337
FXAK69 PAFG 030030
AFDAFG

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
330 PM AKST Fri Jan 2 2026

.SYNOPSIS...
Very cold and dry conditions will continue across Northern Alaska
through the weekend, with air temperatures across much of our
region in the 20s/30s/40s below zero, as coldest spots reach down
to the 50s to around 60 below zero. Wind chills at times will be
even colder, especially as we see an increase in winds early next
week. Light snow showers and breezy winds will also persist for
St. Lawrence Island and YK Delta through Sunday morning. Looking
ahead, increasing confidence supports a low pressure system moving
through the Bering Sea into Southern Alaska Sunday into Monday.
This system is expected to bring in a wetter and warmer airmass,
along with an increased winds. Snow chances will steadily build in
later in the day Sunday into Monday and Tuesday with this system,
lifting southwest to northeast across the Interior early next
week with increasing winds and warming temperatures.

&&

.KEY WEATHER MESSAGES...

Central and Eastern Interior...

- Persistent, very cold conditions in the Interior remain in
  place, with clear and calm conditions as temperatures stay well
  below normal into early next week.

- Widespread temperatures in the 30s/40s below zero or colder will
  continue with 50s/60s below zero in the coldest spots.

- A long-term Cold Weather Advisory remains in effect through
  Monday for the Central/Eastern Interior. Areas of ice fog are
  ongoing in the Fairbanks area and are expected to continue
  through the weekend. Patchy ice fog is expected outside of FNSB.

- Snow chances and an increase in winds are expected to return
  Monday into Tuesday across the Interior, leading to warmer
  temperatures and widespread snow chances. Although this will be
  a warmup, temperatures are expected to remain below zero, with
  winds leading to very cold wind chills at times.

West Coast and Western Interior...

- Light snow showers and breezy winds will continue for the YK
  Delta and St. Lawrence Island through Sunday morning, leading to
  reduced visibility at times.

- Widespread temperatures in the 20s/30s below zero will continue,
  with 40s/50s below zero in the coldest spots. Conditions will
  trend colder into the weekend with warmest conditions favored
  further southwest.

- A long-term Cold Weather Advisory remains in effect through
  Monday for portions of the Western Interior where temperatures
  in the 40s/50s below zero are expected. Patchy ice fog remains
  possible.

- For Sunday into Monday, E/NE winds will steadily increase as
  widespread snow chances build into the West Coast and Western
  Interior for early next week. Strongest winds are expected along
  the West Coast and across higher elevations. Low visibility from
  snow and blowing snow is expected during this timeframe.

North Slope and Brooks Range..

- A very cold and dry airmass will remain in place over the North
  Slope through early next week. Widespread temperatures in the
  20s/30s below zero will continue, with 40s/50s below zero in the
  coldest spots. Wind chills will be even colder, with warmest
  conditions expected further west.

- Areas of low stratus and fog will lead to pockets of low
  visibility at times.

- Light snow showers and an increase in winds will return Monday
  into Tuesday, with strongest winds expected across the NW Arctic
  Coast and higher elevations.

&&

.FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION...Today through Sunday Night.

Afternoon satellite imagery shows broad surface high pressure
prevailing across much of the Northern Alaska, with a 965 mb low
in the Western Bering Sea ejecting a front towards Southwest
Alaska. Surface high pressure and broad upper-level troughing is
continuing to allow for a very cold, Arctic airmass to remain in
place overhead, supporting widespread well below normal
temperatures through the weekend. Colder areas have settled around
30-50 below zero with coldest areas reaching down towards the 60s
below zero across the Interior. Ice fog will remain in place in
the Fairbanks area through the weekend, leading to poor visibility
and difficult driving conditions at times. Patchy ice fog is also
expected outside FNSB. A long fuse Cold Weather Advisory remains
in place for much of the Interior through Monday due to prolonged,
well below normal temperatures. This advisory has been expanded
north through the Brooks Range to the Eastern North Slope where
wind chills as low as 65 below zero are expected to continue
through the weekend. Even for those not covered under an advisory,
plan ahead for frigid temperatures and wind chills.

As that aforementioned front moves towards Southwest Alaska,
it will bring another round of breezy winds and light snow
showers to the YK Delta and St. Lawrence Island through Sunday
morning. For this weekend, increasing confidence supports a
strengthening area of low pressure to lift northeast through the
Western Aleutians and into the Bering Sea Saturday into Sunday.
This system is expected to deepen to around 950 mb in the Central
Bering and ultimately begin tracking east through Southern Alaska
given blocking high pressure over the Arctic. This system and
expected track remains favored to bring in a wetter and warmer
airmass, along with an increased winds for early to mid next week.
Snow chances will steadily build in later in the day Sunday into
Monday and Tuesday with this system, lifting southwest to
northeast across the Interior early next week with increasing
winds and warmer temperatures. Although this will be a warmup,
temperatures are expected to remain below zero for much of our
region, with winds leading to very cold wind chills at times.

&&

.EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7...Monday through next Friday.

By Day 4/Monday, east-to-northeast winds will begin to spread
inland with the potential for multiple inches of light to at times
moderate snowfall extending across the Western Interior Monday
night into Tuesday and into the Central/Eastern Interior (with
lesser totals) by Tuesday evening. By this time frame, the trough
over the Canadian border will have shifted into Western Alaska,
bringing with it the cold air aloft (around -25 C at 850 mb). On
the east side of the trough, south flow will help to warm the
Central and Eastern Interior. Temperatures could warm by 20 to 30
degrees in many areas. The coldest areas of the Interior will
likely shift into the Western Interior and North Slope by
Wednesday night into Thursday, although the Eastern Interior may
still remain in the negative 10s or 20s.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Cold Weather Advisory for AKZ828-829-831>847-849-851-852.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ801-850.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ816-817-851-854.
     Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ816-817-851-854.
&&

$$

SYNOPSIS.......MacKay
KEY MESSAGES...MacKay
SHORT TERM.....MacKay
LONG TERM......DS