Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
756 PM EDT Tue Oct 18 2022
Valid 12Z Sat Oct 22 2022 - 12Z Wed Oct 26 2022
...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...
A mean trough/upper low will be in place over the Bering Sea back
to northeast Russia with multiple impulses near the North Slope
during this period which will largely keep the region in an active
pattern. Much of West/Southern Alaska and portions of the Interior
will be unsettled during the course of the extended forecast as
multiple energy impulses track through the flow ushering in gusty
winds, coastal surf and wintry precipitation. Although this
synoptic pattern has above average predictability, it does
decrease confidence on specifics with each individual system as it
tracks through the region. The 12Z deterministic guidance from the
ECWMF, GFS, CMC (UKMET at least initially) are fairly clustered
with the surface low near the AK Pen that tracks toward the
southern/Southeast. From then on there is increasing spread with
the next couple of systems entering in from the North Pacific and
Bering Sea. Some of the energy from TD 24W and 92W in the western
Pacific will be absorbed into the flow which also increases the
spread. Similar to previous runs, 12Z GEFS, NAEFS and ECMWF
ensemble means continue to have above average predictability and
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.
Upstream, forecast spread continues to increase 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.
Utilizing a heavy weighting of the 12Z GEFS, NAEFS and the 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.
Campbell/Schichtel
Hazards:
- High winds across portions of the Aleutians, Mon-Tue, Oct 24-Oct
25.
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