343
FXAK69 PAFG 281334
AFDAFG

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
534 AM AKDT Thu May 28 2026

.SYNOPSIS...
Broad scale troughing continues today as a low pressure system sits in
Gulf of Alaska and a Arctic low tries to dig south over the North
Slope. As high pressure builds over Siberia and southeast Canada, a
front extending from the Arctic low will push south across the state
supporting scattered showers and thunderstorms chances this weekend.
Thunderstorms coverage will expand farther south ahead of the front
with widespread rain showers expected for the Upper Tanana Valley
through Saturday. By early next week, warmer and drier conditions
are likely as high pressure settles over the state.

&&

.KEY WEATHER MESSAGES...
Central and Eastern Interior...
- Isolated thunderstorms and scattered showers are expected to
  continue across most of the Interior throughout the week.
  Increased thunderstorm activity is possible to the west of
  Fairbanks this afternoon. Storm chances decrease next week.

- High temperatures will remain in the low to mid 60s through the
  weekend with a warming trend expected early next week.

- Moderate rain showers are possible for the Upper Tanana Valley
  beginning this afternoon through the weekend.

West Coast and Western Interior...
- Scattered showers and isolated afternoon thunderstorms continue
  across the Western Interior and parts of YK Delta this week.
  Showers and thunderstorm chances decrease from north to south
  through the end of the week.

- Gusty north/northeast winds continue through the Bering Strait
  today with winds gradually weakening through Friday. Gusts as
  high as 30 mph are possible.

- Temperatures will remain in the upper 50s to low 60s through the
  weekend before steadily increasing early next week.

- Patchy fog is possible across the West Coast going into the
  weekend.

North Slope and Brooks Range...
- Slightly cooler than normal temperatures continue across the
  North Slope with highs in the mid 20s and lows in the mid teens.
  Temperatures gradually warm going into next week.

- East/northeast winds will shift towards the south/southwest by
  Saturday.

- Gusty north winds through the Brooks Range passes are expected
  today through Friday. Winds may gust up to 30 mph at times.

- Low clouds and patchy fog continue across the North Slope, with
  gaps in the clouds expected by Friday. Clearer skies are
  possible this weekend into next week as winds weaken and
  offshore flow sets up along the coast.

&&

.FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION...
For Thursday through Saturday night.
Broad scale troughing persists over the state today as a low
pressure system sits in the Gulf of Alaska. This low will continue
to push southeast through the weekend as a building ridge of high
pressure strengthens over Siberia. Along the North Slope, an Arctic
trough tries to dig down over the Arctic Coast but is also pushed
farther east by the Siberian high. By Friday, a front extending from
the Arctic low traverses southeast across the state towards the
Alaska Range. Ahead of this front, scattered showers and
thunderstorms are expected to continue across the Interior this
afternoon, with the Upper Tanana Valley and Alaska Range seeing the
greatest chances for wetting rain. Additional widespread rain
showers are likely for the Upper Tanana Valley through the weekend
as PWAT values increase to near 0.60 inches due to steady moisture
influx from the southeast. Winds through the Bering Strait will
continue to gust up to 30 mph at times but will gradually subside as
the Siberian high moves farther inland. Elsewhere, afternoon gusty
conditions are possible across higher terrain and near thunderstorm
outflow boundaries.

By early next week, warmer and drier conditions are likely across
Northern Alaska as broad scale ridging settles over the state.
However, models are hinting at the possibility for a mid-level
disturbance to move south from the Eastern Arctic late Sunday.
Depending on the exact placement of this low, temperatures could
temporarily cool a few degrees early next week as well as support
additional scattered showers across the region. Despite this,
forecast confidence is still leaning towards a warmer and drier
pattern at least through the early parts of next week.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms are expected to persist
through the end of the week, primarily over the Yukon Flats,
Fortymile Country, and the Alcan Border before tracking southward on
Thursday. While widespread wetting impacts are not anticipated,
localized wetting rain is possible where storms linger across the
Eastern Interior and where minimum relative humidity values are
expected to rise into the mid to upper 30 percent range. Surface
winds across the Interior will remain light as the pressure gradient
over the Alaska Range weakens. However, a low pressure system is
expected to push stronger winds through the Brooks Range passes,
Upper Koyukuk Valley, and along the Dalton Highway Summits with
gusts up to 30 mph through Friday. Wind gusts up to 25 mph from the
east are possible across areas of the Yukon Flats and Fortymile
Country. Along the West Coast, thunderstorm chances will transition
toward the Northwestern Yukon Delta Thursday afternoon, while strong
northeast winds up to 30 mph through the Bering Strait will
gradually weaken as an upper-level ridge approaches. Minimum
relative humidity values are expected to remain between 30 to 40
percent across most of the area. Temperatures will remain seasonable
through the end of the week, with highs in the low to middle 60s for
the Interior and upper 50s to low 60s for the West Coast.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...

Yukon River: River Watch has concluded as of 8 AM Wednesday. Ice
continues to move through the channels into the mouth with relative
ease and with upstream ice moving unhindered. Residents should still
use caution near the banks as the ice run continues to be very
dynamic and water levels can fluctuate quickly.

All Flood Watches and Warnings have expired.

St. Mary`s: At 840pm Tuesday, flood waters continue to slowly
recede. Due to the extensive high water and inundation, this process
could take several days. Residents should use caution in and around
areas that were flooded.

Emmonak: Waters continue to receed. The roads to the airport remain
impassable by vehicle at this time. Residents should use caution in
and around high water.

Additional Information: Visit www.weather.gov/aprfc for the latest
hydro information.

&&

.EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7...
Models are in relatively good agreement with the overall pattern.
However, there is a distinct difference amongst them regarding a
shortwave moving east/southeast across the Arctic Sunday night into
Monday. The EC is most aggressive as it shows it moving south over
the Eastern Brooks Range and strengthening to a closed off low. The
GFS tracks the shortwave further east, closer to the Al-Can border
and keeping it a shortwave feature as it moves SE across the Yukon.
The Canadian has it stationed over the northern Arctic Coast,
keeping it north of the Alaska Range by the start of the week. This
distinctive difference is largely due to the Canadian showing an
Arctic Low farther south, allowing the shortwave to get wrapped back
into the flow. For now, the forecast is leaning more toward the GFS
solution as it shows a better representation of what usually happens
with a shortwave taking this track. This pattern will continue to
allow for daily thunderstorm chances across the state as a series of
weak fronts may extend from the low in the Arctic. The upper-level
ridge is expected to remain over the Bering, allowing for more of a
northerly influence across the state. This will help limit drastic
increases in temperatures, however conditions are expected to remain
dry through the first half of next week.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None


&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...None.
PK...Small Craft Advisory for PKZ806-854.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ807.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ810.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ811.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ856.
&&

$$

Santiago
Satcher - Fire Weather
Twombly - Extended