Blizzard and High Wind in Alaska, April 7, 2006

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
200 PM ADT THU APR 6 2006

.DISCUSSION...
UPPER LEVELS...LOW IN THE NORTHERN GULF ASSOCIATED WITH A TROUGH
SWINGING THROUGH THE MAINLAND. LOW TO PUSH OFF TO THE EAST AS A RIDGE
RIDES INTO SOUTHWEST ALASKA THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO SOUTH CENTRAL
ALASKA TONIGHT. LOW SOUTH OF THE KAMCHATKA PENINSULA WITH A COUPLE
STRONG SHORT WAVE TROUGHS MOVING OUT OF IT CURRENTLY. THE FIRST ONE
IS WEAKENING OVER THE EASTERN BERING TODAY WITH ANOTHER APPROACHING
SHEMYA. THIS ONE TO BECOME DOMINANT LOW TONIGHT OVER THE BERING SEA
AND REMAIN SO INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. RIDGE TO REMAIN OVER SOUTH
CENTRAL THROUGH FRIDAY. THIS IS WHEN A SHORT WAVE ROTATING AROUND THE
LOW IN THE BERING SEA PUSHES A FRONT ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL ALASKA
KNOCKING DOWN THE RIDGE. THE UPPER LEVEL LOW RE-CENTERS IN THE
WESTERN BERING SEA SATURDAY NIGHT AS A COUPLE SHORT WAVE TROUGHS MOVE
THROUGH THE ALEUTIAN CHAIN INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA THROUGH EARLY NEXT
WEEK. DURING THIS TIME THE UPPER LEVEL CENTER SLOWLY DRIFTS TO THE
BERING STRAIT.

SURFACE WEST OF THE ALASKA RANGE...WEAKENING FRONT OVER THE CENTRAL
BERING SEA TO DISSIPATE BEFORE REACHING THE WEST COAST OF ALASKA.
STRONG LOW DEVELOPING SOUTH OF SHEMYA TODAY TO BRING A ROUND OF VERY
STRONG WINDS TO THE WESTERN ALEUTIAN CHAIN TONIGHT AND TOMORROW.
HEAVY PRECIPITATION EXPECTED AS WELL. THE LOW TO TRACK INTO THE
WESTERN BERING SEA FRIDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE FRONT ENCROACHING ON THE
WEST COAST OF ALASKA. GALE FORCE WINDS AND PRECIPITATION TO BE
PREVALENT OVER THE BERING SEA WITH THE LOW FRIDAY. WINDS WILL BE LESS
ALONG THE COAST BUT SOME BLUSTERY CONDITIONS WILL BE PRESENT WITH
POSSIBLE BLOWING SNOW ADVISORIES. LOW TO WEAKEN OVER THE BERING SEA
SATURDAY AS THE FRONT RACES AHEAD ACROSS THE MAINLAND. A SECONDARY
LOW TO WORK AROUND THE FIRST LOW SUNDAY FROM THE WESTERN ALEUTIANS TO
THE FIRST LOW. THIS WILL BRING MORE PRECIPITATION TO THE WEST COAST
MONDAY. A LOW WORKING OUT OF THE PACIFIC MONDAY TO MOVE INTO THE
CENTRAL ALEUTIAN CHAIN TUESDAY PUSHING THE FORMER LOW TO THE NORTH.

SURFACE EAST OF THE ALASKA RANGE...WEAK LOW OVER THE NORTHERN GULF OF
ALASKA WITH PRECIPITATION WRAPPING BACK INTO THE EASTERN KENAI
PENINSULA EASTWARD AND NORTH TO THE COPPER RIVER BASIN. THIS LOW TO
BE PUSHED OUT OF THE AREA TONIGHT AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE MOVES
IN TONIGHT. CLOUDINESS TO LESSEN THIS EVENING WITH FOG DEVELOPING IN
MANY AREAS TONIGHT WHERE SNOWFALL HAD OCCURRED. AFTER THE FOG BURNS
OFF TOMORROW MORNING...LITTLE OUTSIDE OF HIGH CLOUDS IS EXPECTED OVER
THE AREA. A FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE WESTERN GULF FRIDAY NIGHT AND
WORK INTO SOUTH CENTRAL BY SATURDAY MORNING BREAKING THE HIGH
PRESSURE. WEAK LOW PRESSURE TO REMAIN OVER THE AREA THEN SATURDAY
EVENING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS WILL RESULT IN UNSETTLED WEATHER.
PLENTY OF SHOWER ACTIVITY BUT MOST LIKELY NOTHING SIGNIFICANT.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...HIGH WIND WARNING ZONES 187 AND 191
         ASHFALL ADVISORY ZONES 171 AND 181 NEAR MT VENIAMINOF
MARINE...HURRICANE 175
         STORM 172
         GALE 130 170 176 179 180 185
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY 185
FIRE WEATHER...NONE

JN APR 06