Gale Warning 123, NWS Fairbanks, AK

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
116 PM AKST MON DEC 15 2014

.DISCUSSION...
A PERSISTENT AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT WILL REMAIN ANCHORED
OVER THE SIBERIAN ARCTIC FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...WHILE
MULTIPLE LOWS CONTINUE TO ROTATE AROUND A MAIN UPPER LOW OVER THE
BERING SEA AND MOVE NORTH ACROSS THE STATE. BY MID WEEK THE
PATTERN BEGINS TO SHIFT AS RIDGING OVER WESTERN CANADA AND THE
ALCAN BORDER PROGRESSES EAST AND THE UPPER LOW OVER THE BERING
SEA SHIFTS EAST INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA. THIS PATTERN WILL
CONTINUE TO BRING CLOUDS...OCCASIONAL LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES...AND
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES TO MOST OF NORTHERN ALASKA FOR THE
REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH CONTINUING
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.

AT THE SURFACE...THE COMBINATION OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE ARCTIC
AND LOW PRESSURE STRETCHING FROM THE BERING SEA TO GULF OF ALASKA
IS RESULTING IN A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT FROM THE WESTERN BROOKS
RANGE THROUGH THE BERING STRAIGHT. THIS LOW PRESSURE AREA WILL
LIFT NORTHWARD TONIGHT AND TIGHTEN THE GRADIENT ACROSS THE BERING
STRAIT...BROOKS RANGE...AND ARCTIC SLOPE. AN ASSOCIATED WEATHER
FRONT WILL LIFT NORTH ACROSS THE STATE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY AND
SPREAD SNOW INTO THE WEST COAST WITH SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS
FURTHER EAST. A SECONDARY FRONT WILL SWEEP INTO THE WESTERN
INTERIOR ON WEDNESDAY AND BRING A BETTER CHANCE FOR SNOW ACROSS
THE INTERIOR AS SOUTHERLY FLOW ACROSS THE ALASKA RANGE WEAKENS.

NORTH SLOPE...THE ONLY REMAINING TRULY COLD AIR IN THE STATE IS
OVER THE ARCTIC SLOPE AT THE MOMENT. NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL
INCREASE EVEN MORE THROUGH BROOKS RANGE PASSES TONIGHT CAUSING
WIND CHILLS LOCALLY TO 55 BELOW OR SO. WIND CHILLS WILL ALSO
BECOME AN ISSUE ELSEWHERE IN THE ARCTIC FOR A PERIOD OF TIME
TONIGHT AND TUESDAY AS WINDS INCREASE BEFORE TEMPERATURES WARM UP.
OTHERWISE...SNOWFALL ASSOCIATED WITH A DYING WEATHER FRONT OVER
THE EASTERN ARCTIC WILL DIMINISH TO FLURRIES OVERNIGHT. SNOWFALL
WILL BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AS A
WEATHER FRONT MOVES OVER THE AREA.

WESTERN ALASKA...NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO
INCREASE FROM THE CHUKCHI SEA COAST NORTH OF KIVALINA AND THROUGH
THE BERING STRAIT TO SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND TODAY. LOCAL GUSTS
OVER 60 MPH AND STORM FORCE WINDS WILL DIMINISH AND FALL BELOW
WARNING LEVEL BY LATE TUESDAY NIGHT. IN ADDITION TO
WIND...SNOWFALL DEVELOPING OVER THE SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND AND THE
BERING SEA COAST WILL RESULT IN LOW VISIBILITIES IN BLOWING SNOW.

CENTRAL AND EASTERN INTERIOR...A WEAK CHINOOK THROUGH THE ALASKA
RANGE WILL END BY TUESDAY NIGHT AS SOUTHERLY FLOW DIMINISHES.
THIS WILL PREVENT SNOWFALL FROM REACHING THE CENTRAL INTERIOR
TONIGHT AND TUESDAY...BUT ALONG THE ALCAN BORDER AND INTO THE
YUKON FLATS LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS FROM SNOW SHOWERS IS LIKELY LATE
TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. A VERY WIDE RANGE IN TEMPERATURES WILL
CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY BEFORE THE CHINOOK SUBSIDES WITH
TEMPERATURES AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND WINDY AREAS IN THE 30S AND
LOWER 40S AND NEAR ZERO IN CALM VALLEYS.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR AKZ201-AKZ205.

WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ213.

HIGH WIND WARNING FOR AKZ207.

HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ210.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ225.

STORM WARNING FOR PKZ210.

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

EWP DEC 14