Alert archive / Alaska / Gale Warnings in 2020
Gale Warning 49, NWS Juneau, AK
NWS Juneau, AK issued this gale warning at Jan 31, 2020, 3:32 PM AKST. It was in force for 72 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 31, 2020, 3:32 PM AKST (00:32 UTC)
- Expired
- Feb 3, 2020, 3:12 PM AKST
- In force
- 72 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Juneau, AK
The text
As transmitted.
611 FZAK67 PAJK 010032 OFFAJK Offshore Waters Forecast National Weather Service Juneau AK 332 PM AKST Fri Jan 31 2020 Offshore waters forecast for Gulf of Alaska east of 144W Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction expected. Sea forecasts represent the average of the highest one-third of the combined windwave and swell height. PKZ398-011845- 332 PM AKST Fri Jan 31 2020 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE EASTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A low in the Gulf will continue to produce onshore showers. Multiple waves of precip can be anticipated through the weekend as the low begins to drift toward the panhandle. $$ PKZ310-011845- Gulf of Alaska North of 55 Degrees North and East of 144 Degrees West- 332 PM AKST Fri Jan 31 2020 ...GALE WARNING TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY... .TONIGHT...W wind 20 kt increasing to 35 kt late. Seas 14 ft. SW swell early in the evening. Snow showers. .SAT...W wind 35 kt. Seas 13 ft. .SAT NIGHT...NW wind 30 kt. Seas 14 ft. .SUN...NW wind 30 kt becoming S in the afternoon. Seas 12 ft. .SUN NIGHT...S gale to 40 kt. Seas 14 ft. Snow in the evening. Rain. .MON...SW wind 30 kt. Seas 18 ft. .TUE...SW wind 25 kt. Seas 18 ft. .WED...SW wind 20 kt. Seas 15 ft. $$
6 follow-up statements
723 FZAK67 PAJK 011323 OFFAJK Offshore Waters Forecast National Weather Service Juneau AK 423 AM AKST Sat Feb 1 2020 Offshore waters forecast for Gulf of Alaska east of 144W Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction expected. Sea forecasts represent the average of the highest one-third of the combined windwave and swell height. PKZ398-020730- 423 AM AKST Sat Feb 1 2020 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE EASTERN GULF OF ALASKA... Widely scattered showery activity continues Saturday as a low continues to spin out west in the Gulf. The low passes through the region Saturday night, ushering in colder air. $$ PKZ310-020730- Gulf of Alaska North of 55 Degrees North and East of 144 Degrees West- 423 AM AKST Sat Feb 1 2020 ...GALE WARNING EARLY TODAY AND TONIGHT... .TODAY...W wind 35 kt diminishing to 30 kt. Seas 14 ft. Snow showers in the morning. .TONIGHT...NW wind 30 kt increasing to 35 kt late. Seas 13 ft. Rain showers in the evening. .SUN...NW wind 25 kt becoming S in the afternoon. Seas 11 ft. W swell. .SUN NIGHT...S gale to 35 kt. Seas 12 ft. Rain. .MON...SW wind 30 kt. Seas 19 ft. .TUE...W wind 30 kt. Seas 18 ft. .WED...W wind 30 kt. Seas 15 ft. $$
454 FZAK67 PAJK 020012 OFFAJK Offshore Waters Forecast National Weather Service Juneau AK 312 PM AKST Sat Feb 1 2020 Offshore waters forecast for Gulf of Alaska east of 144W Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction expected. Sea forecasts represent the average of the highest one-third of the combined windwave and swell height. PKZ398-021815- 312 PM AKST Sat Feb 1 2020 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE EASTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A weakening low moves over the central panhandle through Saturday evening followed by an area of high pressure on Sunday. A gale force front moves into the AK Gulf from the west Monday. $$ PKZ310-021815- Gulf of Alaska North of 55 Degrees North and East of 144 Degrees West- 312 PM AKST Sat Feb 1 2020 ...GALE WARNING TONIGHT... .TONIGHT...NW wind 35 kt. Strongest winds southern half. Seas 13 ft. Rain showers in the evening. .SUN...NW wind 25 kt becoming S in the afternoon. Seas 11 ft. W swell. .SUN NIGHT...S gale to 40 kt. Seas 12 ft. Rain in the evening, then rain and snow late. .MON...S wind 30 kt becoming SW 20 kt in the afternoon. Seas 18 ft. Rain. .MON NIGHT...SW wind 25 kt. Seas 21 ft. SW swell. .TUE...W wind 30 kt. Seas 18 ft. .WED...W wind 30 kt. Seas 15 ft. .THU...W wind 25 kt. Seas 13 ft. $$
