Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
632 PM EST Thu Feb 06 2025
Valid 12Z Mon Feb 10 2025 - 12Z Fri Feb 14 2025
...High winds across Aleutians and SW mainland late early next
week; heavy precipitation over parts of Alaska Peninsula and
Kodiak Islands...
...Overview...
The upper-level pattern will remain mainly stationary with
troughing over the North Pacific and western Bering as well as
ridging from the Gulf Coast through the mainland. Shortwave energy
will likely propagate along the southern periphery of the
aforementioned trough through the Aleutians as well as across the
Seward Peninsula and the northern mainland. Deep, occluded low
pressure systems are likely to move across the western and central
Aleutians. Surface high pressure slowly degrades beneath the
retreating upper ridge into western Canada.
...Guidance Evaluation and Preferences...
The 12z suite of guidance was well clustered around a mass field
evolution that featured potent Aleutian troughs strengthening then
decaying and retreating over the North Pac/Bering. Models also
capture the mainland ridge fairly well, including its split and
the ascent of its northern bubble high into the Arctic Sea.
Favored a Euro-GFS weighted blend on days 4 and 5, followed by a
Euro-ensemble means blend on day 6, ending with an ensemble means
blend on days 6 and 7.
...Weather/Hazards Highlights...
Energy associated with a potent mean upper low over the
Bering/western Aleutians will propagate north-south through the
Alaskan Panhandle and western mainland through the middle of next
week. The tight pressure gradient between the deep Aleutian
surface low and a strong mainland ridge will result in high winds
across the Alaskan Panhandle and Lower Kuskokwim region on Monday.
Heavy rain/snow is likely to persist across the Peninsula and
Kodiak Island throughout the period due to the persistent
troughing and moist southerly flow into the mountainous region.
Temperatures should remain around average for much of the Gulf
Coast and mainland while a warming trend ensues for the Aleutians
and western mainland.
Kebede
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