Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
712 PM EDT Mon Oct 17 2022
Valid 12Z Fri Oct 21 2022 - 12Z Tue Oct 25 2022
...Southeast Alaska heavy precipitation threat into Friday...
...Emerging storm threat from the Aleutians Friday through the
Gulf of Alaska/coastal communities this weekend...
...Active pattern from Bering Sea Lows into Western Alaska through
the period...
...Overview and Guidance/Predictability Assessment and
Weather/Hazards Highlights...
The 12 UTC GFS/ECMWF/Canadian model solutions seem well clustered
for Friday and are well supported by ensembles in a pattern with
above normal predictability. In this period, low energies will
keep from the northern Bering Sea and Western/Southwest Alaska
into the Interior unsettled with periods of wintry precipitation
and some gusty winds/coastal surf. This includes influence from
Arctic stream upper trough/low energies lingering near the North
Slope. A lingering mean upper trough from the northern Bering Sea
back into Northeast Russia will act to hold onto this active
pattern over the weekend into next week, but offers a less certain
daily embedded weather system focus. The compatible and better run
to run consistent 12 UTC GEFS/NAEFS/ECMWF ensemble means seem to
provide a good forecast starting point for these longer time
frames, albeit with less detail consistent with growing
uncertainty. There is an emerging guidance signal to allow
development of a more consolidated Bering Sea maritime low early
next week to monitor.
Meanwhile, northern Gulf of Alaska low genesis and a potent
trailing front set to work eastward across the Gulf of Alaska into
Friday will focus a maritime threat along with wrapping/frontal
inflow into Southeast Alaska into Friday. The 12 UTC
GFS/ECMWF/UKMET/Canadian now offer a well clustered solution for
this period, bolstering forecast confidence. Upstream, forecast
spread increases dramatically with the 12 UTC Canadian/UKMET
offering a more phased solution lending development of a much
deeper new storm along/south of the Aleutians Friday to across the
Gulf of Alaska this weekend compared to the weaker and more
offshore 12 UTC GFS/ECMWF. The 12 UTC GEFS/NAEFS/ECMWF ensemble
means offer a compromise track offshore and manual modifications
were then applied to that composite to decently deepen the low
more than WPC continuity given potential in an energetic flow
stream. The earlier 00 UTC ECMWF and now the newer 18 UTC GFS
trended toward this preferred and collaborated solution that
offers an emerging maritime/precipitation/wind threat from the
Aleutians, the Alaskan Peninsula, Kodiak Island to South-central
and Southeast Alaska.
Schichtel
Hazards:
- Heavy precipitation across portions of the Alaska Panhandle and
mainland Alaska, Thu-Fri, Oct 20-Oct 21.
- High winds across portions of mainland Alaska, Thu-Sat, Oct
20-Oct 22.
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