499 FZAK67 PAJK 021245 OFFAJK Offshore Waters Forecast National Weather Service Juneau AK 345 AM AKST Sun Feb 2 2020 Offshore waters forecast for Gulf of Alaska east of 144W Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction expected. Sea forecasts represent the average of the highest one-third of the combined windwave and swell height. PKZ398-030645- 345 AM AKST Sun Feb 2 2020 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE EASTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A weak low over the central panhandle exits the Panhandle down the BC Coast this afternoon. High pressure over the Canadian Yukon passes into northern BC tonight. A gale force front arrives across the eastern gulf Monday. $$ PKZ310-030645- Gulf of Alaska North of 55 Degrees North and East of 144 Degrees West- 345 AM AKST Sun Feb 2 2020 ...GALE WARNING TONIGHT... .TODAY...NW wind 20 kt. Seas 12 ft subsiding to 9 ft in the afternoon. W swell. .TONIGHT...S wind 35 kt. Seas 11 ft. Rain and snow. .MON...S wind 30 kt. Seas 18 ft. Rain. .MON NIGHT...SW wind 25 kt. Seas 21 ft. SW swell. .TUE...W wind 25 kt. Seas 18 ft. .WED...W wind 25 kt. Seas 15 ft. .THU...W wind 20 kt. Seas 13 ft. $$
979 FZAK67 PAJK 030013 OFFAJK Offshore Waters Forecast National Weather Service Juneau AK 313 PM AKST Sun Feb 2 2020 Offshore waters forecast for Gulf of Alaska east of 144W Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction expected. Sea forecasts represent the average of the highest one-third of the combined windwave and swell height. PKZ398-031815- 313 PM AKST Sun Feb 2 2020 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE EASTERN GULF OF ALASKA... Dry weather dominates Sunday as a weak low exits the panhandle into British Columbia. A gale force front arrives across the eastern gulf Monday. $$ PKZ310-031815- Gulf of Alaska North of 55 Degrees North and East of 144 Degrees West- 313 PM AKST Sun Feb 2 2020 ...GALE WARNING TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY... .TONIGHT...S wind 20 kt increasing to 35 kt in the evening. Seas 11 ft. Rain. Snow late. .MON...S wind 35 kt. Seas 15 ft. SW swell in the afternoon. Rain. .MON NIGHT...SW wind 25 kt. Seas 21 ft. SW swell. Rain in the evening. .TUE...S wind 20 kt. Seas 20 ft. SW swell. Rain in the afternoon. .TUE NIGHT...S wind 25 kt becoming W 30 kt late. Seas 17 ft. SW swell in the evening. .WED...W wind 25 kt. Seas 15 ft. .THU...W wind 20 kt. Seas 13 ft. .FRI...SW wind 15 kt. Seas 10 ft. $$
565 FZAK67 PAJK 031258 OFFAJK Offshore Waters Forecast National Weather Service Juneau AK 358 AM AKST Mon Feb 3 2020 Offshore waters forecast for Gulf of Alaska east of 144W Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction expected. Sea forecasts represent the average of the highest one-third of the combined windwave and swell height. PKZ398-040700- 358 AM AKST Mon Feb 3 2020 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE EASTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A gale force front will stall across the eastern gulf through Monday evening. Another front will approach the gulf from the south Tuesday. $$ PKZ310-040700- Gulf of Alaska North of 55 Degrees North and East of 144 Degrees West- 358 AM AKST Mon Feb 3 2020 ...GALE WARNING TODAY... .TODAY...S wind 35 kt. Seas 17 ft. Rain. .TONIGHT...SW wind 25 kt. Seas 20 ft. SW swell. Rain in the evening. .TUE...S wind 20 kt. Seas 18 ft. SW swell. .TUE NIGHT...S wind 25 kt becoming W 30 kt late. Seas 17 ft. SW swell in the evening. Rain in the evening. .WED...W wind 25 kt. Seas 15 ft. .THU...W wind 20 kt. Seas 11 ft. .FRI...SW wind 15 kt. Seas 12 ft. $$
526 FZAK67 PAJK 040012 OFFAJK Offshore Waters Forecast National Weather Service Juneau AK 312 PM AKST Mon Feb 3 2020 Offshore waters forecast for Gulf of Alaska east of 144W Wind forecasts reflect the predominant speed and direction expected. Sea forecasts represent the average of the highest one-third of the combined windwave and swell height. PKZ398-041815- 312 PM AKST Mon Feb 3 2020 .SYNOPSIS FOR THE EASTERN GULF OF ALASKA... A front will move through the panhandle Monday evening and night. Another system will advance northeast into the eastern gulf and into the panhandle late Tuesday and Wednesday. $$ PKZ310-041815- Gulf of Alaska North of 55 Degrees North and East of 144 Degrees West- 312 PM AKST Mon Feb 3 2020 .TONIGHT...SW wind 25 kt. Seas 20 ft. SW swell. Rain in the evening. .TUE...S wind 20 kt. Seas 18 ft. SW swell. .TUE NIGHT...SE wind 15 kt becoming W 30 kt late. Seas 16 ft. SW swell in the evening. Rain. .WED...W wind 30 kt. Seas 15 ft. .WED NIGHT...W wind 20 kt. Seas 13 ft. SW swell. .THU...W wind 20 kt. Seas 11 ft. .FRI...SW wind 15 kt. Seas 12 ft. .SAT...SW wind 25 kt. Seas 13 ft. $$
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 Juneau, AK wrote its last area forecast discussion before this gale warning went out at Jan 31, 2:54 PM AKST, 38 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jan 31, 2:54 PM AKST, 38 minutes before
Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Juneau AK 254 PM AKST Fri Jan 31 2020 .SHORT TERM...After the passage of a powerful low over the panhandle on Thursday, the weather for the weekend ahead looks to be more sedate for much of SE Alaska. The northern and central panhandle have fallen under the influence of a much weaker low currently in the northwest Gulf. Around this low, multiple bands of precipitation will be kicked up and pushed into the region in onshore flow. For the northern and central panhandle the dominant precip type will continue to be snow. While as these showers pass over, impacted areas can easily anticipate a quick one to two inches of fresh snow, with more possible in various locations if training of a band occurs. A cooling trend will also be in store for the forecast period as colder air wraps around the low and moves into the region. As the low meanders its way toward the panhandle Saturday night into Sunday, it will begin to weaken and begin to get overtaken by high pressure to the north in the Yukon. The interaction between these two features will create a decent pressure gradient between them over Lynn Canal. As of now, only have small craft advisory criteria advertised in the forecast, but gales over these parts late Saturday/early Sunday through may not be out of the question. Towards the end of the forecast period, the next system will begin to trek towards the panhandle. A shortwave trof with a respectable amount of embedded vorticity will move over the Gulf on Monday. A developing surface low associated with this trof will move over the N Gulf on Monday, pushing a gale force front into the panhandle. Too soon to tell for certain given model disagreement, but it's currently looking possible that precipitation will start out as snow throughout the panhandle before later changing to rain as the warm air advection begins to bring above freezing temperatures back to much of the panhandle. Winds will reach gale force over the coastal waters as the system moves over the Gulf. .LONG TERM.../Sunday through Thursday/...As of 10 pm Thursday. As the upper trof shifts east into Canada, and an upper ridge moves across the gulf and panhandle, expect that Sunday will give us a brief break in between weather systems. At the surface, high pressure will build across the Yukon Sunday morning increasing a northerly pressure gradient across the northern inner channels, likely increasing wind speeds through Lynn Canal. Colder air will also sink further south with 850 mb temperatures dropping to around -14 C. Although expecting some sunny skies during the day, Sunday will also be the coldest day of this period. This Sunday, it being February 2nd, is also a special day, as it will be Groundhog Day. With the sun out, there is a good possibility one might see his shadow. What will that mean for Southeast AK? Back to what we expect the weather to be like next week: our next weather system will actually be developing in the North Pacific over the weekend. While the parent low hangs out in the western Aleutians, a strong front will move across the gulf Sunday and into the E gulf late Sunday into early Monday. Currently anticipating the gale force front the approach the outer coast Monday morning. Precipitation ahead of the front will spread across the panhandle through the day Monday as multiple impulses, or shortwaves, will enhance precipitation, especially across the southern half of the panhandle. There is still possibility of strong upper level jet supporting a plume of moisture towards the southern panhandle, or possibly further south. The more challenging part of Monday's forecast will be much snow will fall before changing over to rain? This will depend on how quickly temperatures will rebound, along with other factors. Model thickness values keep snow over much of the panhandle through mid- morning, and perhaps some northern areas into the afternoon. Over- running snow with significant snowfall amounts is possible, although temperatures will warm rapidly with the wind shift to the southeast. After Monday, model agreement dissolves, although the overall pattern continues to look wet and warmer than normal for February. Southwesterly flow aloft will continue into mid-week with multiple waves moving across the gulf and towards the panhandle. Will keep likely precipitation going through Thursday. Overall forecast confidence is average. && .AJK Watches/Warnings/Advisories... PUBLIC...Winter Weather Advisory until 9 PM AKST this evening for AKZ017. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory for PKZ022-041>043-051>053. && GFS/DDH Visit us at http://www.weather.gov/Juneau
The office that day
Everything else NWS Juneau, AK issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 31, 3:31 PM AKST | Gale Warning | AJK | 24 hr | |
| Feb 1, 4:38 AM AKST | Gale Warning | AJK | 35 hr | |
| Feb 1, 4:38 AM AKST | Small Craft Advisory | AJK | 47 hr | |
| Feb 1, 5:22 AM AKST | Winter Weather Advisory | AJK | 20 hr | |
| Feb 1, 5:52 AM AKST | Wind Chill Advisory | AJK | 28 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.