Alert archive / Alaska / Gale Warnings in 2020
Gale Warning 729, NWS Anchorage, AK
NWS Anchorage, AK issued this gale warning at Dec 22, 2020, 3:37 AM AKST. It was in force for 59 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
- Dec 22, 2020, 3:37 AM AKST (12:37 UTC)
- Expired
- Dec 24, 2020, 3:00 PM AKST
- In force
- 59 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Anchorage, AK
The text
As transmitted.
173 FZAK61 PAFC 221237 OFFAER Offshore Waters Forecast National Weather Service Anchorage AK 337 AM AKST Tue Dec 22 2020 Offshore waters forecast for the Gulf of Alaska West of 144W Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction expected. Sea forecasts represent an average of the highest one-third of the combined wind wave and swell height. PKZ399-230200- 337 AM AKST Tue Dec 22 2020 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A strong front in the western Gulf moves across the northern Gulf coast Tue afternoon. The associated 968 mb low moves inland later today. A 974 mb low at 57N 148W Tue afternoon moves to 59N 1149W at 980 mb Wed morning. $$ PKZ351-230200- Gulf of Alaska Offshore North of 57N and West of 144W- 337 AM AKST Tue Dec 22 2020 ...STORM WARNING TODAY... .TODAY...SE wind 35 to 50 kt. Seas 22 to 28 ft. Rain. .TONIGHT...S wind 30 to 45 kt. Seas 21 to 28 ft. Rain. .WED...SW wind 25 to 40 kt diminishing to 15 to 30 kt in the afternoon. Seas 17 to 26 ft. .WED NIGHT...S wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 11 to 17 ft. .THU THROUGH FRI...E wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 10 to 18 ft. .SAT...SE wind up to 15 kt. Seas 7 to 11 ft. $$ PKZ352-230200- Gulf of Alaska Offshore South of 57N North of 55N and West of 144W- 337 AM AKST Tue Dec 22 2020 ...GALE WARNING THROUGH TONIGHT... .TODAY...S wind 30 to 45 kt. Seas 18 to 27 ft. .TONIGHT...SW wind 25 to 40 kt. Seas 17 to 27 ft. Rain. .WED...SW wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 16 to 23 ft. .WED NIGHT...S wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 12 to 17 ft. .THU...SE wind 20 to 35 kt. Seas 13 to 21 ft. .FRI...SE wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 9 to 17 ft. .SAT...SW wind up to 15 kt. Seas 9 ft. $$
6 follow-up statements
801 FZAK61 PAFC 222359 OFFAER Offshore Waters Forecast National Weather Service Anchorage AK 259 PM AKST Tue Dec 22 2020 Offshore waters forecast for the Gulf of Alaska West of 144W Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction expected. Sea forecasts represent an average of the highest one-third of the combined wind wave and swell height. PKZ399-231415- 259 PM AKST Tue Dec 22 2020 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A 977 mb low at 58N 148W Tue afternoon moves inland near Whittier Wed morning. A North Pacific low moves to 54N 153W at 982 mb by Thu afternoon. $$ PKZ351-231415- Gulf of Alaska Offshore North of 57N and West of 144W- 259 PM AKST Tue Dec 22 2020 ...GALE WARNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY... .TONIGHT...S wind 30 to 45 kt. Seas 21 to 28 ft. .WED...SW wind 25 to 40 kt diminishing to 15 to 30 kt in the afternoon. Seas 17 to 26 ft. .WED NIGHT...S wind 15 kt. Seas 11 to 17 ft. .THU...SE wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 10 to 15 ft. .THU NIGHT...SE wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 10 to 18 ft. .FRI...E wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 9 to 17 ft. .SAT THROUGH SUN...SE wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 7 to 12 ft. $$ PKZ352-231415- Gulf of Alaska Offshore South of 57N North of 55N and West of 144W- 259 PM AKST Tue Dec 22 2020 ...GALE WARNING TONIGHT... .TONIGHT...SW wind 25 to 40 kt. Seas 17 to 27 ft. .WED...SW wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 16 to 23 ft. .WED NIGHT...SW wind 15 kt becoming SE after midnight. Seas 12 to 17 ft. .THU...SE wind 20 to 35 kt. Seas 13 to 21 ft. .THU NIGHT...SE wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 14 to 20 ft. .FRI...SE wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 9 to 17 ft. .SAT THROUGH SUN...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 8 to 16 ft. $$
