Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
755 PM EDT Mon Jul 11 2022
Valid 12Z Fri Jul 15 2022 - 12Z Tue Jul 19 2022
...Heavy Precipitation Threat at times for parts of the Alaskan
Southern Tier...
...Overview...
The medium-range period will begin with a shortwave trough moving
farther away from northeastern Alaska into the Canadian Arctic
Archipelago on Friday. Additional upper-level troughs and surface
frontal waves from northeastern Siberia are forecast to move
toward northern Alaska from time to time as a large upper low from
near the North Pole drops southward toward northeastern Siberia.
This pattern will maintain a frontal boundary across the northern
tier of Alaska through the forecast period. Meanwhile, an
occluded cyclone moving across western Aleutians into the Bering
Sea late this week should make landfall across southwestern Alaska
by Sunday, followed by the remnants of the system most likely
sliding across the southern coast toward the Panhandle early next
week.
...Guidance/Predictability Assessment...
The synoptic evolution depicted by the ensemble means from the 00Z
EC mean, 12Z GEFS, and 12Z CMC mean appear quite agreeable with
each other through the medium-range period. The GEFS and
especially the GFS and CMC are in favor of retaining the Bering
Sea low during the weekend. The ECMWF on the other hand is more
progressive with pushing the low onshore, so much so that a rather
broad cyclonic circulation is forecast to move up into northern
Alaska by Tuesday, which appears to be an outlier solution.
Therefore, the Alaskan forecasts for today were based on 40% from
the 00Z EC mean/12Z ECMWF, 40% from the 12Z GEFS/GFS, and 20% from
the 00Z CMC/CMC mean, transitioning to mostly the ensemble means
by Days 7 & 8. The results look very compatible with yesterday's
forecasts.
...Weather/Hazard Highlights...
The forecast period should begin with colder than normal
temperatures, especially from the Brooks Range northward,
following a fresh early-season snow cover behind a departing
frontal wave on Thursday. The arrival of additional shortwaves
from northeastern Siberia will keep daytime temperatures cooler
than normal for much of Alaska in additional to increasing chance
of rain moving into the interior late this week. The southern
portion of the Panhandle should see heavy rain threat on Friday
with a cyclone passing to the south. Meanwhile, another cyclone
will likely move across the western Aleutians into the Bering Sea
late this week, bringing a threat of heavy rain for portions of
the southern tier later in the weekend, with the heavy rain
possibly lingering into early next week. The associated moisture
should also penetrate further inland with a more widespread round
of rain through the interior sections.
Kong
Hazards:
- Heavy rain across portions of the Alaska Panhandle, Thu, Jul 14.
- Heavy rain across portions of mainland Alaska, Sat-Mon, Jul
16-Jul 17.
- Heavy rain across portions of mainland Alaska, Sat-Sun, Jul
16-Jul 18.
- Much below normal temperatures across portions of mainland
Alaska, Thu-Sun, Jul 14-Jul 17.
Additional 3-7 Day Hazard Information can be found on the WPC
medium range hazards outlook chart at:
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/threats/threats.php
WPC medium range Alaskan products including 500mb, surface
fronts/pressures progs and sensible weather grids can also be
found at:
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/alaska/ak_5dayfcst500_wbg.gif
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/alaska/akmedr.shtml
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/alaska/ak_5km_gridsbody.html