC 021235
OFFALU

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
335 AM AKST TUE DEC 2 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.

PKZ499-030230-
335 AM AKST TUE DEC 2 2014
.SYNOPSIS FOR CENTRAL BERING SEA...

A 985 MB LOW NEAR 54N 175W MOVES TO 50N 163W AT 994 MB TUE
NIGHT THEN CONTINUES INTO THE NORTH PACIFIC THROUGH WED. A 1003 MB KAMCHATKA
LOW MOVES TO 51N 171E TUE NIGHT...THEN MOVES TO 51N 176W WHILE
STRENGTHENING TO 977 MB WED NIGHT. A WEATHER FRONT PERSISTS
ACROSS THE EASTERN BERING SEA THROUGH WED NIGHT.

$$

PKZ411-030230-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE WEST OF 180 AND EAST OF THE INTERNATIONAL
DATELINE-
335 AM AKST TUE DEC 2 2014

...GALE WARNING TODAY...

.TODAY...NW WIND 30 TO 40 KT BECOMING N 20 TO 30 KT IN THE
AFTERNOON. SEAS 14 TO 21 FT. SNOW.
.TONIGHT...N WIND 10 TO 25 KT. SEAS SUBSIDING TO 10 TO 14 FT.
.WED...NE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. SEAS 7 TO 11 FT.
.WED NIGHT...NE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. SEAS 7 TO 10 FT.
.THU THROUGH SAT...N WIND 10 TO 20 KT. SEAS 8 TO 13 FT.

$$

PKZ412-030230-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND NORTH OF 56N-
335 AM AKST TUE DEC 2 2014

.TODAY...N WIND 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 13 TO 17 FT.
.TONIGHT...N WIND 20 TO 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 15 KT AFTER 
MIDNIGHT. SEAS 10 TO 16 FT.
.WED...NE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 9 FT.
.WED NIGHT...NE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. SEAS 4 TO 7 FT.
.THU THROUGH SAT...NE WIND 10 TO 25 KT. SEAS 4 TO 9 FT.

$$

PKZ413-030230-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND SOUTH OF 56N-
335 AM AKST TUE DEC 2 2014

.TODAY...NW WIND 15 TO 30 KT. SEAS 15 TO 23 FT.
.TONIGHT...N WIND 20 KT DIMINISHING TO 10 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. 
SEAS 11 TO 16 FT.
.WED...E WIND UP TO 15 KT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT.
.WED NIGHT...E WIND UP TO 20 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT.
.THU THROUGH SAT...NE WIND 10 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 10 FT.

$$

PKZ414-030230-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE EAST OF 171W-
335 AM AKST TUE DEC 2 2014

.TODAY...VARIABLE WIND UP TO 20 KT. SEAS 10 TO 18 FT.
.TONIGHT...N WIND 15 KT BECOMING NW AFTER MIDNIGHT. SEAS 8 TO 
13 FT.
.WED...NW WIND 15 KT BECOMING VARIABLE 10 KT IN THE AFTERNOON.
SEAS 4 TO 9 FT.
.WED NIGHT...SE WIND UP TO 15 KT. SEAS 5 FT.
.THU THROUGH SAT...NE WIND 10 TO 25 KT. SEAS 3 TO 8 FT.

$$
1 follow-up statement
072 
FZAK62 PAFC 030005
OFFALU

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
305 PM AKST TUE DEC 2 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.

PKZ499-031445-
305 PM AKST TUE DEC 2 2014
.SYNOPSIS FOR CENTRAL BERING SEA...
A 991 MB LOW NEAR SAINT PAUL WILL MOVE TO 57N 169W AT 997 MB WED
AFTERNOON THEN DISSIPATE. A 989 MB LOW NEAR 51N 168W WILL MOVE TO
47N 157W AT 994 MB WED AFTERNOON THEN MOVE INTO THE NORTH PACIFIC.
A 1003 MB LOW NEAR 51N 160E WILL MOVE TO 51N 177E AT 986 MB WED
AFTERNOON THEN TO 51N 171W AT 976 MB THU AFTERNOON.

$$

PKZ411-031445-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE WEST OF 180 AND EAST OF THE INTERNATIONAL
DATELINE-
305 PM AKST TUE DEC 2 2014

.TONIGHT...N WIND 10 TO 25 KT BECOMING E 10 TO 20 KT AFTER
MIDNIGHT. SEAS 11 TO 14 FT. SNOW SHOWERS.
.WED...E WIND 10 TO 20 KT. SEAS 9 FT. RAIN AND SNOW.
.WED NIGHT...NE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. RAIN AND SNOW.
.THU AND THU NIGHT...NE WIND 10 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT.
.FRI THROUGH SUN...N WIND 15 TO 30 KT. SEAS 8 TO 13 FT.

