High Wind Watch 8, NWS Fairbanks, AK

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
356 PM AKST SUN DEC 27 2015

.DISCUSSION...

NORTHERN ALASKA WILL BE IN AN ACTIVE AND PROGRESSIVE MAINLY
SOUTHERLY FLOW PATTERN ALOFT FOR THE NEXT 10 DAYS AS A SERIES OF
UPPER LEVEL RIDGES AND TROUGHS MOVES NORTHWARD ACROSS THE FORECAST
AREA. SEVERAL STRONG CHINOOK WIND EVENTS CAN BE EXPECTED IN ALASKA
RANGE PASSES DURING THE NEXT 10 DAYS. THE SOUTHERLY FLOW PATTERN
WILL RESULT IN MUCH WARMER TEMPERATURES OVER NORTHERN ALASKA...
ESPECIALLY OVER THE INTERIOR AND WEST COAST.

WEST COAST...
STRONG NORTH TO NORTHEAST WINDS WILL DEVELOP OVER ST LAWRENCE
ISLAND AND THE BERING STRAIT COAST TONIGHT AND CONTINUE THROUGH
MONDAY EVENING AS A WEAKENING SURFACE TROUGH MOVES NORTHWARD TO
THE SOUTHERN BERING SEA TODAY. SNOW WILL SPREAD INTO ZONES 214 AND
215 TONIGHT AND MOVE NORTHWARD TOMORROW. 4 TO 7 INCHES ARE
EXPECTED FOR THE NULATO HILLS OF ZONE 215 THROUGH MONDAY EVENING.
2 TO 4 INCHES OVER THE SEWARD PENN. PATCHY FREEZING RAIN IS
POSSIBLE AS WARM AIR FILTERS ACROSS THE YUKON DELTA MONDAY
AFTERNOON.

INTERIOR...A STRONG CHINOOK WIND EVENT IN THE ALASKA RANGE IS
EXPECTED TO BEGIN TONIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO MONDAY. HIGH WIND
WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR ZONES 223 AND 226. WE ARE EXPECTING
MAXIMUM WIND GUSTS TO 80 MPH IN THE EASTERN ALASKA RANGE...70 MPH
IN AREAS NEAR DELTA JUNCTION...AND AROUND 65 MPH IN WIND PRONE
AREAS IN THE RAILBELT. ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WITH THE CHINOOK FLOW. MID TO UPPER 30S IN
THE ALASKA RANGE AND IN THE 20S ABOVE FOR THE CENTRAL INTERIOR ARE
POSSIBLE.

THE NEXT UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IN THE SERIES WILL BUILD OVER THE
CENTRAL AND EASTERN INTERIOR TUESDAY WITH STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW
DEVELOPING FURTHER TO THE WEST. VERY STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST
WINDS ARE PROGGED TO DEVELOP OVER THE WESTERN ALASKA RANGE TUESDAY
NIGHT...WITH VERY STRONG SOUTH WINDS DEVELOPING ACROSS THE
CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALASKA RANGE BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. FUTURE
MODEL RUNS WILL HAVE TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY TO WATCH THE
DEVELOPMENT OF THIS EVENT...WHICH HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE
MAXIMUM SURFACE WIND GUSTS OVER 80 MPH ONCE AGAIN FOR THE RANGE
PASSES.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ225.

HIGH WIND WARNING FOR AKZ223-AKZ226.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ215.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ220-PKZ225.
&&

JK DEC 15