Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
721 PM EDT Sat Jun 03 2023
Valid 12Z Wed Jun 07 2023 - 12Z Sun Jun 11 2023
...A stalled deep layer low will continue bringing rain to the
Alaska Peninsula/Southcentral mid-late next week, with
precipitation chances spreading north with time...
...Overview/Guidance Evaluation/Preferences...
A consolidating upper low and its associated surface low
reflection slowly positioning itself over the eastern
Aleutians/Alaska Peninsula will be the main weather feature going
into next week/weekend across the Alaska region. With such a
blocky pattern, there is relatively good model agreement and
higher confidence in the bigger picture details. By Wednesday/Day
4 the low will likely settle just north of the Aleutians with some
drift southeastward with time. Recent model guidance agrees on
this quite well through at least Friday/Day 6, though GFS/GEFS
runs eventually show the low tracking farther east than the
non-NCEP guidance next weekend, and given the blocky pattern, a
slower track holding the low west may be more likely. GFS runs
also show some additional rounds of energy in the northern Pacific
well south of the state (but potentially affecting the main low's
position) that are rather low confidence at this point. A quick
bout of upper ridging may remain across eastern to northern parts
of Alaska Day 4/Wednesday before it pushes east into western
Canada. This ridge exiting will allow for some lower pressures and
perhaps a frontal system or two to affect the Interior. Overall a
multi-model deterministic blend of the 12Z GFS/ECMWF/UKMET/CMC was
able to be used for the WPC forecast through Days 4-5 with slowly
increasing amounts of the GEFS and EC ensemble mean guidance as
the period progressed, while reducing the GFS component (and the
UKMET of course).
...Sensible Weather and Potential Hazards...
The heaviest precipitation amounts associated with the stacked low
may take place early next week in the short range period when
moisture anomalies are highest, perhaps channeling moisture from
what was Mawar in the western Pacific. But some precipitation is
likely to last for several days over the Alaska Peninsula to
Southcentral Alaska regions all the way into next weekend as the
low stalls/slowly meanders. Mainly rain is likely, though some
precipitation could be snow in the highest elevations. Rain
amounts over time could accumulate to several inches next week for
parts of the Alaska Peninsula and Southcentral Alaska.
Precipitation chances are forecast to increase farther north
across Interior Alaska for the latter part of next week into next
weekend, with some widespread moderate rain amounts possible.
Warmer than normal temperatures are possible for areas north of
the Alaska Range on Wednesday underneath the brief upper ridge,
with lows in the 50s and highs in the 70s for the lower elevations
of the Interior. Wednesday and perhaps Thursday may be warmer than
normal for parts of Southeast Alaska as well before a cooler
trend. The upper low and the coincident rain and cloudiness
chances should keep high temperatures down below normal along the
southern coastal regions. Then as some of that moisture and rain
chances spread northward, temperatures at least in terms of highs
should moderate closer to normal or below normal for much of the
Mainland late week into the weekend.
Tate
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