Alert archive / Alaska / Gale Warnings in 2018

Gale Warning 2, NWS Fairbanks, AK

January 2, 2018

NWS Fairbanks, AK issued this gale warning at Jan 2, 2018, 6:21 AM AKST. It was in force for 8 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
Jan 2, 2018, 6:21 AM AKST (15:21 UTC)
Expired
Jan 2, 2018, 2:30 PM AKST
In force
8 hr
Issued by
NWS Fairbanks, AK

The text

As transmitted.

831 
FZAK51 PAFG 021521
CWFNSB

Coastal Waters Forecast for Arctic Alaska
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
621 AM AKST Tue Jan 2 2018

Arctic Alaska Coastal Waters out 100 NM

Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction
expected. Sea forecasts represent the average of the highest one-
third of the combined wind-wave and swell height.

PKZ298-030400-
621 AM AKST Tue Jan 2 2018

.SYNOPSIS FOR ARCTIC COAST...
A 999 mb low just south of Barter Island will persist through this
afternoon and then weaken. A 975 mb low near King Salmon will 
move by 3am Wed to Selawik as a 990 mb low, and by 3am Thu to 300
nm north of Barter Island as a 1007 mb.

$$

PKZ225-030400-
Cape Thompson to Cape Beaufort-
621 AM AKST Tue Jan 2 2018

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TUESDAY NIGHT...

.TODAY...E winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.TONIGHT...NE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.WED...N winds 20 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...N winds 15 kt. 
.THU...NE winds 10 kt. 
.THU NIGHT...NE winds 15 kt. 
.FRI...E winds 25 kt. 
.SAT...E winds 25 kt.  

$$

PKZ230-030400-
Cape Beaufort to Point Franklin-
621 AM AKST Tue Jan 2 2018

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...

.TODAY...E winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.TONIGHT...NE winds 15 kt. 
.WED...N winds 10 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...W winds 10 kt. 
.THU...NW winds 10 kt. 
.THU NIGHT...NE winds 10 kt. 
.FRI...E winds 25 kt. 
.SAT...E winds 25 kt.  

$$

PKZ235-030400-
Point Franklin to Cape Halkett-
621 AM AKST Tue Jan 2 2018

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...

.TODAY...NE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.TONIGHT...NE winds 20 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.WED...E winds 10 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...W winds 10 kt. 
.THU...W winds 15 kt. 
.THU NIGHT...W winds 10 kt. 
.FRI...E winds 20 kt. 
.SAT...E winds 25 kt.  

$$

PKZ240-030400-
Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island-
621 AM AKST Tue Jan 2 2018

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...

.TODAY...E winds 35 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.TONIGHT...E winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.WED...SW winds 10 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...W winds 15 kt. 
.THU...W winds 20 kt. 
.THU NIGHT...W winds 15 kt. 
.FRI...E winds 20 kt. 
.SAT...E winds 20 kt.  

$$

PKZ245-030400-
Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point-
621 AM AKST Tue Jan 2 2018

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

.TODAY...E winds 40 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.TONIGHT...E winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 NM or less. 
.WED...W winds 10 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...W winds 15 kt. 
.THU...W winds 20 kt. 
.THU NIGHT...W winds 15 kt. 
.FRI...E winds 15 kt. 
.SAT...E winds 25 kt.  

$$

Jan 18
1 follow-up statement
777 
FZAK51 PAFG 022330
CWFNSB

Coastal Waters Forecast for Arctic Alaska
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
230 PM AKST Tue Jan 2 2018

Arctic Alaska Coastal Waters out 100 NM

Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction
expected. Sea forecasts represent the average of the highest one-
third of the combined wind-wave and swell height.

PKZ298-031530-
230 PM AKST Tue Jan 2 2018

.SYNOPSIS FOR ARCTIC COAST...
A 999 mb low near Barter Island will move north and weaken over
the eastern Beaufort Sea through Wed. A 997 mb developing near
Kotzebue Wed morning will move 300 nm north of Barter Island as a
1008 mb by 3 am Thu. High pressure over far east Russia will 
drift north and expand east over the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea Thu
night and Fri.

$$

PKZ225-031530-
Cape Thompson to Cape Beaufort-
230 PM AKST Tue Jan 2 2018

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TUESDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...NE winds 25 kt diminishing late. Blowing snow. VSBY 1 
NM or less.
.WED...N winds 20 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...N winds 15 kt. 
.THU...NE winds 10 kt. 
.THU NIGHT...E winds 15 kt. 
.FRI...E winds 20 kt. 
.FRI NIGHT...E winds 25 kt. 
.SAT...E winds 25 kt. 
.SUN...SE winds 20 kt.  

$$

PKZ230-031530-
Cape Beaufort to Point Franklin-
230 PM AKST Tue Jan 2 2018

.TONIGHT...NE winds 20 kt. 
.WED...N winds 10 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...W winds 10 kt. 
.THU...W winds 10 kt. 
.THU NIGHT...E winds 10 kt. 
.FRI...E winds 20 kt. 
.FRI NIGHT...E winds 25 kt. 
.SAT...E winds 25 kt. 
.SUN...SE winds 20 kt.  

