Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
552 PM EDT Fri Aug 05 2022
Valid 12Z Tue Aug 09 2022 - 12Z Sat Aug 13 2022
...Very cold and wet pattern for August setting up over much of
Alaska, especially the North Slope/Interior, with rounds of heavy
rainfall likely across the South/Southeast...
...Overview...
A deep closed low will drive a cold front across western/central
Alaska and into the Gulf of Alaska early-mid next week, with
widespread organized precipitation including terrain/mountain
snows become increasingly likely across the Mainland. This system
will usher in a much cooler regime across Alaska that now seems
more likely to linger through late next week with the reinforcing
digging of Arctic stream energies. Meanwhile, yet another
protracted period with heavy rainfall potential develops and
spreads across southern/southeast Alaska next week.
...Guidance/Predictability Assessment...
The 12 UTC GEFS ensemble mean is the most amplified of the means
with upper troughing over the mainland next week. However, all
ensemble means are less amplified than the 12 UTC
GFS/ECMWF/Canadian into later next week, so given the recent
nature of the pattern opted to include some model info days 4-8
into a forecast blend with the GEFS mean even though
GFS/ECMWF/Canadian embedded system model differences get less
pretty over time across the Alaskan domain. This maintains decent
WPC product continuity, albeit trending a bit more amplified and
colder into longer time frames.
...Sensible Weather...
Much of mainland Alaska looks to remain rather unsettled next week
as strong systems dig into region. This likely brings protracted
periods with gusty winds as well as widespread and locally
enhanced precipitation given large height falls/upper support.
Some of this precipitation could fall as snow, particularly parts
of northwest Alaska and elevated terrain. The heaviest
precipitation should shift south and east with time next week,
with the potential for heavy rainfall once again returning to
parts of south/southeast Alaska and the Panhandle region as low
pressure systems focus a plume of long fetch Pacific moisture
across the region. Precipitation over the Aleutians/Alaska
Peninsula region also looks to become more organized by later next
week as a new systems develops/reforms and tracks just to the
south of the area across the northern Pacific.
Chilly temperatures will overspread much of Alaska, including the
Panhandle with daytime highs as much as 10 to 20 degrees below
normal. The highest anomalies will feature across the North Slope
and into the Interior region though, where anomalies could be as
high as 30+ degrees below normal and morning low near or below
freezing for some places. Temperatures may begin to slowly
moderate from west to east mid-later next week but remain chilly
and unsetted for summer.
Schichtel
Hazards:
- Heavy rain across portions of the Alaska Panhandle and mainland
Alaska, Mon-Wed, Aug 8-Aug 10.
- Much below normal temperatures across portions of mainland
Alaska, Mon-Fri, Aug 8-Aug 12.
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