125
FXAK69 PAFG 042342
AFDAFG

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
342 PM AKDT Sat Apr 4 2026

.SYNOPSIS...
Quiet and dry weather with seasonal temperatures is expected to
continue across Northern Alaska through the weekend An upper
level low will bring cloudier conditions and isolated snow showers
for portions of the Southwest Interior and Y-K Delta through
tonight. That low will then move into the Gulf of Alaska,
resulting in chances for light snow in the Southeast Interior and
Eastern Alaska Range Sunday night and Monday. Looking ahead, a
system coming in from the southwest brings an opportunity for
spring showers in the form of a rain/snow mix as temperatures stay
near normal to above normal across the region.

&&

.KEY WEATHER MESSAGES...

Central and Eastern Interior...

- Seasonable temperatures continue across the Interior, with highs
  remaining in the upper 20s to low 40s. Lows will also trend to
  being above zero regionwide, with localized colder spots below
  zero.

- Starting Sunday evening, scattered snow showers are expected to
  move into Fortymile Country, Upper Tanana Valley, and Eastern
  Alaska Range with light accumulations possible.

- By early to mid next week, highs are expected to climb well into
  the 30s to mid 40s, with lows in the teens/20s as cloudier
  conditions return.

- Southerly gap winds through Alaska Range Passes will see an
  increase Tuesday into Wednesday, with gusts up to 40 mph
  possible.

- Increasing confidence supports a front moving into the Interior
  Wednesday into Thursday with a mix of rain and snow showers as
  even warmer temperatures build in.

West Coast and Western Interior...

- Isolated snow showers will continue across the Y-K Delta and
  Southwest Interior region as an upper-level low tracks south.
  Snow chances will shift south and dissipate tonight.

- Highs in the teens and 20s to low 30s further inland will
  continue through the weekend, trending warmer in the Western
  Interior to the mid to upper 30s by Sunday. Lows look to also
  stay above zero in the single digits and teens.

- Increasing confidence supports a front moving into Western
  Alaska late Monday into Tuesday and Wednesday with a mix of rain
  and snow showers as even warmer temperatures build in.

- By early to mid next week, highs are expected to climb well into
  the 20s and 30s to low to mid 40s further inland, with lows in
  the teens/20s to low 30s further inland as cloudier conditions
  return.

North Slope and Brooks Range...

- Mostly clear skies and dry conditions with light winds will
  continue across the North Slope and Brooks Range into early next
  week.

- Highs will mostly be in the single digits and teens through the
  weekend on the Arctic Plains/Coast and teens/20s/30s in the
  Brooks Range, trending warmer through the weekend into next
  week.

- Overnight lows will continue to be coldest across the Arctic
  Plains/Coast around -10F to -20F through early next week, with
  above zero lows further south shifting north by midweek.

- Increasing confidence supports a front moving into the North
  Slope late Tuesday into Wednesday and Thursday with scattered
  snow showers and a slight uptick in winds.

&&

.FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION...Today through Monday Night.
Early afternoon satellite imagery shows mostly sunny skies across
Northern Alaska, as quiet and dry conditions with light winds
continue. The upper-level pattern remains consistent with previous
days, with a weakening, near stationary 524 dm low centered over
the Y-K Delta and increasing high pressure building in around it.
Underneath that low, we are still seeing some partly cloudy skies
and isolated snow showers, with any snow activity subsiding
tonight into Sunday as dry conditions return back regionwide. As
that H5 low continues to weaken, its energy will dissipate and
ultimately shift southeast into the Gulf of Alaska early next week
where a 530 dm low is expected to form and move into Southeast
Alaska on Monday. With this setup, overall uneventful and dry
weather is expected to continue with plenty of sunshine.
Temperatures across our region will continue to climb as most
areas see highs rise to the 20s/30s to mid 40s further inland
through early to mid next week.

Starting Sunday evening into Monday, wrap-around bands of
moisture from that low in the Gulf will move through the Yukon
into the Southeast Interior and Eastern Alaska Range with
scattered, light snow showers possible. Weak moisture transport
will lead to minimal snowfall accumulations, generally between a
T-1".

Further west, a H5 ridge axis will continue to shift east through
Southwest Alaska as a trough begins to fill in behind it. As this
trough ultimately forms a closed low in the Southern Bering Sea
Monday into Tuesday, a a warn front will lift north into the Y-K
Delta later in the day Monday into Monday night with snow showers
and an uptick in winds with gusts to around 20-30 mph particularly
along the coast.

&&

.EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7...Tuesday through next Saturday.
Overall, next week is shaping up to be a slightly more active
weather pattern with a mix of rain and snow showers but amounts at
this time continue to look light overall. As a low pressure
system in the Southern Bering Sea lifts northeast towards
Southwest Alaska Monday night into Tuesday, a warm front will also
shift northeast into Western Alaska with a mix of rain and snow
showers and warmer temperatures. The bulk of precipitation with
this front is expected across the Western Interior and West Coast
Tuesday into Wednesday, with more isolated chances shifting
northeast into Central/Eastern Interior and North Slope mid to
late week.

Increased model uncertainty surrounds exactly how much
precipitation will move from Western Alaska further northeast,
with overall accumulations regionwide expected to remain light.
Warmer temperatures will accompany this front as most locations
south of the far northern Arctic Coast see highs build well into
the 30s to mid 40s with overnight in the teens/20s. A period of
southerly gap winds through Alaska Range Passes will also be
possible Tuesday into Wednesday due to a tightening pressure
gradient between this low and higher relative pressure farther
east.

Looking ahead, we may ultimately see another system move into
Western Alaska to finish out the week, however increased model
uncertainty surrounds any specifics. We will be keeping an eye on
that system as it develops but until then, warmer temperatures
will be the biggest change overall and they look to stick around
as we head into mid-April.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...None.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ815.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ861.
&&

$$

MacKay