Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
558 PM EDT Sat Nov 02 2024
Valid 12Z Wed Nov 06 2024 - 12Z Sun Nov 10 2024
...Deep low pressure systems could cause high winds across the
Aleutians/Alaska Peninsula and southwest Mainland and enhanced
precipitation in southern Alaska next week...
...Overview...
A deep and broad upper low will position itself over the eastern
Bering Sea and vicinity while the remnants of TC Kong-rey crosses
the northern Pacific. The deep surface low will impact the eastern
Aleutians/western Alaska Peninsula into Bristol Bay by Tuesday and
move into the Lower Kuskokwim/Yukon regions by Wednesday, bringing
high winds and heavy precipitation potential there, with heavy
precipitation also spreading to its east across Southcentral to
Southeast Alaska. Additional energy and surface low pressure are
likely to move eastward through the northern Pacific and reinforce
the trough pattern into midweek, with yet another surface low
tracking similarly for late next week. This deepening and then
reloading upper troughing over the Bering Sea southward into the
Aleutians and northern Pacific should promote ridging developing
across the eastern Mainland to Panhandle for mid- to later week,
but troughing may finally reach those areas by next
Friday-Saturday. Meanwhile the tight surface pressure gradient
could cause strong easterly winds across the North Slope with some
blowing snow.
...Guidance Evaluation/Preferences...
Overall the latest model guidance is reasonably good agreement
with the large scale pattern including the evolution of TC
Kong-rey in the western Pacific as its remnants approach the
Aleutians early next week. The broad and deep upper low and
surface lows were clustered within the 12Z GFS/ECMWF/CMC/UKMET
such that a near equal blend of the deterministic guidance was
preferred. After the low bottoms out on Tuesday, it begins to
fill/weaken into Wednesday, the start of the period. Upstream
another fast moving shortwave trough and surface low will move
through the northern Pacific mid-week, merging with the
preexisting upper low into Thursday. A blend favoring the 12Z
GFS/ECMWF worked through early Thursday, but then there is
additional spread later Thursday into Friday with where the low
ends up among deterministic models and ensemble members/means.
Additional surface lows moving into the region complicate the
forecast enough that by Days 7-8, the forecast favored a blend of
the GEFS and ECENS means.
...Weather/Hazards Highlights...
The deepening surface low moving from the northern Pacific
northeastward is expected to cause high winds for the Aleutians
and Alaska Peninsula on Monday and move into the Lower Kuskokwim
and Lower Yukon regions given the strength of the low. Ahead of
the low, precipitation including some heavy amounts will spread
from the Alaska Peninsula and into the Southwest Mainland Monday,
to Southcentral on Tuesday, and toward Southeast late Tuesday into
Wednesday. The reloading upper low pattern should promote
additional rounds of precipitation moving west to east across
southern Alaska through late week. High wind and heavy
precipitation hazards are outlooked on the Day 3-7 Hazards Chart
for these threats. Meanwhile, rounds of snow showers are possible
farther north through the period. A tight pressure gradient across
the North Slope could also cause some breezy easterly winds and
blowing snow there for potential for blizzard conditions, per
coordination with the Fairbanks WFO. Finally, in coordination with
WFO Fairbanks, there are chances for freezing rain on Tuesday and
Tuesday night along the coast south of Shaktoolik and from the
Yukon Delta inland to the Lower Yukon and McGrath.
Most locations will see above average temperatures rising further
as next week progresses, with the possible exceptions of the
Seward Peninsula, parts of the higher mountain peaks, and the
Panhandle showing cooler temperatures into midweek. In most cases
the anomalies for morning lows should be greater than anomalies
for daytime highs. High temperatures will generally be in the
upper teens to 20s in the Interior and North Slope, with 30s and
low to mid 40s in southern areas.
Tate/Taylor
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