Alert archive / Alaska / Gale Warnings in 2016

Gale Warning 87, NWS Fairbanks, AK

September 19, 2016

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this gale warning at Sep 19, 2016, 4:24 AM AKDT. It was in force for 11 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
Sep 19, 2016, 4:24 AM AKDT (12:24 UTC)
Expired
Sep 19, 2016, 3:20 PM AKDT
In force
11 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

The text

As transmitted.

578 
FZAK69 PAFG 191224
OFFAFG

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
424 AM AKDT MON SEP 19 2016

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE US ARCTIC WATERS

SEA FORECASTS REPRESENT AN AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST ONE-THIRD OF
THE COMBINED WIND WAVE AND SWELL HEIGHT. INDIVIDUAL WAVES MAY BE
TWICE AS HIGH.

PKZ599-200200-
424 AM AKDT MON SEP 19 2016

.SYNOPSIS FOR ARCTIC WATERS...
A 986 MB LOW PRESSURE 500 NM NORTH OF PRUDHOE BAY WILL MOVE
NORTHEAST. A 986 MB LOW 500 NM NORTHWEST OF BARROW WILL WEAKEN
MONDAY NIGHT. A WEATHER FRONT WILL MOVE NORTH ACROSS THE ARCTIC
COAST MONDAY NIGHT.

$$

PKZ500-200200-
WESTERN US ARCTIC OFFSHORE-
424 AM AKDT MON SEP 19 2016

.TODAY...W WINDS 25 KT. SEAS 7 FT. FREEZING SPRAY. 
.TONIGHT...SW WINDS 25 KT. SEAS 5 FT. 
.TUE...NE WINDS 25 KT. SEAS 5 FT. FOG...RAIN.
.TUE NIGHT...SW WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 5 FT. 
.WED...S WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 5 FT. 
.THU...S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 3 FT. 
.FRI...N WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 5 FT.  

$$

PKZ505-200200-
CENTRAL US ARCTIC OFFSHORE-
424 AM AKDT MON SEP 19 2016

.TODAY...W WINDS 30 KT WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 40 KT. SEAS 11 FT.
FREEZING SPRAY.
.TONIGHT...SW WINDS 25 KT. SEAS 8 FT. 
.TUE...SW WINDS 25 KT. SEAS 7 FT. 
.TUE NIGHT...SW WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 5 FT. 
.WED...S WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.THU...NW WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.FRI...N WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 5 FT.  

$$

PKZ510-200200-
EASTERN US ARCTIC OFFSHORE-
424 AM AKDT MON SEP 19 2016

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE THIS MORNING...

.TODAY...W WINDS 35 KT WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 50 KT. SEAS 14 FT. 
.TONIGHT...SW WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 9 FT. 
.TUE...S WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 6 FT. FOG...RAIN.
.TUE NIGHT...SW WINDS 25 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.WED...SE WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.THU...S WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.FRI...NE WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 6 FT.  

$$

SEP 16
1 follow-up statement
874 
FZAK69 PAFG 192320
OFFAFG

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
320 PM AKDT MON SEP 19 2016

OFFSHORE WATERS FORECAST FOR THE US ARCTIC WATERS

SEA FORECASTS REPRESENT AN AVERAGE OF THE HIGHEST ONE-THIRD OF
THE COMBINED WIND WAVE AND SWELL HEIGHT. INDIVIDUAL WAVES MAY BE
TWICE AS HIGH.

PKZ599-201230-
320 PM AKDT MON SEP 19 2016

.SYNOPSIS FOR ARCTIC WATERS...
A 988 MB LOW CENTERED 350 NM NORTH OF THE MACKENZIE RIVER DELTA
WILL WEAKEN TO A 994 MB LOW CENTERED 200 NM NORTHEAST OF PRINCE
PATRICK ISLAND BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. A 986 MB LOW CENTERED 400 NM
NORTHWEST OF BARROW WILL WEAKEN INTO A TROUGH BY TUESDAY
AFTERNOON.



$$

PKZ500-201230-
WESTERN US ARCTIC OFFSHORE-
320 PM AKDT MON SEP 19 2016

.TONIGHT...SW WINDS 15 KT BECOMING VARIABLE 15 KT. SEAS 4 FT.
RAIN AFTER MIDNIGHT.
.TUE...NE WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 4 FT. RAIN AND SNOW.
.TUE NIGHT...15 WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 4 FT.
.WED...S WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.WED NIGHT...N WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 4 FT.
.THU...S WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 2 FT.
.FRI...N WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 4 FT.
.SAT...NW WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 4 FT.

$$

PKZ505-201230-
CENTRAL US ARCTIC OFFSHORE-
320 PM AKDT MON SEP 19 2016

.TONIGHT...SW WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 7 FT.
.TUE...VARIABLE WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 5 FT. RAIN AND SNOW. FOG.
.TUE NIGHT...VARIABLE WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 3 FT.
.WED...S WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.WED NIGHT...E WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.THU...NW WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.FRI...N WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 5 FT. 
.SAT...W WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 5 FT.  

$$

PKZ510-201230-
EASTERN US ARCTIC OFFSHORE-
320 PM AKDT MON SEP 19 2016

.TONIGHT...W WINDS 30 KT DIMINISHING TO 20 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT.
SEAS 10 FT. 
.TUE...SW WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 6 FT. RAIN AND SNOW. FOG.
.TUE NIGHT...SW WINDS 25 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.WED...SW WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.WED NIGHT...E WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.THU...SW WINDS 20 KT. SEAS 4 FT. 
.FRI...NE WINDS 15 KT. SEAS 6 FT. 
.SAT...SW WINDS 10 KT. SEAS 5 FT.  

$$

RF/DJH SEP 16

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 Fairbanks, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this gale warning went out at Sep 18, 2:36 PM AKDT, 13 hours 48 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 18, 2:36 PM AKDT, 13 hours 48 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
236 PM AKDT SUN SEP 18 2016

.DISCUSSION...

