Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service College Park MD
556 PM EDT Wed Aug 13 2025
Valid 12Z Sun 17 Aug 2025 - 12Z Thu 21 Aug 2025
...Guidance Evaluation/Preferences...
Guidance overall seems reasonably well clustered over medium
range time scales, maintaining forecast confidence at above normal
levels well into next week. Favor a composite of the latest
models for Sunday to Tuesday for best detail. Again opted to
increasingly infuse ensemble guidance into the blend onward by
next midweek amid slowly growing forecast spread. The blending
process inherently tends to maintain best product continuity while
mitigating lingering smaller scale flow embedded system errors as
consistent with individual predictability. Manual adjustments were
also applied to offset inherent system blend weakening as needed.
...Weather/Hazards Highlights...
The medium range upper flow pattern over Alaska and vicinity will
remain highlighted through well into next week by slow to
dislodge closed lows/troughs over the Arctic Ocean and the
eastern Gulf of Alaska. A deepened surface low pressure system
meandering in the eastern Gulf will keep periodic rain chances
over the Southeast Panhandle, with the most appreciable rainfall
lingering into early this period with main low proximity and
frontal progression as well as with easterly wave energy. Across
the North Slope/Brooks Range down into the Interior, shortwaves
with some scattered modest rain chances will rotate through the
base of a deep low well north of the area over the Arctic Ocean.
There is also some upstream flow transition in the offing into
next week as an uncertain series of shortwaves and associated
surface systems/rain chances work through the Aleutians to the
western Gulf into early next week and perhaps with more energy to
the western Bering by next midweek that has some potential to
eventually bring enhanced rains/winds downstream to the Mainland.
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