Gale Warning 39, NWS Fairbanks, AK

111 
FZAK52 PAFG 042357
CWFWCZ

Coastal Waters Forecast for Northwest Alaska
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
257 PM AKST Sat Mar 4 2023

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.

PKZ299-051530-
257 PM AKST Sat Mar 4 2023

.SYNOPSIS FOR NORTHWEST COAST...
A 981 mb low 300 nm of the Rat Islands will move through the
Bering Sea tonight to 240 nm west of St Lawrence Island Sunday
morning. This low will drift north to near Wrangel Island as a 995
mb low Sunday evening.

$$

PKZ200-051530-
Norton Sound-
257 PM AKST Sat Mar 4 2023

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

.TONIGHT...SE winds 35 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.SUN...SE winds 40 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.SUN NIGHT...SE winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or
less. 
.MON...SE winds 25 kt. 
.MON NIGHT...E winds 20 kt. 
.TUE...E winds 20 kt. 
.TUE NIGHT...SE winds 15 kt. 
.WED...SE winds 10 kt. 
.THU...N winds 15 kt.  

$$

PKZ201-051530-
Etolin Strait to Dall Point-
257 PM AKST Sat Mar 4 2023

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON...

.TONIGHT...SE winds 45 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less.
.SUN...S winds 40 kt. Snow.
.SUN NIGHT...SE winds 30 kt. Snow.
.MON...SE winds 30 kt. Snow.
.MON NIGHT...SE winds 30 kt. 
.TUE...SE winds 30 kt. 
.TUE NIGHT...SE winds 15 kt. 
.WED...N winds 15 kt. 
.THU...N winds 15 kt.  

$$

PKZ210-051530-
Dall Point to Wales-
257 PM AKST Sat Mar 4 2023

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY
AFTERNOON...

.TONIGHT...SE winds 45 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less.
.SUN...S winds 45 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.SUN NIGHT...S winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or
less. 
.MON...SE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.MON NIGHT...SE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or
less. 
.TUE...SE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.TUE NIGHT...SE winds 20 kt. 
.WED...SW winds 10 kt. 
.THU...N winds 15 kt.  

$$

PKZ215-051530-
Kotzebue Sound-
257 PM AKST Sat Mar 4 2023

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON...

.TONIGHT...E winds 40 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.SUN...E winds 40 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.SUN NIGHT...SE winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.MON...SE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.MON NIGHT...E winds 20 kt. 
.TUE...E winds 20 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.TUE NIGHT...E winds 20 kt. 
.WED...SE winds 15 kt. 
.THU...E winds 10 kt.  

$$

PKZ220-051530-
Wales to Cape Thompson-
257 PM AKST Sat Mar 4 2023

...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT SUNDAY MORNING...

.TONIGHT...SE winds 45 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less.
.SUN...SE winds 50 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.SUN NIGHT...SE winds 35 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or
less. 
.MON...SE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.MON NIGHT...SE winds 20 kt. Snow.
.TUE...SE winds 20 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.TUE NIGHT...SE winds 20 kt. 
.WED...SE winds 15 kt. 
.THU...E winds 10 kt.  

$$

Mar 23

957 
FZAK52 PAFG 051259
CWFWCZ

Coastal Waters Forecast for Northwest Alaska
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
359 AM AKST Sun Mar 5 2023

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.

PKZ299-060315-
359 AM AKST Sun Mar 5 2023

.SYNOPSIS FOR NORTHWEST COAST...
A 981 mb low 300 nm of the Rat Islands will move through the
Bering Sea tonight to 240 nm west of St Lawrence Island Sunday
morning. This low will drift north to near Wrangel Island as a 995
mb low Sunday evening.

$$

PKZ200-060315-
Norton Sound-
359 AM AKST Sun Mar 5 2023

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...

.TODAY...SE winds 40 kt. Snow and freezing rain. 
.TONIGHT...SE winds 30 kt. Snow and freezing rain. 
.MON...SE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.MON NIGHT...SE winds 25 kt. 
.TUE...SE winds 25 kt. 
.TUE NIGHT...SE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.WED...SW winds 15 kt. 
.THU...SE winds 10 kt.  

$$

PKZ201-060315-
Etolin Strait to Dall Point-
359 AM AKST Sun Mar 5 2023

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...

.TODAY...S winds 40 kt. Freezing rain and snow. 
.TONIGHT...SE winds 30 kt. Freezing rain and snow. 
.MON...SE winds 30 kt. Snow with freezing rain. 
.MON NIGHT...SE winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or
less. 
.TUE...SE winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.TUE NIGHT...W winds 20 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.WED...SW winds 10 kt. 
.THU...N winds 10 kt.  

$$

PKZ210-060315-
Dall Point to Wales-
359 AM AKST Sun Mar 5 2023

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE THIS AFTERNOON...

.TODAY...S winds 45 kt. Snow and freezing rain. 
.TONIGHT...S winds 30 kt. Snow and freezing rain. 
.MON...SE winds 30 kt. Snow and freezing rain. 
.MON NIGHT...S winds 25 kt. Snow and freezing rain. 
.TUE...SE winds 25 kt. Snow with freezing rain. 
.TUE NIGHT...W winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.WED...SW winds 20 kt. 
.THU...S winds 15 kt.  

$$

PKZ215-060315-
Kotzebue Sound-
359 AM AKST Sun Mar 5 2023

...GALE WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH EARLY THIS AFTERNOON...

