textproduct: Anchorage

SHORT TERM FORECAST SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA (Days 1 through 3)

More cool, cloudy and rainy weather is expected through the weekend as Southcentral gets sandwiched between an upper low over Southwest and a broad surface and upper level low over the north Gulf and Pacific. Precipitation will be fairly widespread starting late this evening and continuing through the overnight hours as a leading shortwave north of the Gulf low moves inland. This will push into the Interior on Saturday, giving inland areas a bit of reprieve from the rain while steady light rain from the Gulf storm blankets coastal areas. For Sunday, the remaining upper level energy from the Gulf low will move over Southcentral and merge with the now broadened low over Southwest Alaska. Both will lift inland late Sunday, producing another round of rain and mountain snow as cold air moves back in from the southwest.

AVIATION

PANC...VFR conditions to persist through the period. Turnagain winds early this morning are settling down and getting replaced by light east to northeast winds as a down inlet gradient sets up. Some lingering vicinity showers are possible but general thinking is for activity to remain west and over the inlet, likely dissipating through the rest of this afternoon. Rain chances gustier north winds then return late tonight/early Saturday with the arrival of a Gulf front.

-BL