Gale Warning 150, NWS Fairbanks, AK

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1245 PM AKST SAT DEC 26 2015

.DISCUSSION...
AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE EXTENDING FROM THE YUKON TERRITORY INTO
NORTHERN ALASKA WILL WEAKEN AND PUSH OFF INTO CANADA DURING THE
NEXT 24 HOURS. THIS WILL BE THE TRANSITION INTO A MUCH WARMER AND
ACTIVE PATTERN ACROSS ALASKA AS PERSISTENT SOUTHERLY FLOW
DEVELOPS ACROSS THE STATE WITH A LONGWAVE TROUGH SETTLING IN OVER
THE BERING SEA AND A HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE IN THE NE PACIFIC. A
SERIES OF RIDGES AND SHORT WAVE TROUGHS WILL MOVE NORTH ACROSS THE
STATE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. THIS WILL BRING PERIODS OF
ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES...STRONG CHINOOK WINDS THROUGH THE
ALASKA RANGE...AND THE CHANCE FOR SNOW AND MIXED PRECIPITATION IN
SOME AREAS SOUTH OF THE BROOKS RANGE.

IN THE SHORTER TERM...RELATIVELY QUIET WEATHER IS IN STORE ACROSS
MUCH OF NORTHERN ALASKA FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEKEND. THE
EXCEPTION WILL BE ON THE WEST COAST SOUTH OF THE SEWARD PENINSULA.
A 971 LOW PRESSURE CENTER OVER THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS WILL MOVE
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN BERING SEA AND SWING A WEATHER FRONT INTO
SOUTHWEST ALASKA ON SUNDAY. THIS WILL RE-TIGHTEN THE EAST TO
NORTHEAST PRESSURE GRADIENT ON THE WEST COAST AND ALSO SPREAD SNOW
INTO THE LOWER YUKON VALLEY LATE SUNDAY. ON MONDAY SNOW WILL
CONTINUE TO SPREAD NORTH AND INLAND ACROSS THE INTERIOR PRIMARILY
SOUTH OF THE BROOKS RANGE. SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ARE POSSIBLE
WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS OF SNOW ALONG THE NULATO HILLS. BY
TUESDAY ANOTHER WAVE OF MOISTURE PUSHES NORTH...BUT CONSIDERABLY
WARMER AIR ALOFT MAY RESULT IN SOME SPOTTY FREEZING PRECIPITATION
IN THE SOUTHWEST INTERIOR.

MEANWHILE IN THE ALASKA RANGE...SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL RESULT IN
CHINOOK WINDS GUSTING UP TO 70 MPH THROUGH PASSES SUNDAY NIGHT
AND MONDAY. THIS WILL BE THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF CHINOOKS DURING
THE UPCOMING WEEK. THE ALASKA RANGE WILL LIKELY BLOCK
PRECIPITATION FROM FALLING IN THE EASTERN INTERIOR.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH WIND WATCH FOR AKZ223-AKZ226.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210.

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

EWP DEC 15