Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
758 PM EDT Sun Sep 17 2023
Valid 12Z Thu Sep 21 2023 - 12Z Mon Sep 25 2023
...Guidance Evaluation/Preferences...
The 12Z model guidance suite is initially in good agreement late
in the week, but model spread increases substantially going into
the weekend and beyond with the timing and magnitude of storm
systems crossing the Bering and the Gulf of Alaska. The CMC is
likely too far north with the low entering the Bering Sea by
Saturday, so a solution between the ECMWF/GFS was favored. The
use of the ensemble means increased to about 50-60% by Sunday and
Monday owing to increased uncertainty.
...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/Hamrick
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