Brisk Wind Advisory 26, NWS Fairbanks, AK

644 
FZAK52 PAFG 201239
CWFWCZ

Coastal Waters Forecast for Northwest Alaska
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
339 AM AKST Wed Jan 20 2021

Northwestern 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.

PKZ299-210330-
339 AM AKST Wed Jan 20 2021

.SYNOPSIS FOR NORTHWEST COAST...
A weak 998 mb low over SW Alaska will dissipate today. A strong 
storm south of Adak will move into the southern Bering Sea by 3pm 
Wed at 971 mb, west of St. Lawrence Island as a 984 mb low by 3pm
Thu, and to near Wrangel Island as a 1003 mb low by 3pm Fri.

$$

PKZ200-210330-
Norton Sound-
339 AM AKST Wed Jan 20 2021

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
EARLY THURSDAY MORNING...

.TODAY...NE winds 20 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.TONIGHT...E winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.THU...SE winds 35 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.THU NIGHT...S winds 15 kt. 
.FRI...E winds 20 kt. 
.FRI NIGHT...E winds 15 kt. 
.SAT...NW winds 10 kt. 
.SUN...E winds 15 kt.  

$$

PKZ210-210330-
Dall Point to Wales-
339 AM AKST Wed Jan 20 2021

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM EARLY THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY
THURSDAY MORNING...

.TODAY...NE winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.TONIGHT...NE winds 35 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less.
.THU...S winds 35 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.THU NIGHT...S winds 20 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.FRI...NE winds 20 kt. 
.FRI NIGHT...N winds 20 kt. 
.SAT...NW winds 15 kt. 
.SUN...E winds 25 kt.  

$$

PKZ215-210330-
Kotzebue Sound-
339 AM AKST Wed Jan 20 2021

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY
THURSDAY MORNING...

.TODAY...NE winds 15 kt. 
.TONIGHT...E winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.THU...E winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.THU NIGHT...SE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.FRI...E winds 20 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.FRI NIGHT...E winds 20 kt. 
.SAT...W winds 10 kt. 
.SUN...W winds 10 kt.  

$$

PKZ220-210330-
Wales to Cape Thompson-
339 AM AKST Wed Jan 20 2021

...BRISK WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH EARLY
THURSDAY MORNING...

.TODAY...N winds 20 kt. 
.TONIGHT...NE winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less.
.THU...E winds 35 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.THU NIGHT...S winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.FRI...SE winds 20 kt. 
.FRI NIGHT...NW winds 15 kt. 
.SAT...NW winds 20 kt. 
.SUN...N winds 15 kt.  

$$

Jan 21

488 
FZAK52 PAFG 210104
CWFWCZ

Coastal Waters Forecast for Northwest Alaska
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
404 PM AKST Wed Jan 20 2021

Northwestern 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.

PKZ299-211530-
404 PM AKST Wed Jan 20 2021

.SYNOPSIS FOR NORTHWEST COAST...
A strong storm in the southern Bering Sea will move to the 
Chukotsk Peninsula as a 984 mb low by 3pm Thu, then to near 
Wrangel Island as a 1003 mb low by 3pm Fri. A second strong low
will move into the southeast Bering Sea on Fri and to the Yukon
Delta as a 1000 mb low by 3pm Sat. 

$$

PKZ200-211530-
Norton Sound-
404 PM AKST Wed Jan 20 2021

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...

.TONIGHT...SE winds 35 kt. Snow. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less.
.THU...SE winds 35 kt. Snow. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.THU NIGHT...S winds 15 kt. Snow.
.FRI...E winds 20 kt. 
.FRI NIGHT...E winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.SAT...E winds 20 kt. 
.SAT NIGHT...NW winds 10 kt. 
.SUN...E winds 15 kt. 
.MON...E winds 20 kt.  

$$

PKZ210-211530-
Dall Point to Wales-
404 PM AKST Wed Jan 20 2021

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON...

.TONIGHT...NE winds 40 kt becoming SE. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby
1 NM or less. 
.THU...S winds 40 kt. Snow. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.THU NIGHT...S winds 25 kt. 
.FRI...NE winds 20 kt. Snow. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.FRI NIGHT...E winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.SAT...N winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.SAT NIGHT...NW winds 15 kt. 
.SUN...E winds 25 kt. 
.MON...E winds 20 kt.  

$$

PKZ215-211530-
Kotzebue Sound-
404 PM AKST Wed Jan 20 2021

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM EARLY THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
THURSDAY AFTERNOON...

.TONIGHT...E winds 20 kt increasing to 30 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby
1 NM or less. 
.THU...E winds 35 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.THU NIGHT...SE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.FRI...E winds 15 kt. 
.FRI NIGHT...E winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.SAT...E winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.SAT NIGHT...W winds 15 kt. 
.SUN...W winds 10 kt. 
.MON...E winds 20 kt.  

$$

PKZ220-211530-
Wales to Cape Thompson-
404 PM AKST Wed Jan 20 2021

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
THURSDAY NIGHT...