457 FZAK61 PAFC 231243 OFFAER Offshore Waters Forecast National Weather Service Anchorage AK 343 AM AKST Wed Dec 23 2020 Offshore waters forecast for the Gulf of Alaska West of 144W Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction expected. Sea forecasts represent an average of the highest one-third of the combined wind wave and swell height. PKZ399-240145- 343 AM AKST Wed Dec 23 2020 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A 982 mb low over western Prince William Sound moves inland by Wed afternoon. A 977 mb North Pacific low near 52N 155W Thu morning crosses the AKPEN near 57N 156W at 982 mb by Fri morning. $$ PKZ351-240145- Gulf of Alaska Offshore North of 57N and West of 144W- 343 AM AKST Wed Dec 23 2020 ...GALE WARNING THURSDAY... .TODAY...SW wind 25 kt. Seas 16 to 22 ft. .TONIGHT...S wind 20 kt. Seas 12 to 17 ft. .THU...SE wind 15 to 30 kt increasing to 25 to 35 kt in the afternoon. Seas 11 to 17 ft. .THU NIGHT...E wind 20 to 35 kt. Seas 12 to 18 ft. .FRI THROUGH SUN...S wind up to 20 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. $$ PKZ352-240145- Gulf of Alaska Offshore South of 57N North of 55N and West of 144W- 343 AM AKST Wed Dec 23 2020 ...GALE WARNING THURSDAY... .TODAY...SW wind 20 kt. Seas 18 ft. .TONIGHT...S wind 20 kt. Seas 15 ft. .THU...SE wind 25 to 40 kt. Seas 13 to 21 ft. .THU NIGHT...SE wind 25 to 40 kt. Seas 13 to 21 ft. .FRI...SW wind up to 20 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. .SAT THROUGH SUN...S wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 8 to 16 ft. $$
590 FZAK61 PAFC 240034 OFFAER Offshore Waters Forecast National Weather Service Anchorage AK 334 PM AKST Wed Dec 23 2020 Offshore waters forecast for the Gulf of Alaska West of 144W Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction expected. Sea forecasts represent an average of the highest one-third of the combined wind wave and swell height. PKZ399-241345- 334 PM AKST Wed Dec 23 2020 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA... High pressure lingers over the Gulf through Thu morning. A 980 mb North Pacific low moves to 52N 154W Thu morning moves north and crosses the AKPEN near 57N 156W at 982 mb Fri morning and moves into Bristol Bay by Fri afternoon. $$ PKZ351-241345- Gulf of Alaska Offshore North of 57N and West of 144W- 334 PM AKST Wed Dec 23 2020 .TONIGHT...S wind 20 kt. Seas 12 to 17 ft. .THU...SE wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 11 to 17 ft. .THU NIGHT...E wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 12 to 18 ft. .FRI...E wind up to 20 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. .FRI NIGHT...SW wind up to 20 kt. Seas 7 to 11 ft. .SAT THROUGH MON...SE wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. $$ PKZ352-241345- Gulf of Alaska Offshore South of 57N North of 55N and West of 144W- 334 PM AKST Wed Dec 23 2020 ...GALE WARNING THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT... .TONIGHT...S wind 20 kt becoming SE after midnight. Seas 15 ft. .THU...SE wind 20 to 35 kt. Seas 13 to 21 ft. .THU NIGHT...SE wind 20 to 35 kt. Seas 13 to 21 ft. .FRI...W wind up to 20 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. .FRI NIGHT...SW wind up to 20 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. .SAT THROUGH MON...S wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 8 to 16 ft. $$
845 FZAK61 PAFC 240037 CCA OFFAER Offshore Waters Forecast...CORRECTED National Weather Service Anchorage AK 337 PM AKST Wed Dec 23 2020 Offshore waters forecast for the Gulf of Alaska West of 144W Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction expected. Sea forecasts represent an average of the highest one-third of the combined wind wave and swell height. PKZ399-241345- 337 PM AKST Wed Dec 23 2020 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA... High pressure lingers over the Gulf through Thu morning. A 980 mb North Pacific low moves to 52N 154W Thu morning moves north and crosses the Alaska Peninsula near 57N 156W at 982 mb