Alert archive / Alaska / Gale Warnings in 2023

Gale Warning 445, NWS Anchorage, AK

August 18, 2023

NWS Anchorage, AK issued this gale warning at Aug 18, 2023, 3:45 AM AKDT. It was in force for 35 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
Aug 18, 2023, 3:45 AM AKDT (11:45 UTC)
Expired
Aug 19, 2023, 3:02 PM AKDT
In force
35 hr
Issued by
NWS Anchorage, AK

The text

As transmitted.

766 
FZAK62 PAFC 181145
OFFALU

Offshore Waters Forecast
National Weather Service Anchorage AK
345 AM AKDT Fri Aug 18 2023

Offshore Waters Forecast for the Bering Sea

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.

PKZ499-190100-
345 AM AKDT Fri Aug 18 2023
.SYNOPSIS FOR CENTRAL BERING SEA...

A 1016 mb low 150 nm S of Cold Bay moves into the Western Gulf Sat
morning. A front extending off a Kamchatka low will reach the
Western Aleutians Fri afternoon. The front will then move slowly
east into the Central Bering by Sunday morning.

$$

PKZ411-190100-
Bering Sea Offshore West of 180 and East of the International
Dateline-
345 AM AKDT Fri Aug 18 2023

...GALE WARNING SATURDAY...

.TODAY...SW wind 20 kt. Seas 6 ft. Patchy fog. Rain.
.TONIGHT...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 5 to 9 ft.
.SAT...S wind 20 to 35 kt becoming 30 kt in the afternoon. Seas 9
to 14 ft. Rain.
.SAT NIGHT...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 11 to 15 ft.
.SUN THROUGH MON...SE wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 6 to 11 ft.
.TUE...SW wind up to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.

$$

PKZ412-190100-
Bering Sea Offshore 171W to 180 and North of 56N-
345 AM AKDT Fri Aug 18 2023

.TODAY...SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 ft.
.TONIGHT...SW wind 20 kt. Seas 5 ft. Rain.
.SAT...SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 6 ft. Rain.
.SAT NIGHT...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 7 to 12 ft.
.SUN THROUGH MON...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 7 to 12 ft.
.TUE...E wind up to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 6 ft.

$$

PKZ413-190100-
Bering Sea Offshore 171W to 180 and South of 56N-
345 AM AKDT Fri Aug 18 2023

.TODAY...SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 ft.
.TONIGHT...SW wind 20 kt. Seas 5 ft.
.SAT...SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 4 to 7 ft.
.SAT NIGHT...S wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to 10 ft.
.SUN...S wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 6 to 11 ft.
.MON...SE wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 8 ft.
.TUE...NE wind up to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 7 ft.

$$

PKZ414-190100-
Bering Sea Offshore East of 171W-
345 AM AKDT Fri Aug 18 2023

.TODAY...SW wind 10 to 15 kt. Seas 4 ft.
.TONIGHT...SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 ft.
.SAT...SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 ft.
.SAT NIGHT...SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 ft.
.SUN THROUGH MON...S wind up to 20 kt. Seas 5 to 10 ft.
.TUE...E wind up to 20 kt. Seas 5 ft.

$$
3 follow-up statements
735 
FZAK62 PAFC 182330
OFFALU

Offshore Waters Forecast
National Weather Service Anchorage AK
330 PM AKDT Fri Aug 18 2023

Offshore Waters Forecast for the Bering Sea

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.

PKZ499-191400-
330 PM AKDT Fri Aug 18 2023
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE BERING SEA...

A 1017 mb low at 55N 155W moves across the Gulf of Alaska through
Sun afternoon. A 992 mb South Kamchatka low moves to 49N 174E at 
1008 for Sun afternoon. Its front moves over the Western Aleutians
and Bering Sun afternoon. 

$$

PKZ411-191400-
Bering Sea Offshore West of 180 and East of the International
Dateline-
330 PM AKDT Fri Aug 18 2023

...GALE WARNING SATURDAY...

