textproduct: Anchorage

LONG TERM FORECAST (Days 4 through 7: Sunday through Wednesday)

Starting off the long term forecast is a continuation of the active pattern in Alaska. A longwave trough with many embedded shortwaves will move over the Alaska Mainland on Sunday. This will bring widespread rainfall to much of the Southwest and Southcentral Alaska Mainlands. Wind speeds will remain relatively light overland, but will be elevated over coastlines and ocean. Meanwhile, ridging builds into the Bering, likely leading to widespread low stratus and fog that extends into the Aleutians and Pribilof Islands. By Monday, some kind of a low or trough will move into the Bering. This will push the ridge eastward and will trigger more active weather into the Bering. The ridge will briefly decrease activity over the Mainland before features move in late Monday into Tuesday. There is much uncertainty with features afterwards, but it is likely that more shortwaves or lows will move into the Mainland of Alaska, bringing widespread rainfall and elevated winds.

-JAR

AVIATION

PANC...Southeast winds blowing out of the Turnagain Arm will continue to slowly diminish this evening, shifting to a weak southwest wind off of the Cook Inlet by early Thursday morning. A shortwave disturbance moving in from the north could bring steady rain into the terminal later on Thursday morning, though this potential is highly uncertain given poor model handing of this feature. Even if rain does make it into the terminal late tonight into Thursday morning, expect predominantly VFR conditions to persist.