.TONIGHT...NE winds 30 kt increasing to 35 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby
1 NM or less.
.THU...SE winds 40 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.THU NIGHT...S winds 35 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or
less. 
.FRI...SE winds 15 kt. 
.FRI NIGHT...NE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. 
.SAT...E winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.SAT NIGHT...NW winds 15 kt. 
.SUN...N winds 15 kt. 
.MON...E winds 20 kt.  

$$

Jan 21

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
452 AM AKST Tue Jan 19 2021

.SYNOPSIS...
Snow showers are beginning to move into the Fairbanks area and
spreading across portions of the Central and Eastern Interior
this morning. Snow accumulations of 1 to 2 inches expected across
the Interior with this event through this afternoon. Snow
continuing across the Western Interior and into Kotzebue Sound.
Conditions have deteriorated across Kotzebue Sound with reduced
visibilities in snow and blowing snow, with these conditions
continuing through this morning. Attention is beginning to focus
on a winter storm set to impact the West Coast and the Western
Interior beginning tomorrow afternoon. Winter Storm Watches have
been issued for what looks like a long duration event that could
last into the weekend.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
In the upper levels, a trough centered across the Interior is
turning flow to more of a west to southwest direction as the
trough continues to lift to the northeast this morning. This
change in flow is causing snow to spread across the Interior this
morning, as opposed to being chinooked out as was the case the
last several days. Another shortwave will move across the West
Coast and then the Interior tomorrow morning and lifting northeast
as ridging builds across the Interior into Thursday. A longwave
trough in the Bering Sea will strengthen and send a strong trough
across the West Coast and portions of the Western Interior on
Thursday, with southerly flow being the predominant direction of
flow for that region going into Friday. This feature will be the
focal point for the next set of hazardous weather that will impact
the West Coast into Norton Sound and portions of the Western
Interior beginning Wednesday night.

At 850 mb, southerly flow that brought very warm temperatures near
0C into the Interior will give way to colder Arctic air digging
in from the west, resulting in a rapid cool down today.
Temperatures will remain around the -10C to -15C range ahead of
the next surge of warm air associated with the strong upper level
feature in the Bering Sea beginning Wednesday night. This feature
will bring widespread warming across the state generally anywhere
from -5C to -8C, with warmer temperatures near 0C across portions
of the West Coast and Western Interior going into Friday.

At the surface, broad low pressure across the Interior is
spreading snow across the Western Interior east across Fairbanks
and to the Canadian border this morning. This low will move east,
with snow tapering off this afternoon and into the overnight
hours. Surface low pressure over the YK Delta this afternoon will
increase chances for snow for portions of the West Coast and
Western Interior south of the Seward Peninsula Wednesday morning.
The next strong winter storm will move into the Bering Sea
Wednesday morning and move northeast to the West Coast by
Wednesday evening. This low will continue to move north through
the Bering Strait by Thursday morning ahead of a second low in the
Bering Sea that will swing a front across the West Coast and
Western Interior beginning Friday morning. Model consensus is good
for the low tracking through the Bering Strait, but details on
the second round of winter weather across the West Coast will need
to be monitored further for finer details as this event extends
into the weekend.

Central and Eastern Interior...
Radar is showing snow beginning to spread across the Central and
Eastern Interior this morning. Light snow is expected to persist
into the afternoon hours for most areas, with snow accumulations
of 1 to 2 inches. As conditions clear tonight, chances for snow
will remain low going into Friday. Gusty south winds through
Alaska Range passes cannot be ruled out at times through the short
term. Temperatures are expected to cool for most areas as
southerly flow weakens today and remains west to southwest flow
through Thursday.

North Slope and Brooks Range...
Stronger east winds are resulting in more widespread visibility
reductions than was seen over the previous few days. These
conditions are expected to persist into the afternoon, as winds
are expected to slowly subside. A weather front is expected to
lift north of the Brooks Range, resulting in increasing chances
for snow, with 1 to 2 inches of accumulation possible through
tonight. Temperatures expected to remain above the climatological
norms going into Friday.

West Coast and Western Interior...
Active weather will be the theme for this region going into the
weekend. Light snow is currently extending from the Western
Interior and into Kotzebue Sound. Windy conditions through
Kotzebue Sound has resulted in reduced visibilities with a Winter
Weather Advisory in effect until noon today. Chances of snow
increase again as a weak front moves into the southern portions of
the West Coast and Western Interior tonight and into tomorrow. A
strong surface low will track north along the West Coast beginning
tomorrow night. Snow, blowing snow, and warming temperatures above
freezing is expected to cause a wide variety of issues for the
West Coast and Western Interior going into the weekend.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ209-AKZ216-AKZ226.

Winter Storm Watch for AKZ211-AKZ212-AKZ213-AKZ214.

Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ230-PKZ235-PKZ240-
PKZ245.
&&

JAN 21