textproduct: Fairbanks

KEY MESSAGES...Central and Eastern Interior

- Light snow continues to move from southeast to northwest this afternoon. It has been snowing in Northway all day and will begin between 3 to 6 PM around Fairbanks. Snow continues through the night and lifts north towards the Brooks Range Saturday afternoon. *Snowfall totals around 0.5 to 2 inches in the Tanana Valley through Saturday morning and 1 to 3 inches in the White Mtns, Dalton Highway and Bettles to Coldfoot Saturday to Sunday.

- Sunday comes with snow showers, especially north/west of Fairbanks with another round of light snow possible Monday into Tuesday.

- Temperatures will be chilly but remain near to slightly above normal thanks to cloud cover and snow.

West Coast and Western Interior...

- Periods of light snow are expected in the Interior north of McGrath through Sunday with snow showers on Monday. * Snow accumulations around 1 to 3 inches through Sunday.

- Periods of light snow in the Bering strait Region developing Sunday afternoon and continuing into the middle of next week. * Snow accumulations around 1 to 3 inches through Monday night.

- Temperatures remain near normal through Sunday then drop below normal on Monday. Teens/low 20s in the Western Interior and low to mid 20s on the coast. Yukon Delta/St. Lawrence Island 25 to 35.

North Slope and Brooks Range... - Areas of very light snow and gusty wind continue through the weekend along the coast.

- Wind gusts up to near 50 mph on the Beaufort Sea Coast this afternoon, will weaken to around 20 to 30 mph this weekend into next week.

- Gusts to around 50 mph likely along the Chukchi Sea Coast/Lisburne Peninsula later this afternoon through the middle of next week.

- Temperatures drop to near normal values starting Saturday.

SYNOPSIS

Upper level shortwave trofs moving from SE to NW periodically through this weekend & next week will bring some periods of light snow showers primarily to the Interior, & Central & Eastern Brooks Range, with the West Coast(around the Seward Peninsula) seeing some lighter snow showers drift around the area through much of the weekend. A tightened pressure gradient from an area of high pressure over the Arctic Ocean keeps gusty winds over the Arctic Coast, generally through the forecast period. With the exception of the Chukchi Sea Coast / Bering Strait area, wind gusts subside for the latter half of the weekend & Monday as the gradient there relaxes a bit. The winds to the east will increase, once again, for Monday night through the work-week as the pressure gradient tightens up, again. This may cause a bit of periodic blowing snow, reducing visibilities, at times. Temperatures across the region will finally be dropping to around normal values starting the latter half of the weekend.

SHORT TERM.../Through Monday Night/

The overarching weather pattern shows broad troughing is in place over northern Alaska with a strong ridge of high pressure of about 1030mb setting up over the Arctic Ocean. Looking up at the 500mb model heights/vorticity forecast output, several weak shortwave trofs look to move over our region, rotating counterclockwise around a quick series of strong SFC lows of about 970mb poised over the Gulf of Alaska. These will bring some snow showers with light accumulations to the Interior, the Eastern & Central Brooks Range, & Seward Peninsula into late weekend. A couple of upper-lvl vort-maxes look to advect northward over the Eastern & Central Interior & Eastern & Central Brooks Range starting this afternoon & going through Saturday, which will work to enhance lift enough for accumulating light-to-moderate snow showers to develop over those areas, moving from south to north.

As we move into next week, colder & drier air advects into the region, finally cooling the Interior to around normal values, which is confirmed by model forecast 850mb temperature & 700mb moisture advection. Any breaks in the clouds during the overnight hours will assist in this. Additional weaker shortwave trofs will continue to rotate around the parent low in the Gulf as we move into next week, with less energy & moisture to work with, bringing our AOR more snow showers, but they will be lighter/weaker & more scattered in coverage.

As far as the winds are concerned, the tightened North to South pressure gradient over the Arctic Coast down to the Bering Strait, keeping winds gusty between an area of high pressure over the Arctic Ocean & lower pressure to the south. The high will shift westward through the weekend, increasing winds for the Chukchi Sea Coast & Bering Strait areas & decreasing winds for the Beaufort Sea Coast. The Arctic high will shift eastward on Monday, increasing winds, once again, for the Beaufort Sea coast & decreasing them for the Bering Strait area. These increased winds over the Arctic Coastal areas, may cause periodic blowing snow, reducing visibilities, at times.

COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL

No coastal hazard concerns are anticipated at this time.

AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

AK...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory from 9 PM this evening to 6 PM AKST Saturday for PKZ810-856. Small Craft Advisory until 6 PM AKST Saturday for PKZ811>814- 857>861. Gale Warning from 6 PM this evening to 6 PM AKST Saturday for PKZ811. Heavy Freezing Spray Warning from 3 AM to noon AKST Saturday for PKZ812. Brisk Wind Advisory until 3 AM AKST Saturday for PKZ813. Heavy Freezing Spray Warning until midnight AKST tonight for PKZ813. Heavy Freezing Spray Warning from 3 AM to 6 AM AKST Saturday for PKZ813. Heavy Freezing Spray Warning from 9 AM to 6 PM AKST Saturday for PKZ813. Brisk Wind Advisory until 6 PM AKST Saturday for PKZ814-859. Gale Warning until midnight AKST tonight for PKZ814. Heavy Freezing Spray Warning until 6 PM AKST Saturday for PKZ814-815-860-861. Brisk Wind Advisory until 3 PM AKST Saturday for PKZ815. Small Craft Advisory until 3 PM AKST Saturday for PKZ815. Small Craft Advisory until 3 PM AKST this afternoon for PKZ851. Gale Warning from 9 PM this evening to 6 PM AKST Saturday for PKZ857. Heavy Freezing Spray Warning until 3 PM AKST Saturday for PKZ859. Brisk Wind Advisory until 6 AM AKST Saturday for PKZ860-861. Gale Warning until 3 PM AKST this afternoon for PKZ860.