Fri morning and moves into Bristol Bay by Fri afternoon. $$ PKZ351-241345- Gulf of Alaska Offshore North of 57N and West of 144W- 337 PM AKST Wed Dec 23 2020 .TONIGHT...S wind 20 kt. Seas 12 to 17 ft. .THU...SE wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 11 to 17 ft. .THU NIGHT...E wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 12 to 18 ft. .FRI...E wind up to 20 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. .FRI NIGHT...SW wind up to 20 kt. Seas 7 to 11 ft. .SAT THROUGH MON...SE wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. $$ PKZ352-241345- Gulf of Alaska Offshore South of 57N North of 55N and West of 144W- 337 PM AKST Wed Dec 23 2020 ...GALE WARNING THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT... .TONIGHT...S wind 20 kt becoming SE after midnight. Seas 15 ft. .THU...SE wind 20 to 35 kt. Seas 13 to 21 ft. .THU NIGHT...SE wind 20 to 35 kt. Seas 13 to 21 ft. .FRI...W wind up to 20 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. .FRI NIGHT...SW wind up to 20 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. .SAT THROUGH MON...S wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 8 to 16 ft. $$
638 FZAK61 PAFC 241252 OFFAER Offshore Waters Forecast National Weather Service Anchorage AK 352 AM AKST Thu Dec 24 2020 Offshore waters forecast for the Gulf of Alaska West of 144W Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction expected. Sea forecasts represent an average of the highest one-third of the combined wind wave and swell height. PKZ399-250200- 352 AM AKST Thu Dec 24 2020 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A 980 mb North Pacific low moves at 50N 155W Thu morning. This low will move north to 55N 153W at 985 mb Fri morning and moves into Bristol Bay by Fri afternoon. $$ PKZ351-250200- Gulf of Alaska Offshore North of 57N and West of 144W- 352 AM AKST Thu Dec 24 2020 .TODAY...SE wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 11 to 17 ft. .TONIGHT...E wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 12 to 18 ft. .FRI...NE wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 11 to 14 ft. .FRI NIGHT...NW wind up to 15 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. .SAT...SW wind up to 20 kt. Seas 6 to 11 ft. .SUN THROUGH MON...SE wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. $$ PKZ352-250200- Gulf of Alaska Offshore South of 57N North of 55N and West of 144W- 352 AM AKST Thu Dec 24 2020 ...GALE WARNING THROUGH TONIGHT... .TODAY...SE wind 15 to 30 kt increasing to 25 to 35 kt in the afternoon. Seas 13 to 21 ft. Rain showers. .TONIGHT...SE wind 20 to 35 kt. Seas 13 to 21 ft. .FRI...SE wind 10 to 25 kt becoming W up to 20 kt in the afternoon. Seas 9 to 13 ft. .FRI NIGHT...W wind up to 15 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. .SAT...SW wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 8 to 11 ft. .SUN THROUGH MON...S wind 20 to 35 kt. Seas 8 to 16 ft. $$
310 FZAK61 PAFC 250000 OFFAER Offshore Waters Forecast National Weather Service Anchorage AK 300 PM AKST Thu Dec 24 2020 Offshore waters forecast for the Gulf of Alaska West of 144W Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction expected. Sea forecasts represent an average of the highest one-third of the combined wind wave and swell height. PKZ399-251330- 300 PM AKST Thu Dec 24 2020 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A 982 mb low at 52N 153W on Thu will move to 56N 155W on Fri morning. This low weakens as it moves into Bristol Bay by Sat afternoon. A 985 mb low at 49N 135W on Thu will move to 57N 141W at 977 mb Fri afternoon and then weakens as it moves inland by Sat. $$ PKZ351-251330- Gulf of Alaska Offshore North of 57N and West of 144W- 300 PM AKST Thu Dec 24 2020 .TONIGHT...E wind 20 to 30 kt. Seas 12 to 18 ft. .FRI...E wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 11 to 14 ft. .FRI NIGHT...NE wind up to 15 kt becoming W after midnight. Seas 8 to 13 ft. .SAT...SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 7 to 11 ft. .SAT NIGHT...S wind up to 15 kt. Seas 7 ft. .SUN THROUGH TUE...SE wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. $$ PKZ352-251330- Gulf of Alaska Offshore South of 57N North of 55N and West of 144W- 300 PM AKST Thu Dec 24 2020 .TONIGHT...SE wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 13 to 21 ft. .FRI...SE wind 10 to 25 kt becoming W up to 15 kt in the afternoon. Seas 9 to 13 ft. .FRI NIGHT...W wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. .SAT...W wind up to 20 kt. Seas 8 to 11 ft. .SAT NIGHT...S wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 9 ft. .SUN THROUGH TUE...SE wind 25 to 40 kt. Seas 9 to 17 ft. $$
