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000
FXAK69 PAFG 232314
AFDAFG

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
314 PM AKDT Tue Apr 23 2024

.SYNOPSIS...

Quiet weather persists over most of northern Alaska. A front
stretching from Gambell to Hooper Bay is bringing light snow and
areas of blowing snow and reduced visibility to St. Lawrence
Island and the Yukon Delta. This front will weaken and push inland
through tonight, bringing mostly just light rain to the Seward
Peninsula. A strong ridge of high pressure aloft will build back
in over the Interior and bring warmer temperatures and sunny skies
through the end of the week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

Analysis and Model Discussion...A strong ridge of high pressure
aloft is building over the Interior. A weak shortwave is bringing
cloud cover and isolated showers north and east of Fairbanks this
afternoon. A vertically stacked low pressure system in the Bering
Sea is bringing a weak front to the West Coast. This front
currently lies from Gambell to Hooper Bay and will move to the
Bering Strait to Nome to Aniak by noon Wednesday. High pressure
will continue to build over the Interior through Thursday before
weakening slightly on Friday. Southerly flow will bring continued
areas of light precipitation to the west coast through Friday.
High pressure building over the Beaufort Sea will bring sustained
east winds around 30 mph to the Arctic Coast on Thursday and
Friday.

West Coast and Western Interior...A front bringing light snow and
blowing snow from St. Lawrence Island to the Yukon Delta will
weaken as it moves east tonight. Expecting most of the light
precipitation over the mainland to be rain by this evening.
Temperatures will be mostly steady through Friday with highs in
the 30s near the coast and in the 40s and 50s in the western
Interior. Winds will be mainly offshore along the coast at 10 to
15 mph.

Central and Eastern Interior...The remnants of a weak shortwave
aloft is bringing clouds and very isolated showers north and east
of Fairbanks this afternoon. Ridging continuing to build will put
an end to this activity tonight and conditions will return to
clear and above normal temperatures. Light winds are expected with
the exception of southerly gap winds through Alaska Range passes
around 15-20 mph Thursday and Friday. High temperatures will be in
the 50s and 60s.

North Slope and Brooks Range...High pressure will continue to
build over the area. The high will shift north through Thursday.
As that happens, east winds will increase along the Arctic Coast
to 25 to 30 mph Thursday and Friday. This will bring areas of
blowing snow, but significantly reduced visibility is not
expected. Winds in the Brooks Range will remain light.
Temperatures will range from highs in the 30s in the Brooks Range
to lows near zero across the Arctic Plain and Coast by Friday
morning. Highs along the coast will be mostly in the teens above
zero.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None.

Extended Forecast For Days 4 Through 7...Ridging looks to persist
over the Interior and gradually spread over the West Coast,
though weaker than in the short term. This should bring slightly
cooler temperatures and more cloud cover to the Interior, and
drier and less cloudy conditions to the West Coast. The GFS has
been favored for the extended forecast, though models have now
come into better agreement with the ECMWF now showing a very
similar solution to the original GFS solution, supporting
continued ridging over the Interior.

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ827.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ801.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ802.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ805-852.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ807.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ813>815-859>861.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ816-850.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ817-853-854.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ851.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ856.
&&

$$

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