.TONIGHT...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 5 to 9 ft. Rain.
.SAT...S wind 20 to 35 kt becoming 30 kt in the afternoon. 
Seas 9 to 14 ft. Rain.
.SAT NIGHT...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 10 to 15 ft. Rain.
.SUN...S wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...S wind up to 20 kt. Seas 5 to 9 ft.
.MON...S wind up to 20 kt. Seas 6 ft.
.TUE...SW wind up to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.
.WED...NW wind up to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.

$$

PKZ412-191400-
Bering Sea Offshore 171W to 180 and North of 56N-
330 PM AKDT Fri Aug 18 2023

.TONIGHT...SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 5 ft.
.SAT...SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to 8 ft. Rain.
.SAT NIGHT...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 6 to 11 ft. Rain.
.SUN...SW wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 7 to 12 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 7 to 11 ft.
.MON...S wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 5 to 10 ft.
.TUE...E wind up to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 6 ft.
.WED...NW wind up to 15 kt. Seas 5 to 9 ft.

$$

PKZ413-191400-
Bering Sea Offshore 171W to 180 and South of 56N-
330 PM AKDT Fri Aug 18 2023

.TONIGHT...SW wind 20 kt. Seas 5 ft.
.SAT...SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 4 to 7 ft.
.SAT NIGHT...S wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to 10 ft.
.SUN...S wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 6 to 11 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...S wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 5 to 9 ft.
.MON...S wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 8 ft.
.TUE...NE wind up to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 7 ft.
.WED...W wind 15 kt. Seas 5 to 8 ft.

$$

PKZ414-191400-
Bering Sea Offshore East of 171W-
330 PM AKDT Fri Aug 18 2023

.TONIGHT...SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 ft.
.SAT...SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 7 ft.
.SAT NIGHT...SW wind 15 kt. Seas 5 ft.
.SUN...SW wind up to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 6 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...SW wind up to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 8 ft.
.MON...SW wind up to 20 kt. Seas 5 to 10 ft.
.TUE...E wind up to 20 kt. Seas 5 ft.
.WED...S wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 5 to 8 ft.

$$
828 
FZAK62 PAFC 191152
OFFALU

Offshore Waters Forecast
National Weather Service Anchorage AK
352 AM AKDT Sat Aug 19 2023

Offshore Waters Forecast for the Bering Sea

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.

PKZ499-200030-
352 AM AKDT Sat Aug 19 2023
.SYNOPSIS FOR CENTRAL BERING SEA...

A front over the Western Bering will move into the Central Bering
and weaken through Monday. A front to the north of a North Pacific
low will move into the waters south of the Alaska Peninsula on
Mon.

$$

PKZ411-200030-
Bering Sea Offshore West of 180 and East of the International
Dateline-
352 AM AKDT Sat Aug 19 2023

...GALE WARNING TODAY...

.TODAY...S wind 20 to 35 kt. Seas 8 to 13 ft. Rain.
.TONIGHT...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 9 to 14 ft. Rain.
.SUN...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 7 to 12 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...S wind up to 20 kt. Seas 6 to 9 ft.
.MON...S wind up to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 7 ft.
.TUE...W wind up to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.
.WED...NW wind up to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.

$$

PKZ412-200030-
Bering Sea Offshore 171W to 180 and North of 56N-
352 AM AKDT Sat Aug 19 2023

.TODAY...SW wind 20 kt. Seas 6 ft. Rain.
.TONIGHT...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 6 to 11 ft. Rain.
.SUN...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 7 to 12 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 7 to 11 ft.
.MON...S wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 8 ft.
.TUE...SE wind up to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 6 ft.
.WED...NE wind up to 15 kt. Seas 5 to 9 ft.

$$

PKZ413-200030-
Bering Sea Offshore 171W to 180 and South of 56N-
352 AM AKDT Sat Aug 19 2023

.TODAY...SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 5 ft.
.TONIGHT...S wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to 10 ft.
.SUN...S wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to 10 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...S wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 9 ft.
.MON THROUGH TUE...SE wind up to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 7 ft.
.WED...W wind 10 kt. Seas 5 to 8 ft.

$$

PKZ414-200030-
Bering Sea Offshore East of 171W-
352 AM AKDT Sat Aug 19 2023

.TODAY...SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 ft.
.TONIGHT...SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 ft.
.SUN...SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...SW wind up to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 7 ft.
.MON...SW wind up to 15 kt. Seas 3 to 7 ft.
.TUE THROUGH WED...E wind up to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 8 ft.

$$
360 
FZAK62 PAFC 192302
OFFALU

Offshore Waters Forecast
National Weather Service Anchorage AK
302 PM AKDT Sat Aug 19 2023

Offshore Waters Forecast for the Bering Sea

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.