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 Anchorage, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this gale warning went out at Dec 21, 4:53 PM AKST, 10 hours 44 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Dec 21, 4:53 PM AKST, 10 hours 44 minutes before
Southcentral and Southwest Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Anchorage AK
453 PM AKST Mon Dec 21 2020
.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...
Aloft, a broad trough of low pressure continues to exist in the
Bering. A closed 500MB low exists in the center of the trough,
with shortwave troughs moving through the flow around the base of
this trough. A high amplitude ridge is pushing north through the
Gulf of Alaska and into mainland AK. One of the shortwaves
currently rounding the base of the trough in the North Pacific is
helping to develop a strong surface low there.
Transitioning to the surface, the 500MB low aloft is reflected on
the surface as a large occluded 946 MB low in the Central Bering
that is largely stationary. A frontal system extends from this low
that is currently pushing into Southwest Alaska. A post frontal
trough is also working its way through the Central Aleutians.
Lastly, but not least significantly, a low is developing off of
the southern end of this system's front in the North Pacific. It
is this system that is developing into a strong surface low
mentioned in the previous paragraph. This low is moving northeast
towards the Western Gulf of Alaska. All of this is creating very
active weather. Please see the individual sections of the AFD for
more details about the forecast in your area.
&&
.MODEL DISCUSSION...
Synoptically, models are in good agreement in capturing the long
wave pattern. They are all depicting a broad area of low pressure
over the Bering, with a ridge working its way north through the
Gulf of Alaska. Models are also in agreement on upper level
shortwave troughs moving through this flow, more specifically the
trough that is working its way towards Southcentral AK from the
North Pacific, which is responsible for the incoming weather.
Models have come into better agreement with this system, which is
giving us a higher confidence level with all aspects of the
incoming weather.
Models have also come into better agreement with a secondary low
moving up the Cook Inlet tomorrow night. Initially, the GFS was
the only model to predict the low, but all major models are now
showing this low, so we are now anticipating its arrival. One
major difference is timing, with the GFS being considerably slower
than the NAM, ECMWF and Canadian. With the GFS being such an
outlier, we are leaning towards the other three as they are in
agreement with each other. This does lead to a drop in confidence
in weather associated with this secondary low as the GFS cannot be
completely discounted despite the timing difference.
&&
.AVIATION...
PANC...VFR conditions will be present with overcast cloud cover
staying above VFR minimums. The main impact to the airfield will
be low-level windshear, as northerlies dominate at the surface and
southeasterly winds rapidly increase aloft. It had looked like
there may be a frontal passage on Tuesday, with southeasterly
winds coming into the terminal. However, the front sort of stalls
as a new low over the Gulf approaches. Thus, there is a chance
winds could stay northwesterly at the terminal all day Tuesday,
with very strong low level wind shear during the morning hours.
