405
FXAK69 PAFG 291350
AFDAFG

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
450 AM AKST Thu Jan 29 2026

.SYNOPSIS...Blizzard conditions continue across the Arctic Coast
through this afternoon before winds slowly ease. The break will be
short lived though as a return of blizzard conditions is possible
as early as Sunday for Point Lay and Point Hope and Monday for the
rest of the Arctic Coast. A weak shortwave will bring light snow
along the Alcan Border today and tonight. Temperatures look to
remain largely above normal in the Interior into next week.
Diurnal temperature trends are beginning to return south of the
Brooks Range as the sun angle increases.

&&

.KEY WEATHER MESSAGES...
Central and Eastern Interior...

- Temperatures moderate through the weekend with highs in the
  single digits and teens above zero. The increasing sun angle
  brings a return to daily diurnal temperature curves.

- A mix of clouds and sun are expected through the rest of the
  week.

- Scattered snow showers along the Alcan Border today, spreading
  north to the Romanzof Mountains and eastern Yukon Flats
  overnight.

- Southerly gap winds through Alaska Range Passes will briefly
  gust to around 40 mph late Friday night and Saturday morning

West Coast and Western Interior...

- Temperatures moderate through the weekend with highs in the
  single digits and teens above zero. The increasing sun angle
  brings a return to daily diurnal temperature curves.

- Light snow persists near Wales through Thursday morning.

- Light snow mainly south of the Seward Peninsula Friday night
  through Sunday. Accumulations will be less than 1 inch.

North Slope and Brooks Range...

- Blizzard conditions continue across the Arctic Coast through at
  least Thursday afternoon. This is a long duration event. While
  conditions should slowly improve Thursday evening, blowing snow
  and low visibility may still occur at times through Friday
  morning.

- Light snow across the eastern Arctic Coast and Arctic Plain
  late Friday through the weekend.

- Temperatures begin to moderate with most areas seeing
  temperatures between 0 and -20 F through Saturday. Temperatures
  cool back down below zero in the -10F to -30F range Sunday into
  early next week.

- Another extended period of blowing snow and low visibility
  possible early to mid next week, but as early as Sunday from
  Point Lay to Point Hope.

&&

.FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION...The low that brought the brief
period of very cold temepratures to Northern Alaska has moved into
the western Bering Sea and is no longer a significant factor in
the weather pattern. Behind it, weak southeast flow aloft is
present across the area to the north of a vertically stacked low
in the Gulf of Alaska. This low has weakened to 968 mb at the
surface, but will still tighten the gradient across the state as
it moves north to Kennedy Entrance through Thursday evening. Very
high pressure persists in the Arctic with a 1043 mb surface high
near 77 degrees north. As long as this feature persists, periods
of strong east winds and blowing snow will continue across the
Arctic Coast. The high will retreat to the northwest late this
week, temporarily easing the persistent blizzard conditions.

Another feature to note is a weak shortwave aloft from the low in
the Gulf of Alaska will provide light snow along the Alcan Border
Thursday, moving north to the Romanzof Mountains Thursday
evening.

&&

.EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7...A ridge will build from the
southeast over northern Alaska beginning Saturday. Models are in
poor agreement on what happens after that. In the last 24 hours,
all deterministic solutions have weakened the strength of the
ridge, and some have introduced a similar upper level low feature
moving from Mackenzie Bay to Kotzebue Sound Sunday through Tuesday
with snow falling south of this feature. Ensemble solutions
generally still favor the ridge persisting and this upper low
feature remaining over the Canadian Archipelago, though confidence
is not as high as yesterday. Otherwise, a milder weather pattern
continues for the Interior and West Coast into next week as
southerly flow ramps up at times as strong lows and fronts push
northward in the Gulf of Alaska. Periods of snow showers possible
over the next week as fronts move northward into the interior, but
overall nothing very concerning at the moment. Southerly flow
with intermittent Chinook conditions should keep Fairbanks and
areas along the north side of the Alaska Range drier and warmer
than surrounding areas. A strong Arctic High redevelops early
next week which will likely bring another round of strong winds
and blowing snow through the Bering Strait and across the Arctic
Coast. Near blizzard conditions return to the NW Coast as early as
Sunday, specially from Point Hope to Point Lay, then spread east
by early next week to encompass the rest of the Arctic Coast.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Blizzard Warning for AKZ801-802-804-805.
PK...Gale Warning for PKZ811>813.
     Gale Warning for PKZ814-860.
     Gale Warning for PKZ815-861.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ856.
     Gale Warning for PKZ857-859.
     Gale Warning for PKZ858.
&&

$$

Chriest