PKZ499-201445-
302 PM AKDT Sat Aug 19 2023
.SYNOPSIS FOR THE BERING SEA...

A 997 mb low at 52N 168E moves into the North Pacific at 1008 mb 
Mon afternoon. Its front moves over the Central Aleutians and Bering
through Mon afternoon. A 1017 mb North Pacific low moves to 52N 158W
at 1016 mb Mon afternoon.

$$

PKZ411-201445-
Bering Sea Offshore West of 180 and East of the International
Dateline-
302 PM AKDT Sat Aug 19 2023

.TONIGHT...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 9 to 14 ft. Rain.
.SUN...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 7 to 12 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...S wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 6 to 9 ft.
.MON...S wind up to 20 kt. Seas 6 ft.
.MON NIGHT...S wind up to 20 kt. Seas 5 ft.
.TUE...W wind up to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 5 ft.
.WED THROUGH THU...NW wind up to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 7 ft.

$$

PKZ412-201445-
Bering Sea Offshore 171W to 180 and North of 56N-
302 PM AKDT Sat Aug 19 2023

.TONIGHT...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 6 to 11 ft. Rain.
.SUN...S wind 15 to 30 kt. Seas 7 to 12 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...SW wind 15 to 25 kt. Seas 8 to 11 ft.
.MON...SW wind 20 kt. Seas 5 to 8 ft.
.MON NIGHT...S wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 5 ft.
.TUE...SE wind up to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 6 ft.
.WED...NE wind up to 15 kt. Seas 5 to 9 ft.
.THU...N wind 15 kt. Seas 7 ft.

$$

PKZ413-201445-
Bering Sea Offshore 171W to 180 and South of 56N-
302 PM AKDT Sat Aug 19 2023

.TONIGHT...S wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to 10 ft.
.SUN...S wind 10 to 25 kt. Seas 5 to 10 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...S wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 to 9 ft.
.MON...S wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 6 ft.
.MON NIGHT...SE wind 15 kt. Seas 4 ft.
.TUE...SE wind up to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 7 ft.
.WED...W wind 10 kt. Seas 5 to 8 ft.
.THU...NW wind up to 15 kt. Seas 6 ft.

$$

PKZ414-201445-
Bering Sea Offshore East of 171W-
302 PM AKDT Sat Aug 19 2023

.TONIGHT...SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 ft.
.SUN...SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 4 ft.
.SUN NIGHT...SW wind 10 to 20 kt. Seas 3 to 7 ft.
.MON...W wind up to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 7 ft.
.MON NIGHT...S wind up to 10 kt. Seas 4 ft.
.TUE THROUGH WED...E wind up to 15 kt. Seas 4 to 8 ft.
.THU...S wind 10 kt. Seas 6 to 9 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 Aug 17, 4:25 PM AKDT, 11 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 17, 4:25 PM AKDT, 11 hours 20 minutes before
Southcentral and Southwest Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Anchorage AK
425 PM AKDT Thu Aug 17 2023

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...

Skies continue to clear over south central as an upper level
ridge builds over the area. Low ceilings and fog continue to burn
off over the Susitna Valley south of Talkeetna as well as the
Copper River Basin with partly cloudy and light winds noted. Low
clouds are slower to burn off north of Talkeetna where skies
remain mostly cloudy. Gusty gap winds in areas such as Whittier,
Seward, and Kodiak City will continue to decease this afternoon
and evening. Low ceilings, gusty winds and scattered rain showers
are noted to the west of the Alaska Range and over southwest
Alaska and extending south and west over Bristol Bay and the
Alaska Peninsula. Further west, satellite imagery depicts a band
of higher clouds moving through the Aleutian Islands as another
low approaches from the North Pacific Ocean.

&&

.MODEL DISCUSSION...

Models are in fairly good agreement with the weekend system moving
into the Gulf of Alaska. NAM is the farthest solution northward
and that would allow for more precipitation and wind for Kodiak
and along the coast. Overall trend in the track is more away from
the coast. Agreement decreases going into next week, mainly with
the strength of a trough dipping south from the arctic and the
following low pressure system Tuesday through Wednesday over the
Aleutians and Bering Sea, whose implications could impact not only
the Aleutians and Alaska Peninsula, but also Southwest Alaska.