Anchorage-Homer pressure gradients look to be very strong in the
morning (~10 mb), which will maintain that northerly surface wind.
They might weaken just enough during the afternoon to bring in
the southeasterly wind. Either way, the Anchorage- Homer pressure
gradient then strengthens again late in the afternoon, so any
southeasterlies would be brief.
&&
.SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA (Days 1 and 2)...
An incredibly strong and active weather pattern continues through
Wednesday for nearly all of Southcentral.
The worst weather is anticipated north of Seward across Turnagain
Pass, Moose Pass and Portage Valley. Snowfall totals of 3 to 5
feet are expected, with highest amounts through Turnagain Pass and
on up into the nearby mountains. When combined with strong gusty
winds (as high as 90 mph through Portage Valley), this will cause
blizzard conditions and make travel very difficult, if not
impossible. A Blizzard Warning remains in effect from 9 p.m. this
evening through noon Tuesday. Additionally, a Small Stream Flood
Advisory has been issued for Moose Pass to Seward until 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday as snow transitions to rain in the area. Heavy rainfall
could lead to ponding of water on roads and hazardous driving
conditions as frozen culverts prevent adequate drainage.
A High Wind Warning remains in effect for Anchorage. Peak wind
gusts of 115 mph are expected for higher elevations of Turnagain
Arm with 100 mph wind gusts anticipated for the Hillside. Gusts
are anticipated to reach 60 mph for the Anchorage Bowl, the Knik
River Valley and the Matanuska Valley through this time. All in
all, expect a windy day beginning tonight and through the morning
commute tomorrow, when winds should be at their strongest, before
tapering off the rest of the day.
These strong winds will create a rapid rise in temperatures across
Southcentral. It is possible that temperatures will reach the 40s
on Tuesday as these strong winds bring warm air into our area as
an area of low pressure moves across Kenai/Cook Inlet. Following
this, on the back side of the low, temperatures will cool as cold
air aloft is brought back to the region. This will cause what has
melted on the ground to refreeze, creating dangerous driving
conditions. Based on the expected low track, there is a chance of
snow in Anchorage tomorrow morning as a short-wave approaches,
despite the very strong winds coming across the mountains. If snow
does fall, blizzard conditions are a strong possibility. Will
continue to evaluate this potential this evening and update
forecasts if it looks likely. Chances of snow increase on
Wednesday, as cold air settles in and the upper level trough
moves through.
We are closely monitoring the situation in Homer as we expect
strong winds and heavy precipitation on the front and back side
of the low. A Small Stream Flood Advisory has been issued for
Anchor River, as snow transitions to heavy rainfall throughout the
day Tuesday that may result in ice jams and minor flooding. The
remaining question is currently how much cold air moves in on the
back side of the low to switch rain over to snow. If this comes to
fruition, increased winds out of the southwest and snowfall can
lead to lowered visibility for Tuesday night into Wednesday.
Models were all over the place with this solution, and with warm
sea surface temperatures, the Special Weather Statement continues
at this time with no additional changes.
The High Wind Watch for Cordova has been upgraded to a High Wind
Warning from 6 p.m. Tuesday to 3 a.m. Wednesday. A hurricane force
barrier jet, supported by a strong jet streak aloft, looks to
move inland during this time. The strong winds may move loose
debris, damage property, cause power outages and lead to difficult
travel conditions.
&&
.SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHWEST ALASKA (Days 1 and 2)...
Multiple shortwaves extending off a nearly stationary vertically
stacked low in the Bering track south to north across the
Southwest Mainland over the next couple days. Thus, expected
persistent snow and rain showers across the AKPEN, Bristol Bay,
and western Kuskokwim Delta through tomorrow. Winds are expected
to be strong and gusty through Areas around Bethel and Aniak will
likely be downsloped out of most of the precipitation and will
only see spotty light showers if anything. The AKPEN and coastal
Bristol Bay will start tonight as rain or rain/snow mix before
transitioning to all snow tomorrow. Additionally, predominately
southerly flow will raise temperatures tomorrow and Wednesday
briefly across the Southwest Mainland and the AKPEN and will begin
dropping again by Wednesday evening. Blowing snow advisory
remains in effect through late tonight for the Kuskokwim Delta
coast with strong gusty winds and accumulations around 3-7 inches
possible. Upslope areas along the eastern Kuskokwim Mountains may
see snow accumulations of 2-5 inches through tomorrow.
