Blizzard in Alaska, April 4 to 5, 2009

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA
400 AM AKDT SAT APR 4 2009

.ANALYSIS AND UPPER LEVELS...
A 996 MB LOW IS EVIDENT ON SATELLITE IMAGERY OVER THE NORTHERN GULF
OF ALASKA. A ROBUST 979 MB NORTH PACIFIC LOW IS CURRENTLY WELL
SOUTHWEST OF SHEMYA. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS DEEP MOISTURE
TRANSPORT FROM THE SUBTROPICS AHEAD OF THIS SYSTEM. A FRONT
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW IS MOVING ACROSS THE CENTRAL BERING SEA AND
ALEUTIANS. IN THE UPPER LEVELS...A DEEP TROUGH IS CENTERED OVER THE
MAINLAND AND GULF OF ALASKA. ANOTHER TROUGH IS DEEPENING OVER THE
WESTERN ALEUTIANS AND BERING SEA. TRANSITORY RIDGING OVER THE EASTERN
BERING AND ALEUTIANS IS LOCATED BETWEEN THESE TROUGHS.

.MODEL DISCUSSION...
MODEL CONSENSUS IS GOOD THROUGH MONDAY. DIFFERENCES BEGIN TO INCREASE
BETWEEN MODEL SOLUTIONS AFTER THIS TIME. OVERALL HANDLING OF THE
NORTH PACIFIC LOW MOVING INTO THE BERING SEEMS TO BE GOOD
THOUGH...AND IS THE MAIN FORECAST CHALLENGE THROUGH THE NEXT SEVERAL
DAYS. THE GFS CONTINUES TO BE THE MODEL OF CHOICE DUE TO GOOD
INITIALIZATION AND CONSISTENCY.

.SHORT TERM FORECAST...
.SOUTHCENTRAL...
AS THE GULF LOW MOVES NORTHEAST AND DISSIPATES THROUGH THE
WEEKEND...PROGRESSIVE HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE ACROSS SOUTHCENTRAL.
PESKY SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE SLOW TO CLEAR OUT OF PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND
AND THE COPPER RIVER BASIN TODAY. SUNDAY WILL BRING DRY CONDITIONS
OVER ALMOST ALL OF SOUTHCENTRAL...WITH MOISTURE PUSHING BACK INTO THE
AREA ON MONDAY.

.SOUTHWEST...
MAINLY QUIET CONDITIONS OVER THE WEEKEND AS HIGH PRESSURE MOVES EAST
OF THE AREA. THE AKPEN WILL SEE INCREASED MOISTURE TONIGHT INTO
SUNDAY AS THE FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE NORTH PACIFIC LOW MOVES EAST.
EXPECT A RAIN SNOW MIX DUE TO STRONG WARM ADVECTION AHEAD OF THE
FRONT. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE MOVING INTO WESTERN PORTIONS OF
THE KUSKOKWIM DELTA AND BRISTOL BAY LATE SUNDAY AS THE FRONT MOVES
INTO THAT AREA AS WELL.

.BERING SEA AND ALEUTIANS...
PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED FRONT WILL BE MOVING
ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN ALEUTIANS TODAY INTO TONIGHT. WARM AIR
WILL MEAN MOST LOCATIONS WILL SEE PLAIN RAIN. THE PRIBILOFS WILL
START AS SNOW TONIGHT BEFORE TRANSITIONING TO A RAIN SNOW MIX
TOMORROW. AS THE LOW MOVES INTO THE BERING LATE TODAY...RAIN AND SNOW
SHOWERS WILL PERSIST ACROSS THE AREA INTO THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK.

.LONG TERM FORECAST...
THE UPPER TROUGH WILL BE ESTABLISHING ITSELF OVER THE BERING SEA
THROUGH NEXT WEEK...WITH VARIOUS SURFACE LOWS MOVING FROM THE NORTH
PACIFIC ALONG THE ALEUTIANS. ALBEIT LESS PROGRESSIVE THAN
RECENTLY...CONDITIONS WILL STILL REMAIN ACTIVE ACROSS SOUTHWEST AND
SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.

.AER/ALU...WATCH/WARNING SUMMARY
PUBLIC...NONE
MARINE...GALE...120 130 132 150 155 170 172 185
         HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY...121 129 165
FIRE WEATHER...NONE

NRH APR 09