Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
510 FXAK68 PAFC 231303 AFDAFC Southcentral and Southwest Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Anchorage AK 503 AM AKDT Thu May 23 2024 .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA (Days 1 through 3)... Cool, cloudy, and rainy weather will give way to drier and somewhat warmer weather on Thursday for much of southcentral Alaska. As of 5am, radar shows light shower activity remains in place from about the Mat-Su Valley southwards through Anchorage and the Kenai Peninsula. This will taper off this morning as the associated low and parent upper-trough shift east. The exception to this drier weather will be for the Copper River Basin, where precipitation will linger through the day, particularly north and east of Glennallen. Snow may be seen as low as 2000 feet, with some light accumulation possible towards Mentasta and Isabel passes. In fact, as of 5am, snow is being reported along the Glenn highway at Eureka. The drier conditions and breaks of sunshine will be short-lived, however, as a low tracking into southern Alaska from the Bering Sea will bring cloudier conditions and another round of precipitation to Southcentral. Rain chances return for much of the area on Friday, though the heaviest, most persistent precipitation will occur along the north Gulf coast. A front lingers along the coast, keeping these areas wet through Saturday. Further inland, a shift to northerly flow as the low tracks into the Gulf will lead to some drying and breaks in the clouds heading into the weekend. -Brown && .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHWEST ALASKA, THE BERING SEA AND THE ALEUTIANS (Days 1 through 3)... Below normal temperatures will continue across the Bering and Southwest Alaska as yet another occluded low tracks through the region the next few days. Ahead of the low, its front will push inland of the Southwest coast later today with increasing showers expected. While precipitation should consist of rain for most areas, Mekoryuk will likely see a period of snow through midday, eventually transitioning to a rain/snow mix or all rain as afternoon temperatures increase into the upper 30s. Windy conditions are forecast along the Aleutian Chain as multiple shortwaves traverse the base of the low. Widespread small craft winds gusting to gale force will move from the Central Aleutians during the day to the Eastern Aleutians later tonight. Friday will see showery conditions continue for Southwest while west to northwest winds shift over the Alaska Peninsula. Nikolski to Akutan will see the strongest winds on Friday before low pressure slides into the Gulf of Alaska and brief high pressure sets in over the Bering on Saturday. Precipitation begins to clear out behind the low with northerly flow becoming prominent across the Bering Saturday morning. -BL && .LONG TERM FORECAST (Days 4 through 7) Sunday through Wednesday... A steadily weakening upper level low slips across the Southern Gulf of Alaska through midweek. A somewhat energetic low in Northwest Alaska transits along the West coast and weakens through the period. A moderate amplitude ridge in the Western Bering flattens out as it moves along the Aleutians by late Monday. Some additional energy moves in with a weak upper low pushing over the Aleutians through Wednesday. Model confidence starts off good in GFS/ECMWF blends and run-to-run consistency, before making the switch to deterministic guidance by midweek. Aside of showery precipitation along the West Coast with the low moving Southward, the bulk of the active weather will come with the surface lows and fronts or troughs over the Southern portions of the state. Areas of rain spread over the Gulf and Southcentral, diminishing through Wednesday. Brief periods of locally heavy rainfall starts over the Western Aleutians and Bering Sunday, moving Eastward into Southwest Alaska, and across the AKPEN and Kodiak Island by the end of the forecast midweek. The next system starts to repeat the weather pattern in the West for Wednesday. - Kutz && .AVIATION... PANC...Low stratus this morning should begin to lift/dissipate later this morning, then clear out entirely as high pressure builds in from the west. Turnagain arm winds are not expected to develop this afternoon, but there could be a slight uptick in winds out of the west- southwest with the sea breeze this afternoon and evening. Otherwise, VFR conditions and light winds will persist through tonight. && $$