.TODAY...E winds 40 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.TONIGHT...E winds 30 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.MON...E winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.MON NIGHT...SE winds 25 kt. 
.TUE...E winds 20 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.TUE NIGHT...SE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.WED...SW winds 20 kt. 
.THU...S winds 10 kt.  

$$

PKZ220-060315-
Wales to Cape Thompson-
359 AM AKST Sun Mar 5 2023

...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS MORNING...

.TODAY...SE winds 50 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.TONIGHT...SE winds 35 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less.
.MON...SE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.MON NIGHT...SE winds 25 kt. Snow with freezing rain. 
.TUE...SE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.TUE NIGHT...SE winds 25 kt. Blowing snow. Vsby 1 NM or less. 
.WED...SW winds 20 kt. 
.THU...S winds 10 kt.  

$$

Mar 23

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
305 PM AKST Fri Mar 3 2023

.SYNOPSIS...
A mix of clouds and clearing through the Interior this afternoon.
Clear and cold conditions expected through much of northern
Alaska tonight as Arctic air filters in from the North Slope.
Along the West Coast, focus will be on several waves of storms
beginning tonight. The first storm will spread snow and strong
winds from the Yukon Delta north through the Bering Strait
Saturday. Another strong storm will arrive from the south Saturday
into Sunday, further deteriorating conditions along the coast
with wind, snow and a mix of precipitation through at least the
Yukon Delta. The North Slope and Interior should remain dry.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
At the surface a 1025mb high is centered over the Beaufort Sea. This
will extend southward over the Interior into the weekend. At the
same time a 987mb low is moving through the central Bering Sea this
evening, approaching St. Lawrence Island Saturday. Between the
Interior surface high and low pressure over the Bering Sea the
surface pressure gradient will tighten through the north Bering Sea.
This will increase moist southerly flow through the Aleutians and
along the West Coast.

Aloft, broad high pressure over the Interior will get a boost from
the ridge building through the Alaskan Peninsula and into the
Interior this weekend. The highly amplified trough-ridge pattern
from the Bering Sea through the Interior will only deepen further
through the weekend. The deep-column southerly moisture stream will
further feed the active weather along the West Coast.

North Slope and Brooks Range...
A cold arctic airmass situated over the North Slope will keep
conditions dry and relatively calm through the night. Winds will
begin to increase from fro west to east Saturday morning through
the day. Strong downsloping southerly flow across the western
Brooks Range will warm temperatures along the Arctic Coast near
Point Lay. As the south winds increase and the temperatures creep
up from west to east along the North Slope, there will likely be
dangerously cold wind chills for a window of time before
temperatures really increase into Sunday. Wind Chill Advisories or
Warnings may be necessary early Saturday through early Sunday.

West Coast and Western Interior...
Very active weather will begin tonight along the West Coast of
Alaska as a storm arrives out of the Bering Sea. This storm will
bring heavy snow, wind and warming temperatures beginning in the
Yukon Delta and St. Lawrence Island tonight spreading northward
overnight into Saturday morning. Strong southerly winds will favor
south-facing coastlines to receive the bulk of the heavy
precipitation and even some coastal icing impacts. Locations in
and around Nome, Wales, Kivalina, and Point Hope will see the
worst of the impacts with blizzard conditions, drifting snow and
potential coastal sea ice shoves early Saturday through Sunday
night. Blizzard Warnings have been expanded to include these
locations. Further south along the lower Yukon Delta temperatures
will warm enough to lead to a switchover from snow to rain which
would lead to icing and compound impacts in locations in and
around Hooper Bay and Chevak. There is potential that the
rain/snow line could advance north to Unalakleet and even into the
southern Seward Peninsula. Confidence in this icing potential is
low.

Central and Eastern Interior...
Lingering stratus and light flurries will continue across the
Eastern Interior north of the Alaska Range. Elsewhere, seeing some
clearing through the Central Interior where temperatures could
really drop tonight and again on Saturday night. Despite the
storminess expected along the West Coast, the Interior should
largely remain dry with a warming trend as southerly flow filters
in warmer temperatures toward the latter part of the weekend. By
Monday, high temperatures will range from the mid 30s in around
the Alaska Range to mid 20s in the Tanana Valley and single digits
above through the Yukon Flats.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...A series of storms moving
north over Bering Sea this weekend could cause water to move up
on top of the ice along the West Coast of Alaska this weekend and
early next week.

Extended Forecast for Days 4 to 7... Further amplification of the
upper level pattern will keep the West Coast warmer than average.
Rounds of moisture streaming northward through the mean flow will
fuel precipitation on and off until the ridge can become dislodged
later next week. Confidence on when that occurs is quite low with
model guidance diverging significantly.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Blizzard Warning for AKZ211-213.
     Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ212.
     Winter Storm Warning for AKZ214.
     Blizzard Warning for AKZ207-209.
     Winter Storm Warning for AKZ210.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ200.
     Gale Warning for PKZ201.
     Gale Warning for PKZ210.
     Gale Warning for PKZ215-225.
     Gale Warning for PKZ220.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ230.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ235.
&&