Wind Chill Advisory 4, NWS Fairbanks, AK

334 
WWAK41 PAFG 311424
WSWNSB

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
624 AM AKDT THU MAR 31 2016

AKZ203-311530-
/O.CAN.PAFG.WC.Y.0004.000000T0000Z-160401T0000Z/
CENTRAL BEAUFORT SEA COAST-
INCLUDING...NUIQSUT...PRUDHOE BAY...ALPINE...DEADHORSE...KUPARUK
624 AM AKDT THU MAR 31 2016

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS CANCELLED...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN FAIRBANKS HAS CANCELLED THE WIND
CHILL ADVISORY. 

SLOWLY RISING TEMPERATURES HAVE RESULTED IN SOME MODERATION
OF THE WIND CHILL.

$$

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
308 PM AKDT WED MAR 30 2016

.DISCUSSION...
THE MODELS INITIALIZED WELL THIS MORNING. THE GFS MOS TEMPERATURES
SEEMED A BIT TOO WARM ACROSS THE INTERIOR...THUS OPTED TO NOT USE
THAT GUIDANCE FOR THE INTERIOR TEMPERATURES.

SURFACE... A 1034 MB HIGH CENTERED NEAR THE MACKENZIE RIVER DELTA
WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EASTWARD TONIGHT...WITH RIDGING REMAINING
ACROSS THE ARCTIC COAST. A 1036 MB CENTERED IN EASTERN SIBERIA
WILL BUILD TO A 1040 MB HIGH EXTENDING FROM 100 MILES EAST OF
WRANGEL ISLAND EASTWARD ACROSS THE ARCTIC COAST BY TOMORROW
AFTERNOON. A 980 MB LOW WILL MOVE NORTHWARD TO NEAR SAND POINT BY
FRIDAY MORNING...THEN WEAKEN TO A 988 MB LOW NEAR NUNIVAK ISLAND
BY SATURDAY MORNING. THE PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN AS THIS
LOW MOVES TO THE NORTH AND WILL RESULT IN INCREASING NORTH TO
NORTHEAST WINDS ACROSS THE NORTHERN BERING SEA AND CHUKCHI SEA
WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT.

UPPER AIR...A COLD AIR MASS IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN PLACE NORTH
OF THE BROOKS RANGE THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH 1000-850 MB MEAN
TEMPERATURES UNDER -20C. UPPER RIDGING MOVES NORTHWARD ACROSS THE
INTERIOR...THIS WILL GRADUALLY WEAKEN THE WESTERLY FLOW NORTH OF
THE BROOKS RANGE BEGINNING THURSDAY NIGHT.

THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE AXIS WILL SHIFT SLOWLY NORTHWARD THROUGH
THURSDAY NIGHT. RIDGE AXIS EARLY FRIDAY MORNING WILL EXTEND FROM
THE SEWARD PENINSULA TO NORTHWAY THEN SOUTHEASTWARD ALONG THE
PANHANDLE. MOISTURE FLOW AROUND THE TOP OF THE RIDGE WILL BE
GRADUALLY MOVE NORTHWARD AS THE RIDGE DRIFTS NORTHWARD. THE
MOISTURE FLOW WILL BE DIMINISH CONSIDERABLY BY FRIDAY AS THE
SHARPENED RIDGE CUTS OFF MUCH OF THE MOISTURE INFLUX.

NORTH SLOPE...EXPECT COLD TEMPERATURES ON THE NORTH SLOPE THROUGH
FRIDAY WITH LOW TEMPERATURES COLDER THAN NEGATIVE 20 FAHRENHEIT.
CLEAR SKIES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE NEXT FEW DAYS OVER THE NORTH
SLOPE.

EASTERN INTERIOR...PRECIPITATION WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH TO THE
NORTH AND WEST TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW. UP TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW IS
POSSIBLE TONIGHT AND TOMORROW IN ZONE 220 AS WELL AS NORTH AND
WEST OF MANLEY IN ZONE 221. UP TO 6 INCHES OF NEW SNOWFALL TONIGHT
AND TOMORROW IS POSSIBLE IN AREAS ABOVE 2500 FEET IN ZONE 222.
BELOW 2500 FEET IN ZONE 222 EXPECT MIXTURE OF RAIN AND SNOW.
PRECIPITATION WILL COME TO AN END THIS AFTERNOON IN THE EASTERN
ALASKA RANGE...THUS WILL ALLOW THE WINTER STORM WARNING TO END IN
THIS ZONE...HOWEVER...WINDS HAVE DRAMATICALLY INCREASED IN THE
PASSES THIS MORNING NECESSITATING A WIND ADVISORY WITH SOUTHERLY
WINDS GUSTING TO 65 MPH IN THE PASSES WEST OF THE TOK CUTOFF.

WESTERN INTERIOR AND WEST COAST...MAIN ISSUE WILL BE THE
POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY SNOWFALL PUSHING IN FROM THE EAST MOVING TO
THE WEST. THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL LIKELY BE CONFINED TO
PORTIONS OF ZONES 214...215...216 AND 227. SNOWFALL BEGAN THIS
MORNING IN MCGRATH. EXPECT UP TO 7 INCHES OF SNOWFALL IN ZONE 227
FROM THIS SYSTEM BEFORE THE SNOW ENDS BY NOON THURSDAY. IN ZONE
215 EXPECT THE SNOW TO BEGIN THIS EVENING WILL END BUY THURSDAY
EVENING WITH 6 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOWFALL EXPECTED. SNOWFALL WILL
PUSH INTO ZONE 216 THIS EVENING WHERE THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL
GENERALLY BE FROM GALENA SOUTH WITH 6 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOWFALL
EXPECTED THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON WITH LESSER AMOUNTS EXPECTED
TO THE NORTH. IN THE YUKON DELTA SNOW WILL BEGIN TONIGHT WITH UP
TO 6 INCHES OF SNOWFALL EXPECTED. THE BAND OF SNOWFALL WILL
CONTINUE TO PUSH TO THE NORTHWEST ON FRIDAY...BUT SNOWFALL AMOUNTS
WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER ON FRIDAY.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ225-AKZ226.

WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ214-AKZ215-AKZ216.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ220-AKZ221-AKZ222.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ200-PKZ210.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ220.
&&

MAR 16