Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
351 PM EST Wed Nov 30 2022
Valid 12Z Sun Dec 04 2022 - 12Z Thu Dec 08 2022
...Guidance/Predictability Assessment and Preferences...
The guidance, outside the 12z ECMWF, shows good agreement
concerning the general flow pattern in and around AK. A large and
deep upper level vortex over Siberia broadens eastward with time,
eventually enveloping the Bering Sea, Aleutians, and western AK.
Detail-wise, even counting out the ECMWF which brings a low much
closer to western AK early on, there is lingering uncertainty.
Chose the blend similar guidance to account for the detail issues
that remained. For the 500 hPa heights, pressures, fronts, and
winds, generally used a deterministic heavy blend of the 12z GFS,
12z UKMET, and 12z Canadian early on before including up to 50% of
the 12z NAEFS mean/00z ECMWF ensemble means. The QPF used the 19z
NBM and, 12z GFS, and 12z Canadian solutions. The remainder of
the grids were 19z NBM weighted, as usual.
...Weather/Hazards Highlights...
There will be several notable weather hazards to contend with. A
strong storm system north of Alaska will be responsible for
generating intense winds from north of Nome on north and east
along the northern Alaskan coast Saturday. Euro ensemble
probabilities continue to show up to a 20-30% chance for wind
gusts >50 knots across far northern Alaska, with as much as 70%
for >34 knots. As that low exist east, the next strong storm
system tracks into the Bering Sea on Dec 4. Hazards associated
with this storm system include high winds across the Aleutians on
north to the Norton Sound and Seward Peninsula. There are
elevated locations along the Seward Peninsula and farther
northeast that are favored upslope locations for heavy snow.
Eventually, this storm system will deliver heavy precipitation
along the Upper Peninsula on Day 4/Saturday into Sunday, then
towards Kodiak Island on Day 5/Sunday into Monday. Enough ensemble
guidance is in better agreement on heavy precipitation area along
the Kenai Peninsula and into the southern Mainland which then
shifts into the AK Panhandle with time.
Roth/Mullinax
Hazards:
- Heavy precipitation across portions of mainland Alaska, Sat-Tue,
Dec 3-Dec 6.
- Heavy snow across portions of mainland Alaska, Sat-Mon, Dec
3-Dec 5.
- High winds across portions of mainland Alaska and the Aleutians,
Sat-Sun, Dec 3-Dec 4.
- High winds across portions of mainland Alaska, Sun-Tue, Dec
4-Dec 6.
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