$$

PKZ412-031445-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND NORTH OF 56N-
305 PM AKST TUE DEC 2 2014

.TONIGHT...N WIND 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 10 TO 14 FT.
.WED...NE WIND 20 KT. SEAS 8 FT.
.WED NIGHT...NE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. SEAS 6 FT.
.THU...NE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 9 FT.
.THU NIGHT THROUGH SUN...NE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 10 FT.

$$

PKZ413-031445-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE 171W TO 180 AND SOUTH OF 56N-
305 PM AKST TUE DEC 2 2014

.TONIGHT...N WIND 10 TO 25 KT. SEAS 13 FT.
.WED...NE WIND 10 TO 15 KT. SEAS 8 TO 12 FT.
.WED NIGHT...E WIND 10 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 9 FT. RAIN AND SNOW.
.THU...NE WIND 20 TO 30 KT. SEAS 6 TO 11 FT.
.THU NIGHT...NE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 8 TO 11 FT.
.FRI THROUGH SUN...NE WIND 10 TO 25 KT. SEAS 6 TO 11 FT.

$$

PKZ414-031445-
BERING SEA OFFSHORE EAST OF 171W-
305 PM AKST TUE DEC 2 2014

.TONIGHT...N WIND 10 TO 25 KT EXCEPT VARIABLE 15 KT E OF 169W.
SEAS 7 TO 12 FT. RAIN AND SNOW.
.WED...VARIABLE WIND 15 KT. SEAS 5 TO 9 FT.
.WED NIGHT...SE WIND 10 TO 20 KT. SEAS 6 FT. RAIN.
.THU...E WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 5 TO 8 FT.
.THU NIGHT...NE WIND 15 TO 25 KT. SEAS 4 TO 8 FT.
.FRI...NE WIND UP TO 20 KT. SEAS 3 TO 7 FT.
.SAT THROUGH SUN...N WIND 25 KT. SEAS 4 TO 9 FT.

$$

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 Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this gale warning went out at Dec 1, 3:22 PM AKST, 12 hours 13 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 1, 3:22 PM AKST, 12 hours 13 minutes before
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
322 PM AKST MON DEC 1 2014

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...
AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE BERING SEA IS PUSHING A FRONT
ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST PART OF THE STATE. A GOOD AMOUNT OF WARM AIR
IS BEING BROUGHT IN WITH THIS FRONT THAT TURNED THE PRECIPITATION
OVER THE SOUTHWEST MAINLAND FROM SNOW TO FREEZING RAIN FOR INLAND
LOCATIONS. IT IS ALSO WARM ENOUGH FOR RAIN ALONG THE COAST. THIS
FRONT IS NOW STARTING TO MAKES ITS WAY TO SOUTHCENTRAL.

&&

.MODEL DISCUSSION...
ON A SYNOPTIC SCALE THE MODELS ARE IN DECENT AGREEMENT.
HOWEVER...THERE ARE DISCREPENCIES WITH THE LOW POSITIONS. THE GFS
IS SUGGESTING A STRONGER AND FASTER SOLUTION WHILE THE OTHER
MODELS ARE IN BETTER ALIGNMENT. WITH THE COMPLEX AREA OF LOW
PRESSURE OVER THE BERING THE MODELS ARE STRUGGLING TO PLACE THE
LOWS UNTIL THERE BECOMES A CONSOLIDATED LOW CENTER LATE ON
TUESDAY.

&&

.SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA (DAYS 1 AND 2)...
OUT AHEAD OF THE FRONT SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW IS BRINGING SNOW TO
AREAS ALL AROUND THE SOUTHCENTRAL. AS THE FRONT MOVES IN THIS
EVENING THERE WILL BE ENOUGH WARM AIR ALOFT TO CHANGE THE SNOW
OVER TO FREEZING RAIN. THIS WILL INCLUDE AREAS NORTH OF CLAM GULCH
THAT WILL KEEP COLD ENOUGH TEMPERATURES NEAR THE SURFACE FOR THE
RAIN TO BECOME FREEZING RAIN. COLD AIR WILL THEN COME BACK INTO
THE AREA TOMORROW MORNING TURNING THE FREEZING RAIN BACK TO SNOW.
THE COPPER RIVER BASIN WILL STAY COLD ENOUGH TO KEEP SNOW THE
WHOLE TIME.

