Heavy Snow in Alaska, January 4, 2012

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
1236 PM AKST TUE JAN 3 2012

.DISCUSSION...
MODELS IN DECENT AGREEMENT THROUGH ROUGHLY 48 HOURS ALTHOUGH
DIFFERENCES DO EXIST WITH POSITION AND MOVEMENT OF UPPER LEVEL LOW
ON THE WEST COAST.

SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL DEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN INTERIOR ON THU AND
CONTINUE THROUGH THU NIGHT BUT COLDER AIR WILL PUSH BACK IN ON
FRI TO THE EASTERN INTERIOR. THE SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL ONLY HAVE
REAL EFFECT ON HIGHER TERRAIN BUT ONLY A NOMINAL EFFECT AT THE VALLEY
LEVEL IN TERMS OF A TEMPERATURE RISE.

VERY LIKELY THAT THU NIGHT AND FRI WILL SEE WIND GREATLY INCREASE
THROUGH THE ALASKA RANGE PASSES. WINDS WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY COME
UP TO ADVISORY LEVEL AND MAY BE SUCH THAT A WARNING MIGHT BE
NECESSARY IN ZONE 225 FOR HIGH WINDS. SINCE THE TEMPERATURES WILL
STILL BE RELATIVELY COLD...EXPECT MANY AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW WITH
WHITEOUT CONDITIONS POSSIBLE ALONG THE PARKS HIGHWAY NEAR THE
ALASKA RANGE THU THROUGH EARLY FRI.

COLDEST AIR WILL REMAIN FIRMLY LOCKED INTO PLACE OVER WEST COAST
WITH LITTLE NO RELIEF IN STORE THROUGH MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. IF
ANYTHING...IT APPEARS THAT EVEN COLDER AIR WILL MOVE INTO
NORTHERN ALASKA BY EARLY THIS WEEKEND AND CONTINUE THROUGH NEXT
WEEK AS WELL.

SEVERAL WASHED OUT OCCLUDED FRONTS WILL MOVE NORTH OVER THE
EASTERN INTERIOR AND PROVIDE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR OVERRUNNING
SNOWFALL THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK WITH THE MAJORITY OF IT
IN THE EASTERN THIRD OF NORTHERN ALASKA.

WINDS IN THE EASTERN ARCTIC MAY INCREASE TO PROVIDE ENOUGH WIND TO
REDUCE VISIBILITY TO NEAR ZERO IN THE BARTER ISLAND AREA ON WED AS
A SPIN OFF LOW DEVELOPS NORTH OF THE ALASKA RANGE AND THEN MOVES
NORTH TO ARCTIC VILLAGE BY WED.

WIND CHILLS OVER ZONE 213 MAY CONTINUE THROUGH THU WITH NORTHERLY
FLOW CONTINUING AND COLD AIR FIRMLY LOCKED ITO PLACE.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WIND CHILL ADVISORY FOR AKZ213.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ245.
&&

CF JAN 12