High Wind in Alaska, December 29 to 30, 2004

SOUTHEAST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
1120 AM AST TUE DEC 28 2004

.SHORT RANGE...980 MB LOW ABOUT 200 NM WSW OF SITKA IS THE PARENT
FEATURE THAT EVERYTHING IN THIS SHORT RANGE SECTION CAN BE KEYED
TO.  THIS LOW IS DRIFTING TOWARD SE AND BY 12Z REACHING 250 NM
WSW OF KETCHIKAN AS A FILLING 990 MB LOW.  ETA 12Z RUN USED...AND

ESPECIALLY HELPFUL FOR OROGRAPHY AS THE LOW TRACK HAS THE
PANHANDLE SWITCHING FROM SE WINDS TO NE WINDS IN A N TO S
SEQUENCE.  OUTFLOW DRYING HAS ALREADY ENDED THE SNOWFALL IN
HAINES...SKAGWAY SHOULD ALSO GET NO MORE SNOW BUT WILL BE HARD
TO CONFIRM BECAUSE OF BLIZZARD WARNING CONDITIONS AT HIGHER
LEVELS BLOWING SNOW REACHING LOWER LEVELS. PLEASE NOTE AMD TO
ZONES AS WELL AS WIND WARNINGS.

ARCTIC OUTBREAK HAS 1048 MB LOW NEAR FORT YUKON AND IS REASON
FOR WIND ADVISORIES AND HIGH WIND WARNINGS LISTED BELOW. NOTE
A MOUNTAIN WAVE EVENT OR TAKU WIND IS LIKELY TO OCCUR BEGINNING
ABOUT WED MORNING.

.LONG RANGE...ARCTIC OUTBREAK AND STRONG NORTHEASTERLY PRESSURE
GRADIENT CONTINUES INTO THE WEEKEND FOR THE PANHANDLE.  STORM
FORCE WINDS AND HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WILL OCCUR DURING THAT TIME
IN LOCATIONS FAVORED FOR NORTHEAST OUTFLOW WINDS...SUCH AS THE
ENTRANCE REGIONS TO THE..TAKU INLET...STIKINE RIVER...BEHM
CANAL...AND PORTLAND INLET.  LYNN CANAL WILL ALSO EXPERIENCE
NORTHERLY STROM FORCE WINDS AND HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY.  DOWNTOWN
JUNEAU AND DOUGLAS WILL LIKELY EXPERIENCE ONE OF THE STRONGER
TAKU WIND EVENTS IN RECENT YEARS WITH HURRICANE FORCE WIND GUSTS
IN EXCESS OF 70 MPH LIKELY.  TAKU WINDS WILL ALSO HAVE POTENTIAL
TO CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.  DANGEROUS WIND CHILL
TEMPERATURES SHOULD ALSO BE EXPECTED IN THESE VERY WINDY
LOCATIONS.  CLEAR SKIES...COLD TEMPERATURES AND BLUSTERY
CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR ELSEWHERE IN THE PANHANDLE THE NEXT SEVERAL
DAYS.

LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY THE OFFSHORE PRESSURE GRADIENT FINALLY
BEGINS TO RELAX AND WINDS WILL DROP OFF SIGNIFICANTLY.  CLEAR AND
COLD CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.  OUR NEXT
STORM SYSTEM IS NOT PROJECTED TO MOVE IN FROM THE NORTHERN GULF
UNTIL LATE WEDNESDAY NEXT WEEK.

.AJK...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
PUBLIC...HIGH WIND WARNING AKZ017 TONIGHT AND WED...
      ...HIGH WIND WATCH FOR AKZ025 FOR WED AND WED NIGHT...
      ...BLIZZARD WARNING AKZ018 KLONDIKE HIGHWAY ABOVE 2500 FT
         TUE AFTERNOON TO WED
      ...WIND ADVISORIES AKZ017>26 EITHER TODAY/TONIGHT/AND OR
      ...PLEASE NOTE WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ025 IS FOLLOWED BY THE
         HIGH WIND WATCH...
      ...SNOW ADVISORY ZONE 029 THROUGH THIS EVENING.
      ...NOTE CANCELLATION OF HEAVY SNOW WARNING AKZ019...

MARINE...STORM 013-031
      ...GALE PKZ011>032-042>052
      ...SCA PKZ033>41
      ...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 012-013-031

JT/CM