&&
.SHORT TERM FORECAST BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS (Days 1 and 2)...
The strong low in the Bering remains almost stationary through
tomorrow then moves northeast towards the Y-K Delta. Winds are
strongest on the backside of the low, mainly gales and possibly a
brief period of storms, along the Northern and Western Bering
where significantly colder air is being advected in. Thus, expect
the transition back to snow along the Chain and Southern AKPEN by
tonight as the colder air begins to wrap around the low. Blowing
snow may be a concern for areas along the Central and Eastern
Aleutians tomorrow night.
&&
.Marine (Days 3 through 5: Thursday through Saturday)...
Gulf of Alaska
Models have come into better agreement on the track of low moving
out of the North Pacific and then towards the AKPEN on Thursday,
but there continues to be disagreement on the strength. There
remains upside risk to the southerly winds currently in the
forecast, with gales looking possible across the western Bering.
On Friday/Saturday fairly quiet conditions are expected with good
forecast confidence.
Bering Sea:
On Thursday models continue to struggle with the placement of a
compact storm force low, with the GFS bringing this low through
the central Aleutians, while other models track this system mostly
south of the Aleutians. Our forecast sides with the further south
track, keeping lighter winds in across the Aleutians. On Friday a
front pushes into the western Bering/Aleutians, and a few areas of
Gales appear possible. On Saturday a deepening storm system looks
to set up across the western Aleutians, but there are significant
model differences as to how quickly this storm strengthens. There
may be significant upside risk to winds across the eastern Bering
on Saturday if the stronger solutions work out.
&&
.Long Term (Days 4 through 7/: Friday through Monday)...
On Friday models have come into better agreement on the track of a
North Pacific low, with good agreement on this next storm system
heading towards the AKPEN, bringing another wintry mix to
southwest Alaska and Kodiak. A gale force front looks to push into
the western Aleutians at the same time. On Saturday the AKPEN low
mostly dissipates. Meanwhile, a storm system begins to rapidly
intensify across the western Aleutians with the potential for some
storm force winds setting up across the central Aleutians along
with plentiful rain. On Sunday most models show this Bering/Aleutians
storm becoming fully mature and retrograding north and west
towards the Kamchatka Peninsula while unsettled weather continues
across the Bering and Southwest Alaska.
Model consistency disintegrates heading into Monday, but the
general idea of an active pattern across the Bering and relatively
quiet weather across Southcentral should hold.
&&
.AFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...High Wind Warning 101 125 135.
Blizzard Warning 125.
Winter Weather Advisory 155.
Flood Advisory 121 125.
MARINE...Hurricane Force Wind Warning 119 125.
Storm Warning 120 130 131 132.
Gale Warning 128 129 136 137 138 139 140 141
150 155 160 165 170 171 172 173
174 175 180 185.
Heavy Freezing Spray Warning 180 185.
FIRE WEATHER...NONE.
