Blizzard in Alaska, February 25, 2015

NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
116 PM AKST WED FEB 25 2015

.SYNOPSIS...
ALOFT...A VERY STRONG LONG WAVE RIDGE OVER THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC
AND ALASKA WILL BUILD THROUGH FRI AND THEN PERSIST INTO EARLY NEXT
WEEK. A DEEP LONG WAVE TROUGH OVER THE NORTHWEST PACIFIC WILL
PERSIST INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. THIS IS CAUSING MOIST SW FLOW ACROSS
THE BERING SEA INTO NORTHERN AND WESTERN ALASKA NOW WHICH WILL
SPREAD EAST ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF NORTHERN ALASKA OVER THE
WEEKEND AS A STRONG SHORT WAVE PUSHES THROUGH THE RIDGE.

THIS PATTERN WILL KEEP NORTHERN ALASKA MUCH WARMER THAN NORMAL
THROUGH SAT. CONDITIONS WILL BE MUCH WETTER THAN NORMAL IN WESTERN
ALASKA AND FROM THE BROOKS RANGE NORTH THROUGH THE WEEKEND...AND
THEN BECOME WETTER OVER THE EASTERN INTERIOR SAT INTO SUN.

850 MB TEMPERATURES RANGE FROM -10C TO -15C. TEMPERATURES OVER THE
SOUTHERN INTERIOR AND WEST COAST RISE TO -4C THU...AND TO 0C OVER
THE ALASKA RANGE FRI.

SURFACE...
A 998 MB LOW 300 NM NORTH OF BARROW WILL MOVE NORTHEAST AND
WEAKEN. A COLD FRONT STRETCHING FROM THIS LOW TO BARROW THE GULF
OF ANADYR WILL REMAIN QUASI-STATIONARY THROUGH THU THEN MOVE TO
LIE OVER THE BROOKS RANGE TO THE BERING STRAIT FRI. WILL
SEE 6-12 INCHES OF SNOW WITH THE FRONT MANY AREAS ALONG WEST
COAST...WITH UP TO 2 FT IN UPSLOPE AREAS OF THE WESTERN BROOKS
RANGE AND SEWARD PENINSULA. EXPECT 2-4 INCHES SNOW THRU FRI NORTH
OF THE BROOKS RANGE.

A 1002 MB LOW ALONG THIS FRONT IN THE GULF OF ANADYR WILL MOVE TO
150 NM NW OF BARROW BY 3AM THU...AND TO 300 NM NORTH OF BARTER
ISLAND BY 3PM THU THEN CONTINUE NE. A 992 MB LOW IN THE WESTERN
BERING SEA WILL MOVE TO NEAR ANADYR AS A 1002 MB LOW BY 3AM
THU...TO NEAR CAPE LISBURNE AS A 1008 MB LOW BY 3PM THU...TO 80 NM
NORTH OF DEADHORSE AS A 1010 MB LOW BY 3AM FRI...AND TO MACKENZIE
BAY LATE FRI. WILL SEE SOUTH WINDS 30G40KT WITH LOW VSBY IN
BLOWING SNOW WILL OCCUR IN THE SE QUADRANT OF THE FIRST AND SECOND
LOWS. WILL HAVE A CHANCE OF RAIN MIXED IN WITH THE SNOW IN THE SE
QUADRANT OF THESE LOWS SOUTH OF THE BROOKS RANGE AS WELL.

A THIRD LOW WILL DEVELOP IN THE CENTRAL BERING SEA THU NIGHT WILL
MOVE TO 150 NM SOUTHWEST OF GAMBELL AS A 1003 MB LOW BY 4PM
FRI...AND TO WAINWRIGHT AS A 996 MB LOW BY 3PM SAT. THIS WILL
BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF HEAVY SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW TO THE WEST
COAST OF ALASKA FRI NIGHT...AND THEN SPREADING EAST ACROSS THE
INTERIOR AND ARCTIC COAST OF ALASKA SAT. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL
FOR VERY STRONG NW WINDS AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ON THE WEST SIDE
OF THIS THIRD LOW BUT IT IS STILL TOO FAR OUT IN TIME TO HAVE ANY
CONFIDENCE ON THIS HAPPENING.

HIGH PRESSURE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN INTERIOR OF ALASKA WILL PERSIST
THROUGH FRI. THESE WILL KEEP CONDITIONS GENERALLY CLEAR IN THE
SOUTHERN INTERIOR WITH PATCHY MORNING FOG.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR AKZ207-AKZ208-AKZ209-AKZ210-AKZ211-
AKZ213-AKZ217.

BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ201-AKZ205.

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ202-AKZ203-AKZ204-AKZ206.

GALE WARNING FOR PKZ210-PKZ215-PKZ220-PKZ225-PKZ230.

BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ200-PKZ235-PKZ240-PKZ245.
&&

JB FEB 15