Small Craft Advisory 29, NWS Fairbanks, AK

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
638 AM AKDT TUE JUN 2 2015

.DISCUSSION...

UPPER AIR...
A SHORT WAVE TROUGH ALOFT IS NOW MOVING SOUTHWARD TO THE
EASTERN ARCTIC COAST...EASTERN ARCTIC SLOPE...AND EASTERN
BROOKS RANGE. IT WILL STALL OUT THIS MORNING AS AN UPPER TROUGH
DIGS SOUTHWARD FROM THE EASTERN ARCTIC COAST TO THE YUKON DELTA
AREA BY THIS EVENING. AN BROAD UPPER LOW CENTERED WEST
OF BANKS ISLAND WILL MOVE WEST...BECOMING AN EXPANSIVE
ELONGATED CENTER EXTENDING FROM THE EASTERN BEAUFORT SEA
TO THE WESTERN ALASKA INTERIOR BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.

OVER THE ALASKA RANGE AND THE SOUTHEAST INTERIOR...SOUTH TO
SOUTHWEST FLOW EAST OF THE TROUGH AXIS WILL BRING A RETURN FLOW
OF MOISTURE BEGINNING THIS EVENING...AND SPREADING NORTHWARD AND
WESTWARD OVER ALL OF THE INTERIOR BY THURSDAY.

SURFACE...
A MODERATE SEA LEVEL PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE
BROOKS RANGE AND NORTHERN INTERIOR THROUGH THURSDAY. WINDS WILL
GRADUALLY INCREASE OVER THE WEST COAST TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY AS
THE PRESSURE GRADIENT SLOWLY TIGHTENS. A THERMAL THROUGH SOUTH OF
THE ALASKA RANGE WILL MOVE NORTHWARD TO THE ALASKA RANGE BY
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. BY LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON THE THERMAL TROUGH
WILL EXTEND FRO MCGRATH TO BIG DELTA TO NEAR EAGLE.

ARCTIC COAST...
ABOUT AN INCH OF SNOW IS EXPECTED OVER THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN
BEAUFORT SEA COAST ZONES AND THE NORTHERN BROOKS RANGE TODAY WITH
THE SOUTHWARD MOVING SHORT WAVE TROUGH ALOFT. THE SNOW MAY BE
MIXED WITH RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON. PATCHY FREEZING RAIN OR DRIZZLE
WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING OVER THE NORTHERN ARCTIC COAST AND THE
CENTRAL AND EASTERN BEAUFORT SEA COAST ZONES.

INTERIOR...
MODERATELY GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NORTHERN INTERIOR
THROUGH THURSDAY...THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE DURING THE
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. A DRY AIR MASS WILL REMAIN
OVER THE INTERIOR TODAY...BUT CLOUD COVER WITH SHOWERS OR RAIN
WILL GRADUALLY SPREAD NORTHWARD AND WESTWARD ACROSS THE INTERIOR
TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. SEVERAL SITES IN THE MIDDLE TANANA
VALLEY REPORTED BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT. THE
FROST ADVISORY WILL BE CANCELLED BY 7 AM THIS MORNING AS
TEMPERATURES BEGIN RISING.

WEST COAST...
DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUING THROUGH THURSDAY. MODERATELY
GUSTY WINDS WILL SLOWLY INCREASE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
HIGHER HUMIDITIES WILL GRADUALLY SPREAD NORTHWARD AND
WESTWARD ACROSS THE INTERIOR TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY.
SOME OF THE ONGOING FIRE WEATHER WATCHES FOR THE
EASTERN INTERIOR WEDNESDAY MAY NO LONGER BE NEEDED.
LIGHTER WINDS ARE EXPECTED IN THE SOUTHERN INTERIOR
WEDNESDAY AS THE THERMAL TROUGH MOVES NORTH OF THE
ALASKA RANGE.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
NONE.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR AKZ208-AKZ210-AKZ212-AKZ214-AKZ216-AKZ217-
AKZ218-AKZ219-AKZ220-AKZ221-AKZ222-AKZ224.

SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ220-PKZ230.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ225.
&&

RF JUN 15