Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service College Park MD
607 PM EDT Fri Aug 22 2025
Valid 12Z Tue 26 Aug 2025 - 12Z Sat 30 Aug 2025
...Multi-day heavy rain/flooding and wind threat for the Mainland
extending well into next week as fueled by an atmospheric river
with a tropical connection...
...Guidance Evaluation/Preferences...
The 12 UTC GFS/ECMWF/UKMET/Canadian model solutions seem well
clustered valid for Tuesday/Wednesday in an energetic pattern with
above normal predictability. A composite maintains good WPC
product continuity and has good ensemble support. The 12 UTC GFS
then ejects an anchoring closed upper low/trough position eastward
over the Arctic Ocean mid-later next week more than other
guidance, a recent bias for blocky high latitude systems with some
runs of the GFS. Accordingly, instead prefer a blend of more
compatible guidance of the 12 UTC ECMWF/Canadian models and the
GEFS/ECMWF/NAEFS ensemble mean at these longer time frames.
Even so, all guidance tends to offer reasonably similar flow
evolutions over the full forecast domain, bolstering confidence.
...Weather/Hazards Highlights...
Expect a deep, closed upper low/trough position will remain
anchored over the Arctic Ocean well into next week as a mid-
upper latitude closed upper low/trough slowly loses influence over
the Gulf of Alaska/Northeast Pacific as a maritime hazard. In
between, a long fetch of deep moisture and a pooling wavy frontal
system/supporting main upper trough shift over the Aleutians and
the Bering Sea to take aim on Western/Southwestern Alaska into
early/mid next week, with multi-day rainfall/flooding and wind
threats over coastal areas spreading broadly inland into the
Interior also affecting the Brooks and Alaska Ranges. This well
established atmospheric river has connection to current west
Pacific Tropical Depression Lingling. Activity may be further
enhanced and protracted as shortwave energy rotates through the
southern periphery of the Arctic Ocean closed low. The
trajectory/axis of the heavy rain will slowly become orientated
more Southwest-Northeast over Southwest/west-central portions of
the state before slowly shifting transitional focus to the Alaska
Peninsula, Kodiak Island then SouthCentral Alaska/Alaska Range
with downstream translation of the supporting closed upper trough
and deepened surface low/system foray into Gulf waters into mid-
later next week. There is an emerging threat for an inland surge
of high winds and terrain enhancing gap flows to monitor. More
details about threat focus can be found on the WPC Hazards
Outlook.
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