Gale Warning 45, NWS Fairbanks, AK

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
526 AM AKST Sun Feb 24 2019

.DISCUSSION...
The active weather pattern will continue today for the west coast
as the next in a series of fronts brings strong winds, snow,
blowing snow and, in some cases, freezing rain. This is our main
forecast challenge of the day. Elsewhere, a strong ridge over the
Interior will persist through much of the week helping to keep
the weather quiet.

Central and Eastern Interior: A high amplitude ridge will persist
over the Interior through much of the upcoming week. Today the
Interior will be mostly clear early today, although there will be
some high level clouds. Clouds will thicken up this late today
into tonight, primarily in areas north and west of Fairbanks, as
the remnants of a front that is currently over the Bering Sea
moves east into the area. This front will also bring some chances
for snowfall to areas north and west of Tanana this evening into
late tonight. Snow accumulations will be light, with at most a
half of an inch expected. Cloud cover will thin out again on
Monday. Currently, we are expecting the ridge to keep the area
free of measurable precipitation Monday through the end of the
work week. Southerly gap winds with gusts to 40 mph are possible
at times this morning in the Alaska Range. We will see a general
warming trend for the Interior through Tuesday. Current forecast
guidance looks a bit too warm for the low temperatures the next
couple of nights in valley locations, where strong temperature
inversions are expected to develop after sunset.

West Coast and Western Interior: A front will move over the west
coast today bringing strong winds, snow, blowing snow and, at
times, freezing rain (the best chances for freezing rain will be
south of Unalakleet). The heaviest snow today is expected in the
preferred upslope regions north of Nome. The front will move into
the western Interior this evening, where it will fall apart rather
quickly. A number of warnings and advisories remain in effect in
anticipation of the strong winds and precipitation today.
Conditions along the coast should improve dramatically this
evening after the front moves out of the area. This improvement
will be short lived as the next round of precipitation will push
north into the Yukon Delta tonight and will spread north along the
coast on Monday. The system on Monday does not look as windy as
the system today and looks to bring another round of heavy
snowfall to the southern Seward Peninsula. The unsettled pattern
will continue through at least the end of the work week with
several additional rounds of heavy snow, strong winds and periods
of freezing rain expected.

North Slope and Brooks Range: A front will move east across the
Arctic coast today. The main impact as the front moves through
will be will be the winds. Wind gusts up to 40 mph are possible
from Utqiagvik west as the front moves through. The there is a
lot of lot of warm air this morning on the western Arctic coast
with some stations above freezing. As the front moves through the
temperatures are expected to drop. There isn't much in the way of
precipitation expected north of the Brooks Range with the front;
however we do have some chance PoPs in the grids for a mixture of
snow and freezing rain from Utqiagvik west. I did opt to issue a
Winter Weather Advisory for zone 201 for the potential for blowing
snow as the winds pick up today. This is mainly for areas to the
east of Point Lay where the temperatures are a bit cooler. The
pressure gradient will tighten up again today in the Brooks Range.
This will cause southerly gap winds with gusts up to 40 mph. The
strongest winds are expected to the west of the Dalton Highway.
The gap winds will cause blowing snow reducing the visibility to
one half mile or less at times.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...Strong southerly winds are
expected across the Eastern Bering Sea and the West Coast of
Alaska through this afternoon. Expect sea levels to rise up to 3
feet above normal in most areas today. This may cause water to
seep into low lying areas along the coast, such as along rivers
and sloughs. At this time no flooding is expected, but travelers
should be aware of water moving onto sea ice and river ice near
the coast. Sea levels should subside this evening.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Winter Storm Warning for AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ213.

Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ201-AKZ206-AKZ211-AKZ214.

Gale Warning for PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230.

Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ200-PKZ235-PKZ240.
&&

FEB 19