Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Fairbanks, AK
Issued by NWS Fairbanks, AK
386 FXAK69 PAFG 272105 AFDAFG Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Fairbanks AK 105 PM AKDT Sat Apr 27 2024 .SYNOPSIS... The first half of the forecast, models remain consistent. But for the longer ranges, high spreads and little run to run consistency continues. Upper level ridging will continue to build across the Yukon Delta through tonight, while the remnants of the Interior Alaska ridge weakens over the North Slope. A band of weak energy caught between the two areas of high pressure will drift across the Interior heading into Monday. From Tuesday through Saturday, models diverge significantly. The 12z runs of the NAM, Canadian and 00z ECMWF were all clustered with a strong Arctic low dropping south near the West Coast. The GFS has remained consistent with a weaker upper trough across the North Slope. The 12z ECMWF came in quite a bit different, with the closed upper low dropping south along the ALCAN border. The GEFS and Euro ensembles have remained consistent in overall pattern evolution, but vary in upper system strength. Given the uncertainty, have not strayed from the previous forecast and will continue to monitor the latest model trends. && .DISCUSSION... Weak energy drifting across Interior Alaska will lead to isolated afternoon and evening shower, mainly from Tok, northwest to areas south of Fairbanks for the next several days. Coverage looks spotty, and QPF amounts look to remain light where rain does fall. Temperatures across the Interior will remain mild, with mid 40s to upper 50s continuing with perhaps a few lower 60s. Better chances for precipitation arrive for mid to late week as upper troughing drops out of Arctic and into the North Slope. Coverage will depend on the upper trough strength and track, which at this time, is highly uncertain. Winds will continue to subside across the North Slope tonight, but look to remain onshore. Continued periods of light snow, fog and low stratus will remain in place through Monday. Upper trough will impact the North Slope for mid to late next week. The main issue will be upper system strength. The cluster of the NAM, 00z ECMWF and Canadian would bring pretty good chances for winter weather from Tuesday through Friday along with colder temperatures. The weaker GFS brings snow with its solution, but less cold air. For now, the forecast calls for increasing chances for precipitation banked against the Brooks Range for mid to late next week. Temperatures look to remain in the teens along the coast, and lower 30s near the mountains. But, temperatures may be a bit colder if the stronger model solutions pan out. Upper high pressure will bring generally dry conditions to the West Coast through Tuesday. Areas of fog and low stratus will remain possible for communities along the Norton Sound tonight into Sunday morning. Temperatures will range from the mid 30s along the coast, to mid 40s inland. Precipitation will once again be dependent on the evolution and track of the upper system. Most model guidance has increasing precipitation chances for mid to late week as the upper system drops across the Bering Strait and into the Bering Sea. Wind would also be on the increase for mid to late week with the upper low tracking near the West Coast. Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None. && .FIRE WEATHER... Temperatures will remain steady across the Tanana Valley through the forecast period, with mainly 50s to perhaps a few lower 60s for highs. Humidity values will be in the lower 20 percent range Sunday through Monday, then falling into the upper teen percent range for Tuesday through Friday. Winds will generally range in the 10 mph range through the next several days, with occasional gusts in wind prone gap areas near 20 mph. && .AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... AK...None. PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ812-815. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ813-861. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ814-860. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ858. && $$