High Wind in Alaska, December 6 to 7, 2005

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
256 PM AST TUE DEC 6 2005

.DISCUSSION...

ALOFT...A 505 DM LOW OVER THE WESTERN ALEUTIAN ISLANDS COMBINED
WITH A BUILDING RIDGE OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST HAS ALLOWED
SOUTHERLY FLOW TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA SOUTH OF THE
BROOKS RANGE. SOUTH WINDS TO 45 KTS AT 700 MB HAVE MIXED DOWN TO
THE SURFACE IN THE ALASKA RANGE ZONES THIS AFTERNOON. GUSTS TO 40
KTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT DELTA AND 30 KTS AT HEALY. TEMPERATURES
HAVE REACHED THE 40 DEGREE MARK AT HEALY AND DENALI PARK.

FORECAST MODELS ARE IN GENERAL AGREEMENT IN BUILDING THE RIDGE TO
THE NORTH ALONG THE ALASKA-CANADA BORDER THROUGH THE NEXT 60
HOURS. THIS WILL SLOW THE PROGRESS OF THE UPPER LOW OVER THE
ALEUTIANS AND ALLOW A 514 DM LOW NEAR WRANGEL ISLAND TO DROP SOUTH
INTO AN AMPLIFIED TROUGH OVER THE BERING SEA.

AS THE RIDGE BUILDS NORTH OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS...SOUTHERLY FLOW
WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE INTERIOR OF ALASKA.

SURFACE...A 964 MB LOW IN THE CENTRAL ALEUTIANS WILL BE FORCED
NORTHWARD BY THE BUILDING RIDGE ALOFT. THIS WILL FORCE
PRECIPITATION TO REMAIN MAINLY WEST OF THE ALASKA RANGE NORTH TO
THE WESTERN ARCTIC COAST THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. SNOW WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY OVER THE SOUTH SLOPES AND PASSES OF THE
ALASKA RANGE AND ACROSS THE WESTERN INTERIOR FROM TANANA WEST. BY
THE WEEKEND...A LOW WILL MOVE RAPIDLY FROM THE CENTRAL PACIFIC
INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA. THIS MAY SPREAD SNOW BACK TO THE ALASKA
RANGE AND SOUTHEAST ZONES. WINDS TO 40 KTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
THE ALASKA RANGE ZONES TONIGHT THEN INCREASE THROUGH THE PASSES ON
WEDNESDAY. A WIND ADVISORY FOR ZONES 225 AND 226 WILL UPGRADE TO
HIGH WIND WARNINGS WEDNESDAY MORNING AS GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE EXPECTED.

SNOW HAS MOVED INTO NOME AND KOTZEBUE THIS AFTERNOON. AS THE
SURFACE LOW SLOWLY MOVES NORTH ALONG THE BACK SIDE OF THE BUILDING
RIDGE...SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY. AMOUNTS WILL BE IN
THE 1 TO 4 INCH RANGE INTO THURSDAY. WINDS HAVE REMAINED IN THE 45
TO 52 KT RANGE OVER SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND WITH A HIGH WIND
WARNING ISSUED THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING.

SOUTH WINDS WILL BRING UPSLOPE SNOW TO THE BROOKS RANGE WITH 1 TO
3 INCHES LIKELY IN NORTHERN ZONE 220 AND 218. LIGHTER SNOW AMOUNTS
WILL OCCUR IN ZONES 219 AND 217. THE ARCTIC COAST WILL REMAIN IN
THE EAST FLOW AS HIGH PRESSURE SPRAWLS TO THE NORTH AND LOW
PRESSURE MOVES NORTH INTO THE BERING SEA. WINDS WILL REMAIN IN
THE 10 TO 20 KT RANGE WITH STRATUS AND FLURRIES.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
HIGH WIND WATCH FOR AKZ225-AKZ226.

WIND ADVISORY FOR AKZ225-AKZ226.

SNOW ADVISORY FOR AKZ216-AKZ217-AKZ219.

HIGH WIND WARNING FOR AKZ213.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230-PKZ235-PKZ240-
PKZ245.
&&

AT DEC 05