&&
SYNOPSIS AND MODEL DISCUSSION...BB
SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA...CK
SOUTHWEST ALASKA/BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS...KM
MARINE/LONG TERM...BGIn the hours before
Special weather statement, Dec 21, 11:47 PM AKST, 3 hours 50 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED National Weather Service ANCHORAGE AK 1147 PM AKST Mon Dec 21 2020 AKZ111-221400- Matanuska Valley- Including the cities of Palmer, Wasilla, Sutton, and Chickaloon 1147 PM AKST Mon Dec 21 2020 ...STRONG WINDS EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING FOR THE MATANUSKA VALLEY... A strong frontal system moving across Southcentral will cause winds to increase out of the Knik and Matanuska River Valleys late tonight through Tuesday morning. Gusts up to 60 mph are possible, especially Tuesday morning. People are urged to secure loose objects that could be blown around or damaged by the wind. Prepare for the possibility of sporadic power outages. AKZ121-221400- Western Kenai Peninsula- Including the cities of Kenai, Soldotna, Homer, and Cooper Landing 1147 PM AKST Mon Dec 21 2020 ...BLOWING SNOW TO REDUCE VISIBILITIES FROM THE HOMER BLUFF NORTH TO CLAM GULCH TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY... Temperatures climbing into the lower 40s for many locations Tuesday will fall back below freezing by Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning as colder air quickly returns. The return of colder temperatures will be accompanied by another round of snow, which may become heavy at times. Gusty south to southwesterly winds are also expected at the same time as the snow. This could cause localized reductions in visibility to as low as a half mile at times. There remains considerable uncertainty as to when the worst conditions will occur. Stay tuned for future updates as the details become more clear.
Special weather statement, Dec 22, 3:00 AM AKST, 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT National Weather Service ANCHORAGE AK 300 AM AKST Tue Dec 22 2020 AKZ111-230000- Matanuska Valley- Including the cities of Palmer, Wasilla, Sutton, and Chickaloon 300 AM AKST Tue Dec 22 2020 ...STRONG WINDS EXPECTED THIS MORNING FOR THE MATANUSKA VALLEY... A strong frontal system moving across Southcentral will cause winds to increase out of the Knik and Matanuska River Valleys this morning. People are urged to secure loose objects that could be blown around or damaged by the wind. Prepare for the possibility of sporadic power outages. AKZ121-230000- Western Kenai Peninsula- Including the cities of Kenai, Soldotna, Homer, and Cooper Landing 300 AM AKST Tue Dec 22 2020 ...BLOWING SNOW TO REDUCE VISIBILITIES FROM THE HOMER BLUFF NORTH TO CLAM GULCH TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY... Temperatures climbing into the lower 40s for many locations today will fall back below freezing by tonight or early Wednesday morning as colder air quickly returns. The return of colder temperatures will be accompanied by another round of snow, which may become heavy at times. Gusty south to southwesterly winds are also expected at the same time as the snow. This could cause localized reductions in visibility to as low as a half mile at times. There is some uncertainty as to when the worst conditions will occur. Stay tuned for future updates as the details become more clear.
The office that day
Everything else NWS Anchorage, AK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 21, 3:06 PM AKST | Gale Warning | AFC | 50 hr | |
| Dec 21, 3:06 PM AKST | Storm Warning | AFC | 24 hr | |
| Dec 21, 3:06 PM AKST | Heavy Freezing Spray Warning | AFC | 12 hr | |
| Dec 21, 3:10 PM AKST | Brisk Wind Advisory | AFC | 12 hr | |
| Dec 21, 3:10 PM AKST | Gale Warning | AFC | 49 hr | |
| Dec 21, 3:10 PM AKST | Small Craft Advisory | AFC | 37 hr | |
| Dec 21, 3:10 PM AKST | Heavy Freezing Spray Warning | AFC | 25 hr | |
| Dec 21, 3:20 PM AKST | Gale Warning | AFC | 37 hr | |
| Dec 21, 3:20 PM AKST | Small Craft Advisory | AFC | 37 hr | |
| Dec 21, 3:40 PM AKST | High Wind Warning | AFC | 36 hr | |
| Dec 21, 9:21 PM AKST | Small Craft Advisory | AFC | 18 hr | |
| Dec 22, 3:17 AM AKST | Gale Warning | AFC | 12 hr | |
| Dec 22, 3:21 AM AKST | Small Craft Advisory | AFC | 4 days | |
| Dec 22, 3:41 AM AKST | Gale Warning | AFC | 3 days | |
| Dec 22, 3:41 AM AKST | Small Craft Advisory | AFC | 24 hr | |
| Dec 22, 2:59 PM AKST | Gale Warning | AFC | 25 hr |
Nearby
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text.