Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
926 FXAK68 PAFC 100124 AFDAFC Southcentral and Southwest Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Anchorage AK 424 PM AKST Sun Nov 9 2025 .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA (Days 1 through 3)... A ridge of high pressure continues to build across Southcentral for the rest of today into tonight. Although fog has lifted for most locations across Anchorage, Kenai Peninsula, and the MatSu, the fog is likely to settle back in this evening and linger into tomorrow morning. Gap winds were strong through Whittier/Passage Canal, Seward/Resurrection Bay, and Valdez. These gap winds may back off some for Monday, but another chances for gusty winds may return Tuesday. With clear skies, temperatures overnight cooled quickly and daytime highs have been colder than originally forecasted. Temperatures may plummet again tonight and for Tuesday morning, especially in lower elevations and valleys. Cloud cover and any/absence of mixing will be key factors in temperatures outcome. The next low is quickly moving into the western Gulf of Alaska this afternoon. The forecast track is trending the low and its front south enough through the central Gulf that the main focus for precipitation will be for Kodiak Island and the immediate coast of the Northern Gulf and Prince William Sound. Precipitation type for Kodiak has started off as snow but could transition towards rain by early tomorrow morning. If enough cold air holds on along the coast, Kodiak City could see about an inch or two of snow with slightly higher amounts west of the city. Gale force winds with some embedded storm-force gusts appear likely near the low and along the front but should stay offshore. The surface low weakens and begins to track slightly westward along the northern Gulf for Tuesday evening into Wednesday. Gap winds early in the morning will tend to weaken later in the day and the probability of showers increases throughout the day for Prince William Sound. Overall flow becomes west to northwesterly Tuesday as the low weakens and a flattening ridge with embedded trough from the west starts to move into the western Gulf late Tuesday and Wednesday. && .SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHWEST ALASKA (Days 1 through 3)... A front from a low is passing through the Southwest mainland, which is bringing gusty winds and snowfall to particularly the Kuskokwim Delta. Winds are slowly dropping off as the front passes through with lingering snowfall. A warmer air mass is behind the front, so temperatures will rise and may warm above freezing in Bristol Bay, so precipitation there may become a rain/snow mix. However, the Kuskokwim Delta is expected to stay below freezing, so any lingering precipitation will be in the form of snowfall. Meanwhile, a low in the Bering north of Shemya is bringing a large swath of gusty winds to the Aleutian Islands. Winds are up to gale force in strength. Monday has winds become light in the mainland. There may be some lingering light snow showers in the Kuskokwim Delta and the Lower Kuskokwim Valley from the same low that brought the front. The Bering also has conditions improving as the low moves southeast and weakens. A ridge builds behind into the Western Aleutians, so lower chances for precipitation and lower wind speeds are expected. Tuesday has the same low still hanging around off the Kuskokwim Delta coast finally drop south. Some small craft winds off the coast and breezy winds inland are expected in the Kuskokwim Delta. Small craft winds will also move into the Alaska Peninsula region with some precipitation as well. Another frontal system moves into the Bering from the west. A line of precipitation with gale force winds will move into the Western Aleutians Tuesday morning, reaching the Pribilof Islands and the Eastern Aleutians by Wednesday morning. The frontal system will reach the mainland by Wednesday afternoon, allowing for some snowfall. Behind the front is warm air advection and weak flow, which means light winds and showery precipitation in the Bering. -JAR && .LONG TERM FORECAST (Days 4 through 7: Thursday through Sunday)... Over the second half of next week a western Bering trough will slide across the Aleutians Thursday into Friday, eventually crossing over into the Gulf of Alaska by Saturday. Gusty westerly winds from small craft to gales are anticipated from Adak to Unalaska with what looks to be minimal impacts at this time. The bigger story will entail a North Pacific low lifting into the Western and Central Aleutians over the weekend. Deterministic models and ensemble guidance are loosely in agreement with bringing a ~940 to sub 940 mb low across the Aleutians into the Bering Saturday into Sunday. While confidence in the track and intensity are extremely low, impacts from the forecast low`s track would include strong winds, potentially high winds, Saturday and Sunday over the Western and Central Aleutians. For Southwest and Southcentral Alaska seasonably cool temperatures are forecast. The passage of one or two weaker troughs through interior Alaska will support above normal chances for precipitation. BL && .AVIATION... PANC...Low stratus and fog are expected to be in and out of the terminal through Monday morning, likely changing over from VFR to LIFR as the fog/stratus moves in and out of the airport. Upper level clouds moving overhead should begin to mitigate fog and stratus development tomorrow after sunrise. Winds will remain light and variable, predominately out of the north. && $$