textproduct: Fairbanks

SYNOPSIS

Periods of snow continue this afternoon across portions of the Interior and the West Coast. Gusty winds continue over portions of the Alaska Range and Brooks Range, including the passes, as well as for portions of the Interior. This weekend conditions improve due to a high pressure area bringing warmer conditions, along with some light snow bursts in the Western Interior and the West Coast.

KEY WEATHER MESSAGES

Central and Eastern Interior...

- A winter storm will be slowly exiting the area this evening as it moves towards into the Brooks Range and the North Slope.

- Southerly winds across the Alaska Range will produce significant gap winds, gusting up to 80 mph through Isabel and Windy passes with gusts up to 70 mph toward Delta Junction.

- Winds remain strong across the Interior tonight with blizzard conditions, or near blizzard conditions possible above 1000 ft. Wind gusts in Fairbanks may be as high as 40 mph this evening.

- Periods of light rain in the Southern Interior potentially bring up to 0.10" in the northern AK Range.

- A few areas of snow are possible in the Interior on Sunday, but most of the area is expected to be dry and mild Sunday into next week.

West Coast and Western Interior...

- Snow persists in SW AK with a front moving north producing a heavy swath through the Western Interior through this evening. Periods of heavy snow are still likely in the Kobuk Valley.

- Winds will be breezy, with gusts over 40 mph possible across the region. Winds will gust up to 60 mph in the Bering Strait as well with blizzard conditions likely along coastal locations including St. Lawrence Island.

- Additional isolated areas of light snow and light freezing drizzle are expected on Saturday night into Sunday morning with a trace of snow or ice possible.

- Drier weather returns Sunday afternoon into next week with mild temperatures likely. However, there is a low chance of freezing drizzle early next week.

North Slope and Brooks Range..

- Northeasterly winds increase across the North Slope, peaking late Friday evening. They will be strongest along the coast, gusting up to 45 mph.

- Point Lay will have blizzard conditions until midnight tonight as winds increase and gust up to 65 mph.

- Anaktuvuk and Atigun Passes will also experience blizzard conditions from this evening through 3 PM Saturday. Winds will gust up to 40 mph with 2 to 5 inches of snow possible today.

- Temperatures will gradually increase through Saturday with highs around 0 along the coast and in the single digits/teens in the Brooks Range. Temperatures continue to rise this weekend into the 20s.

FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

The surface front is currently over the Interior this evening and it will continue to move north over the next several hours. This will bring the temperatures back down across the area resulting in the refreezing of the light amounts of rain that fell earlier today in portions of the Southern Interior. Meanwhile, the tight pressure gradient persists over and near the Alaska Range. Therefore, gusty winds persist over passes this evening. The gradient loosens overnight, thus the southerly winds slowly come down.

Over in the West Coast and the Western Interior, this area is closer to the core of the upper low which results in a long period of enhanced winds due to a tight pressure gradient through tomorrow morning. The front is pushing into the Seward Peninsula bringing an additional few inches of snow this evening. As the low continues to hover over the Bering Sea it will eject another shortwave this weekend bringing more periods of snow. However, snow amounts this time are expected to be light.

For the Brooks Range and the North Slope into the Arctic Coast the snow is expected to continue this evening along the frontal boundary. Winds also increase with the front resulting in gusty winds and near blizzard conditions for the Brooks Range. The front makes it to the Arctic Coast tonight, but by the time it reaches the region, it appears to lose most of its fuel. However, the light amounts of snow along with the gusty winds may lead to low visibilities. Furthermore, additional periods of light snow are likely once the aforementioned shortwave arrives up there.

EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7

A high amplitude upper level ridge expands from the US West Coast into AK early next week. This system will keep drier and generally warmer conditions areawide. Some models are hinting at a shortwave trough going around the edge of the upper high affecting portions of the West Coast and the North Slope with some low probabilities of freezing drizzle and snow. Anyway, any precipitation amounts are expected to be light with this low pressure area, if it actually develops as there is plenty of uncertainty about these small disturbances with the models.

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

AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

AK...Blizzard Warning for AKZ801. Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ802>805. Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ811-831-833-846. High Wind Warning for AKZ837-849-850. Winter Storm Warning for AKZ829-830-851-852. Blizzard Warning for AKZ812-832-834. Winter Storm Warning for AKZ813-819-828. Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ815. Blizzard Warning for AKZ820-821-827. Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ822-823. Blizzard Warning for AKZ824. Blizzard Warning for AKZ838-841>843. Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ839-840-844-845. Blizzard Warning for AKZ809. PK...Gale Warning for PKZ801-802-817-851. Gale Warning for PKZ803-814-815-861. Gale Warning for PKZ804-850. Gale Warning for PKZ805-852-853. Gale Warning for PKZ806-807-810. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ808. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ809. Gale Warning for PKZ811-857. Gale Warning for PKZ812-858. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ813. Gale Warning for PKZ816. Gale Warning for PKZ854. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ855. Gale Warning for PKZ856. Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ859. Gale Warning for PKZ860.