Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
648 PM EDT Thu Oct 06 2022
Valid 12Z Mon Oct 10 2022 - 12Z Fri Oct 14 2022
...Potent Bering Sea storm to impact Western/Southwestern Alaska
Monday with a threat for high winds/waves and coastal flooding...
...Heavy rainfall and elevation heavy snow threat for
South-central to Southeastern Alaska to return mid-late next
week...
...Guidance/Predictability Assessment and Weather/Hazards
Highlights...
The 12 UTC GFS/ECMWF/UKMET solutions seem best clustered Monday
into Wednesday and a composite blend seems to offer a good basis
for the forecast that is well supported by ensembles. There is a
high likelihood that this period will be highlighted by emergence
of a powerful storm set to lift from the North Pacific into the
Bering Sea before slamming into West/Southwest Alaska Monday.
Guidance has trended much stronger with this dynamic system and
that seems reasonable given upstream satellite signature/upper jet
support. This system offers a maritime high wind/wave threat and
lead enhanced precipitation/long fetch deep moisutre inland across
western/southwest Alaska Monday along with a swath of wrapping
high winds and a risk of coastal flooding.
Later, individual system timing and emphasis differences remain
more problematic through mid-late next week in amplifying flow.
However, model and ensemble solutions still favor a similar patern
evolution aloft into and highlight development of an amplified
upper trough from the Bering Sea through the Aleutians and
amplified upper ridging building over the central to eastern Gulf
of Alaska. There remains a decent signal to monitor for the
tapping of additional mid-latitude Pacific system energy and long
fetch moisture that could fuel a renewed threat for heavy
precipitation back into south-central to southeastern Alaska given
an emerging flow channel to the state in between the upper
trough/ridge couplet. The WPC medium range product suite at these
longer time frames was derived from the most compatible 12 UTC
GEFS/NAEFS/ECMWF ensemble means. Manually adjustements were
applied to blend output to mitigate some system weakening inherent
to the blending process amid growing forecast spread and run to
run model continuity issues.
Upstream, there is also now an above normal ensemble guidance
signal in support of yet another potent storm expected to track
generally eastward from eastern Asia and the northwest Pacific
early-mid next week to the Aleutians/southern Bering Sea in about
a week. This deep low also offers a wind/waves and wrapping
enhanced rainfall threat broadly along the path.
Schichtel
Hazards:
- Heavy precipitation across portions of the Alaska Panhandle and
mainland Alaska, Sun, Oct 9.
- Heavy precipitation across portions of the Alaska Panhandle and
mainland Alaska, Tue-Wed, Oct 11-Oct 12.
- High winds across portions of mainland Alaska, Mon, Oct 10.
- High winds across portions of mainland Alaska, Sun, Oct 9.
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