Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
619 PM EDT Sat Sep 16 2023
Valid 12Z Wed Sep 20 2023 - 12Z Sun Sep 24 2023
...Stormy pattern continues with a heavy rain threat for Southeast
Alaska to persist through next week...
...Guidance Evaluation/Preferences...
Prefer a solution closest to best clustered guidance from the 12
UTC GFS/ECMWF Wednesday and Thursday. These models have stronger
GEFS/ECMWF/Canadian ensemble support versus the 12 UTC
UKMET/Canadian and maintain max WPC product continuity across the
forecast domain. However, forecast spread and uncertainty has
increased since yesterday, especially for later next week onward.
This is evident with both the handling of a closed upper
trough/low over northwest Alaska and upper trough amplitudes over
the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska. Prefer to blend more
compatible ensemble means given the lack of strong signal support
for a given solution at this time. Manual adjustments were applied
as warranted to re-deepen systems over weakened by the blending
process as based on individual predictability and support.
...Pattern Overview and Weather/Hazards Highlights...
There remains a strong guidance signal in this continued stormy
pattern in support of additional deep low development and track
into/across the southern Bering Sea and Aleutians out from early
next week along with an enhanced maritime risk and wrapping heavy
rainfall/winds. Steady downstream deep energy transfer should lead
to the potential storm, with aforementioned risks spreading past
southwest Alaska, the Alaskan Peninsula and Kodiak Island Tuesday
into Wednesday, and then Southcentral to Southeast Alaska in
earnest by Wednesday into next Thursday, lingering into Friday.
This system will likely tap a deep layered and long fetched
atmospheric river with low latitude origins to fuel rainfall.
Farther north, a closed upper low will settled over northwest
Alaska into mid next week may slowly weaken and eject into the
Arctic Ocean later next week or alternately linger over the North
Slope/Interior. This system seems amplified enough aloft along
with an organized surface system to support unsettled conditions,
especially early-mid next week, to include broadly scattered
precipitation in proximity of the system and with the added
terrain effect for some Brooks Range snows.
Upstream, another deep low in this powerhouse series may meanwhile
work into the Bering Sea next Thursday/Friday that is likely to
spread threatening weather to the western mainland heading into
next weekend, likely with a farther northward track/effect than
the previous stream of systems given favorable guidance trends. In
addition to a maritime hazard, this system may offer enhanced
precipitation and winds along with the potential for amplified
coastal impacts.
Schichtel
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