Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
609 PM EDT Sat Aug 06 2022
Valid 12Z Wed Aug 10 2022 - 12Z Sun Aug 14 2022
...Very cold and wet pattern for August setting up over much of
Alaska through next midweek, especially the North Slope/Interior,
with rounds of heavy rainfall likely across the South/Southeast...
...Overview...
It remains the case that a deep closed low/upper trough with
strong height falls 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...
Forecast confidence is not bolstered by less than ideal guidance
run to run continuity variance related to stream
phasing/separation in an active medium range pattern for Alaska.
Accordingly, and with an eye toward continuity, blended the 12 UTC
ECMWF with the latest GEFS/ECMWF ensemble means. The ensemble
means maintain generally lower heights over the mainland for much
of next week in a continuing pattern and the 12 UTC ECMWF offers
insight on undercutting upper trough/low development and track
over the Gulf of Alaska that seems about the midpoint of a cluster
of 12 UTC ECMWF/GFS/UKMET/Canadian solutions.
...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 then Kodiak Island/southern Alaskan tier also
looks to become more organized by later next week into next
weekend 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 into next
midweek, 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 20+ degrees below normal and morning
low near or below freezing for some places. Temperatures should
slowly moderate later next week.
Schichtel
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