&&

.SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHWEST ALASKA (DAYS 1 AND 2)...
WARM AIR OVER THE SOUTHWEST IS BRINGING IN RAIN TO LOCATIONS ALONG
THE COAST. THERE IS ALSO A POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED AREAS OF
FREEZING RAIN IN THE LOWER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY THIS EVENING. DURING
THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT COLDER AIR WILL COME BACK IN AS A COLD
FRONT PUSHES THROUGH THE AREA. THIS WILL START TO TURN THE RAIN
BACK TO SNOW. THE PRECIPITATION WILL THEN LIGHTEN UP BUT LAST INTO
WEDNESDAY.

&&

.SHORT TERM FORECAST BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS (DAYS 1 AND 2)...
THE SHOWERY PATTERN OVER THE BERING AND ALEUTIANS WILL CONTINUE
FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS WITH THE PRIMARY LOW PUSHING OFF TO
THE SOUTH INTO THE NORTH PACIFIC TUESDAY AND ANOTHER LOW MOVING
IN TO TAKE ITS PLACE.

&&

.LONG TERM FORECAST (DAYS 3 THROUGH 7)...

THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE CHANGE IN THE LAST 24 HOURS IN THE MODELS TO
CHANGE THE OVERALL LONG TERM FORECAST CONFIDENCE. IT STILL
APPEARS THAT A SERIES OF WEAK UPPER LOWS WILL DEVELOP OVER THE
BERING AND NORTH PACIFIC BY LATE IN THE WEEK AND KEEP THE WEATHER
ACTIVE THROUGHOUT THE BERING SEA AND THE GULF...HOWEVER NO MAJOR
SYSTEMS ARE EXPECTED. THE MODELS ARE TRENDING SLIGHTLY DEEPER WITH
THE NORTH PACIFIC TROUGH ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...WHICH SHOULD
ALLOW FOR WEAK RIDGING OVER THE PANHANDLE TO STRETCH INTO THE
EASTERN INTERIOR. THIS WILL LIMIT PRECIPITATION CHANCES IN COPPER
RIVER BASIN BY LATE IN THE WEEK...HOWEVER OTHER THE REST OF
SOUTHCENTRAL AND THE SOUTHWEST MAINLAND WILL REMAIN WEST OF THIS
RIDGE AXIS AND ALLOW FOR PERIODS OF SNOW MIXED AND RAIN. THE
BERING SEA REGION WILL REMAIN SEASONABLY SHOWERY AND GUSTY. THIS
PATTERN THEN LOOKS TO CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND AS A DEEP AND
STATIONARY UPPER TROUGH OVER NORTHCENTRAL CANADA WILL CAUSE AN
OMEGA BLOCK TO TEMPORARILY FORM...THEN POTENTIALLY BEGIN TO BREAK
UP BY EARLY NEXT WEEK.

&&

.AFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...FREEZING RAIN ADVISORIES 101 111 121 125.
MARINE...STORMS 177 178 411.
  GALES 132 138 150 155 170 172 173 174 175 176 185 352 412 413.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.

&&

SYNOPSIS AND MODEL DISCUSSION...DK
SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA...DK
SOUTHWEST ALASKA/BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS...DK
LONG TERM...DEK

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 1, 10:51 PM AKST, 4 hours 44 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE AK
1051 PM AKST MON DEC 01 2014

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

1015 PM     FREEZING RAIN    3 SW FRITZ CREEK        59.70N 151.36W
12/01/2014  U0.00 INCH                          AK   DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

            EAST END ROAD FROM PIONEER AVENUE TO OLD EAST END ROAD -
            FREEZING RAIN, ICY PATCHES, ICE GLAZE.

1015 PM     FREEZING RAIN    6 WNW HOMER             59.67N 151.68W
12/01/2014  U0.00 INCH                          AK   DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

            STERLING HIGHWAY FROM MILEPOST 156 TO HOMER FERRY
            TERMINAL ROAD. FREEZING RAIN,ICE GLAZE, ICY PATCHES.

&&

RSD

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 1, 3:13 PM AKSTGale WarningAFC13 hr
Dec 1, 3:13 PM AKSTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFC37 hr
Dec 1, 3:19 PM AKSTHeavy Freezing Spray WarningAFC36 hr
Dec 2, 3:48 AM AKSTGale WarningAFC24 hr
Dec 2, 3:48 AM AKSTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFC24 hr
Dec 2, 3:58 AM AKSTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFC3 days

Nearby

Gale Warnings in Alaska, 2014Every gale warning in 2014

Sources

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