&&

.AVIATION...
PANC...VFR conditions and light winds will persist. Slight chance
for fog, but anything that develops is expected to be patchy.

&&

.SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA (Days 1 through 3:
Tonight through Sunday)...

A relatively quiet pattern should continue to unfold through the
upcoming weekend, particularly in the near term as an upper ridge
over Southwest moves overhead by Friday. Offshore flow helping
much of the region stay clear and dry today should weaken as the
pressure gradient along the coast diminishes by Friday morning,
but cloud cover should stay fairly minimal through at least Friday
afternoon. There remains some potential for low stratus to move up
the Cook Inlet somewhere between Friday afternoon and Friday night
with up-inlet flow, but this appears a bit less likely given that
marine stratus has entirely cleared out over the Gulf this
afternoon.

From Friday night into Saturday, a weak low will move into the
Gulf near Kodiak Island and move well south of Middleton Island as
it progresses mainly east. Model agreement for this feature has
improved significantly compared to yesterday. It's likely what
limited rainfall we will see with this system will remain focused
along the coast near Prince William Sound and Kodiak Island, with
most of the interior mainly seeing an increase in cloud cover on
Saturday. Weak upper ridging will try to reestablish itself on
Sunday as the low moves into the southeast corner of the Gulf,
however it will most likely not be nearly as clear and sunny as
what we've seen today with west to southwest flow developing south
of a trough and low pressure system moving from the Bering Strait
into the Interior. Some of the rainfall associated with the trough
moving off to the north may sneak into northern parts of the
outlook area, mainly near the Talkeetnas and far northern Susitna
Valley on Sunday.

&&

.SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHWEST ALASKA/BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS (Days
1 through 3: Tonight through Monday)...

High pressure continues to build over the Bering and Aleutians and
into Southwest, resulting in widespread marine low stratus and
areas of fog. Steady west to southwesterly winds promote light
upslope showers along the western slopes of the Kuskokwim
Mountains and Western Alaska Range. Chances for showers decrease
on Saturday as winds diminish and high pressure continues.

An upper level low and its attendant surface low are located near
the eastern Aleutians this afternoon and will track east into the
western Gulf late Friday into Saturday. The precipitation with
this system is expected to stay confined to the eastern
Aleutians/Alaska Peninsula and surrounding coast marine zones.

Also on Saturday, an upper trough and compact surface low enter
the western Bering and Aleutians from the Kamchatka Peninsula.
This system will produce widespread steady rain and gale force
winds as it tracks east. As the upper trough breaks off a
separate low that tracks into the North Pacific, the front looks
to weaken quicker than previously advertised with sustained winds
dropping below gale force late Saturday night over the western
Bering/Aleutians. Rain with the front dives south into the North
Pacific on Sunday morning, following the track of the upper low.
The main aforementioned trough continues tracking east into
Southwest Alaska, and it is expected to bring steady rain to the
Kuskokwim Delta and Lower Kuskokwim Valley for Sunday and Monday.

Yet another upper low and attendant surface low are advertised to
track from the North Pacific to the eastern Aleutians on Sunday
and then into the western Gulf on Monday.

&&

.LONG TERM FORECAST (Days 4 through 7: Monday through Thursday)...

Uncertainty remains through the first half of the forecast
period, but looks to tighten up towards the end. A well developed
upper level Arctic low stays to the Northwest to North of Alaska,
with a trough extending through the Bering into the Pacific all
the way to Thursday. The remnants of the tropical system Lan
approaches the Alaska Peninsula Coast and slips to the East of
Kodiak Island, dissipating Tuesday. This will bring rain,
occasionally heavy from Kodiak into Southcentral Alaska during the
first half of the forecast period. A moderately strong Sea of
Okhotsk low drives South of the Western Aleutians before the
Bering trough redirects it into Western Alaska by Thursday.
Periods of heavy rain and gusty winds are expected across the
Eastern half of the Aleutians and Bering Tuesday through Thursday.

&&

SYNOPSIS AND MODEL DISCUSSION...ccc/rux
SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA...as
SOUTHWEST ALASKA/BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS...af
LONG TERM...mk

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 18, 3:45 AM AKDTSmall Craft AdvisoryAFC3 days

Nearby

Gale Warnings in Alaska, 2023Every gale warning in 2023

Sources

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