$$

PKZ235-031530-
Point Franklin to Cape Halkett-
230 PM AKST Tue Jan 2 2018

.TONIGHT...E winds 20 kt. 
.WED...E winds 10 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...W winds 15 kt. 
.THU...W winds 15 kt. 
.THU NIGHT...W winds 10 kt. 
.FRI...E winds 15 kt. 
.FRI NIGHT...E winds 20 kt. 
.SAT...E winds 25 kt. 
.SUN...SE winds 20 kt.  

$$

PKZ240-031530-
Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island-
230 PM AKST Tue Jan 2 2018

.TONIGHT...E winds 25 kt decreasing to 15 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY
1 NM or less. 
.WED...SW winds 10 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...W winds 15 kt. 
.THU...W winds 15 kt. 
.THU NIGHT...W winds 10 kt. 
.FRI...E winds 10 kt. 
.FRI NIGHT...E winds 20 kt. 
.SAT...E winds 20 kt. 
.SUN...E winds 15 kt.  

$$

PKZ245-031530-
Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point-
230 PM AKST Tue Jan 2 2018

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING...

.TONIGHT...E winds 30 kt decreasing to 20 kt. Blowing snow. VSBY
1 NM or less. 
.WED...SW winds 10 kt. 
.WED NIGHT...W winds 15 kt. 
.THU...W winds 20 kt. 
.THU NIGHT...W winds 10 kt. 
.FRI...N winds 10 kt. 
.FRI NIGHT...E winds 20 kt. 
.SAT...E winds 25 kt. 
.SUN...SE winds 20 kt.  

$$

Jan 18

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 Jan 2, 5:42 AM AKST, 39 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 2, 5:42 AM AKST, 39 minutes before
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
542 AM AKST Tue Jan 2 2018

.SYNOPSIS...
Aloft...
A strong long wave ridge stretching from California north over
Eastern Alaska into the Beaufort Sea with a deep trough over the
Bering Sea and NW Pacific will persist through the weekend and
into next week. A series of strong short wave troughs will move
north over Alaska through this pattern keeping temperatures
generally above normal with periods of Chinook winds along the
Alaska Range, and periods of snow in the Interior.

Surface...
High pressure north of the Arctic Coast will persist through
tonight then weaken.

A 999 mb low just south of Barter Island will persist through this
afternoon and then weaken. This is causing strong NE winds over
the eastern Arctic Coast which will decrease this afternoon and
evening as the low weakens. Low visibility in blowing snow will
improve this afternoon/evening as well.

A 975 mb low near King Salmon with an occluded front from the low
to Tanana to Eagle, will move by 3pm Tue as a 989 mb low near
Anvik with an occluded front from Anvik to Barter Island, by 3am
Wed as a 990 mb low near Selawik with an occluded front from
Selawik to Barrow to Barter Island then a trailing front from
Barter Island to McGrath, by 3pm Wed as a 1003 mb low near Howard
Pass with a front from Howard pass to north of Barrow to Old Crow
to Denali, by 3am Thu as a 1007 mb low 300 nm north of Barter
island with a front from the low to Inuvik to Isabell Pass, and
the front then moving east of the Alcan Border Thu. Expect snow
along the front and low track with 2-4 inches in the western
Interior and 1-2 inches in the Eastern Interior. Expect east winds
25kt over the northern Interior just ahead of the front along
with blowing snow today. Could see freezing rain along the Alaska
Range today as well.

Strong southerly chinook winds over the Alaska Range today will
prevent precip in the chinook shadow over the Tanana Valley today.
Expect south winds gusting to 80 mph near Alaska Range Passes
today, east winds g55 in zone 223, and south winds g50 in zone 224
from Dot Lake to Tanacross. Winds all areas should decrease this
evening.

An arctic cold front stretching south from the low in Western
Alaska will move over the Western Interior Wed and then across
the Eastern Interior Thu. This will bring colder temperatures and
light snow across the Interior with it.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Models initialize well and show similar solutions through 4pm
Thu. There are significant differences on location and strength of
surface lows in the Bering Sea Wed and Thu, but differences over
Northern Alaska are minimal through Thu.

&&

Coastal Hazards for days 3 and 4...
Easterly Gales Fri and Sat over the West Coast of Alaska will
have a short fetch limiting surf to moderate.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Wind Advisory for AKZ223-AKZ227.

High Wind Warning for AKZ224-AKZ225-AKZ226.

Blizzard Warning for AKZ204.

Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ201-AKZ203-AKZ219-AKZ220-AKZ221.

Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ210.

Gale Warning for PKZ240-PKZ245.

Small Craft Advisory for PKZ210.

Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ200-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230-PKZ235.
&&

JB JAN 18

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jan 2, 6:19 AM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG23 hr
Jan 2, 6:19 AM AKSTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFG56 hr
Jan 2, 6:19 AM AKSTHeavy Freezing Spray WarningAFG5 days
Jan 2, 6:21 AM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG23 hr
Jan 2, 2:30 PM AKSTBrisk Wind AdvisoryAFG14 hr

Nearby

Gale Warnings in Alaska, 2018Every gale warning in 2018

Sources

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