Current model runs are in general agreement over northern Alaska
through Wednesday.

Upper Air... A deep upper low centered 300 nm north of
Deadhorse will move to 450 nm north of the Mackenzie River Delta
by late Monday afternoon and to 200 nm northeast of Prince Patrick
Island by late Tuesday afternoon. A ridge extending from eastern
Siberia to Dall Point and southward will move eastward with the
ridge axis extending from the Chukchi Sea to the Upper Yukon
Valley and southward into the eastern Gulf of Alaska by early
Tuesday morning. An upper low 250 nm northwest of Shemya Island
will move to 100 nm southwest of St Matthew Island by late Tuesday
afternoon. Southwesterly wind flow will begin to increase across
the Alaska Range Monday evening and become southerly by late
Tuesday night. Southerly winds across the Alaska Range at 700 mb
are progged by the NAM12 to max out at 80-90 kt during the daytime
hours Wednesday.

Surface...
A 980 mb low centered 300 nm north of Deadhorse will move to 450
nm north of the Mackenzie Delta as a 985 mb low by late Monday
and weaken to a 995 mb center 200 nm northeast of Prince Patrick
Island by late Tuesday afternoon. A ridge across the western
interior will move to the eastern interior by Monday afternoon
and then eastward into Canada Monday night. A weather front
moving eastward across the Bering Sea will move eastward St
Lawrence Island-Dall Point and southward by late Monday afternoon.
The front will move across Norton Sound Monday evening. A 970 mb
low centered 250 nm northwest of Shemya Island will weaken to a
976 mb low centered 100 nm southwest of St Matthew Island by
Tuesday afternoon. Southerly winds across the Alaska Range at 700
mb will max out at 80-90 kt during the daytime hours Wednesday.
There is potential for advisory level winds across the eastern
Alaska Range Wednesday, but it is too early at this time to issue
an advisory. Gusty sub-advisory winds through Alaska Range
passes are expected to develop Monday night.

Arctic Coast and Brooks Range...
High surf conditions are continuing along the Arctic coast,
and are expected to end on the western Arctic coast by midnight
tonight and along the eastern Arctic coast by noon Monday as
west winds start to decrease. The current Barrow sea ice cam
image shows a solid area of ice chunks pushed onto or near the
beach. Offshore there is mostly open water with a few ice chunks.
From Barrow west to Point Lay, a storm surge of around or a little
over 1 foot will begin to decrease later this evening. Along the
central and eastern Arctic coast, sea levels will gradually
increase through tonight. The highest storm surge is expected to
be near 2 feet from the Kaktovik area to Camden Bay, occuring late
this evening through early Monday morning. Strong west winds will
continue to produce high surf as high waves offshore break
onshore. There is continued potential for minor flooding in areas
on or near the east end of the Barter Island airport. There
will be a gradually decreasing chance of snow over the
coast and inland areas through Monday. Rain will be likely
in the western areas with a chance of mainly mixed rain and
snow elsewhere.

Central and eastern interior...
Isolated to scattered rain or snow showers along parts of the
Alaska Range tonight. A weakening front moving eastward will
bring rain to the upper Koyukuk valley and the southeastern
Brooks Range east of Arctic Village Monday, with a chance of rain
elsewhere from the Fairbanks area north and west. Rain will
continue in the upper Koyukuk valley and the southeastern Brooks
Range west of Arctic Village Monday night with a chance of rain in
most areas north and west of the Fairbanks area as another
weather front moves east. Gusty sub-advisory southerly winds will
develop in Alaska Range passes Monday night. There is potential
for winds gusting to 50 to 60 mph in passes in the eastern Alaska
Range Wednesday.

West coast and western interior...
A period of rain most areas tonight as a weakening weather front
moves eastward across the area. A stronger weather front will
bring more rain to the west coast Monday and Monday night and to
the western interior late Monday night and Tuesday. South winds
to 35 kt are expected to develop in Norton Sound early Monday
evening in advance of the front, shifting to southwest late
Monday night and decreasing by morning. This period of strong
winds will produce a storm surge of 2 to 3.5 feet along the
coast from Cape Denbeigh to the Bering Strait, the highest
surge values, about 3.5 feet, are expected along the coast
from west of Cape Darby to Cape Rodney, including the Nome area.
Waves to around 7 feet breaking onshore will cause elevated surf
west of Cape Darby.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None. See main discussion
for short term coastal hazard potential.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
None.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
High Surf Advisory for AKZ201-AKZ202-AKZ203-AKZ204.

Small Craft Advisory for PKZ200-PKZ210-PKZ230-PKZ235.

Gale Warning for PKZ240-PKZ245.
&&

RF SEP 16

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 19, 4:18 AM AKDTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFG24 hr
Sep 19, 4:21 AM AKDTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFG11 hr
Sep 19, 2:31 PM AKDTWind AdvisoryAFG46 hr
Sep 19, 2:53 PM AKDTHigh Wind WarningAFG51 hr
Sep 19, 2:53 PM AKDTWind AdvisoryAFG51 hr

Nearby

Gale Warnings in Alaska, 2016Every gale warning in 2016

Sources

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