Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
421 FXAK68 PAFC 081446 AFDAFC Southcentral and Southwest Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Anchorage AK 546 AM AKST Fri Nov 8 2024 .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA (Days 1 through 3: Today through Sunday)... An area of low pressure continues to weaken right off the eastern coast of Kodiak Island with latest surface analysis showing the pressure has fallen to about 980mb, down nearly 20mb from this time yesterday. Heavy precipitation persists in the northern Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound, with general onshore flow pushing the precipitation into the Kenai Peninsula and areas adjacent to the Sound. Webcams along the Seward Highway show snow falling as far west as Summit Lake. High resolution ensemble forecast (HREF) mean shows an additional 0.2 to 0.4" of liquid equivalent falling in those areas today which would result in about 2 to 4 inches of snowfall, but near-surface temperatures hovering at or just above freezing are likely to limit overall snow accumulation today. Elsewhere and otherwise, a ridge axis nosing into southcentral AK across the Copper River Basin to the Susitna Valley will help maintain a decently strong, though weakening, pressure gradient. Winds across the Mat-Su Valley are notably weaker than this time yesterday, but the gradient should remain strong enough to maintain breezy conditions downvalley and downinlet today. Otherwise, dry conditions will prevail with a chance of the sun peeking through The Gulf low dissipates entirely on Saturday with the approach of the next system. Quiet weather is in store for much of southcentral Alaska this week as the next low remains far enough south such that any additional precipitation after Saturday should be confined to the waters, as well as Kodiak Island. This low will bring gale-force easterlies across much of the Gulf of Alaska and about an inch or more of precipitation to Kodiak Island late Saturday through Sunday. -Brown && .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHWEST ALASKA/BERING SEA/ALEUTIANS (Days 1 through 3: Today through Sunday)... A North Pacific low approaching the Central Aleutians will be the primary weather maker through the weekend. Another North Pacific low approaches the Aleutians on Sunday, but it remains far enough south that the strongest winds and heaviest rain will remain over the ocean. While there remain some model differences for the first system as a triple point low forms from tonight into Saturday morning, any shifts in the forecast will yield only minor changes to wind speed and precipitation amounts for the Eastern Aleutians and Alaska Peninsula. Overall, the biggest impact from the first storm will likely be gusty winds. The Central Aleutians (Adak and Atka) will be the first to see strong winds, with gusts to 50-60 mph from this morning through evening. As the front moves eastwards through today, the Eastern Aleutians and Alaska Peninsula will see a quick burst of gusty southeasterly winds from tonight through Saturday morning, with gusts to 40-50 mph. The strongest winds for the Eastern Aleutians, however, are actually expected from Saturday afternoon through late Saturday night as colder air surges in behind the departing low, with northwesterly gusts 50-60 mph. The Pribilof Islands and much of Southwest Alaska will be spared the worst of these strong winds, but expect winds to pick up as the surface pressure gradient tightens with the approaching low. Aside from winds, expect light to moderate precipitation along the Aleutians and Alaska Peninsula as the front moves through. While there may initially be snow as the front moves in, expect precipitation to quickly transition to rain or a rain/snow mix. With the front expected to remain south of Naknek/King Salmon, areas north in Southwest Alaska will remain dry, with temperatures dropping to towards the teens and single digits as northerly flow ushers in cooler air. && .LONG TERM FORECAST (Days 4 through 7: Monday through Thursday)... Starting Monday, the low pressure system that had been moving through the Gulf will finally be out of the picture- just in time for a new low to move in. This one, however, looks to take a more southerly track, keeping Southcentral relatively dry with light winds. Temperatures will trend cooler, and more inland locations could see lows in the mid teens by Tuesday and Wednesday night. Southwest Alaska should see similar conditions, while the Aleutians will be more affected by this system just to their south. Here, light precipitation is likely and gale-force wind gusts are possible. On Wednesday, some ridging starts to build across western Alaska ahead of a deep low entering the Bering Sea. There is model disagreement about the exact track and intensity of this storm, but it has the potential to be impactful to Southwest Alaska, specifically the Kuskokwim Delta. Strong southwest winds on Thursday are the main concern here, and we will have to keep an eye on how this system progresses in the coming days. -TK &&.AVIATION... PANC...VFR conditions will persist. Northerly winds around 10 kt with occasional higher gusts are expected through Saturday morning. && $$