Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service College Park MD
757 PM EDT Tue Sep 2 2025
Valid 12Z Sat 06 Sep 2025 - 12Z Wed 10 Sep 2025
...Windy with locally heavy rain across the Aleutians Friday into
Saturday followed by a round of widespread moderate rainfall
across the Southwest and western Mainland Sunday into Monday...
...Guidance Evaluation/Preferences...
The ECMWF yesterday led the way of forecasting a cyclone to track
across western Alaska closer to the coast. The GFS and CMC have
followed suit with a track in much better agreement with the ECMWF
since then. For the next cyclone in its wake, model agreement
has further improved since yesterday. The consensus is for the
cyclone center to make landfall on the west coast of mainland
Alaska early on Day 5 Sunday. Similar to the preceding cyclone,
the ECMWF favors a track closer to the west coast while the GFS
shows a more southern track toward the southwestern coast. The CMC
is in agreement with the ECMWF however. As this cyclone weakens
over mainland Alaska Days 6 and 7 (Mon-Tue), there is increasing
model agreement for the next cyclone to approach the western
Aleutians. Model spread has decreased since yesterday, and there
has been a better consensus for a deeper cyclone to impact the
Aleutians by Day 7 next Tuesday. The operational ECMWF has flipped
to a solution similar to yesterday's GFS with a much stronger
cyclone advancing into southern Bering Sea by then. Meanwhile, the
GFS has flipped to a weaker solution with a track passing just
south of the island chain. A mixed blend of the operational and
ensemble means is used to handle this cyclone on today's WPC
forecast maps.
The WPC forecast package for Alaska was based on 40% from the 12Z
GFS and GEFS, 40% from the 12Z ECMWF and 00Z/12Z EC mean, and 20%
from the CMC and CMC mean, trending toward a blend mostly from the
ensemble means by late in the forecast period. This blend yielded
excellent compatibility with yesterday's WPC forecasts.
...Weather/Hazards Highlights...
A prevailing storm track from the Aleutians toward western Alaska
will continue to bring active weather with frequent rounds of
wind and rain across these areas through the forecast period.
The heavy rain threat associated with the first cyclone should be
quickly easing across the western Brooks Range on Friday, but a
period of wet snow can be expected to spread across the eastern
section of the Brooks Range as colder air arrives behind the
weakening system on Friday.
The next cyclone in line appears to be stronger than its
predecessor, with the highest threat of gale force winds and
moderate to possibly heavy rain to impact western to central
Aleutians early on Friday. Models are in agreement with a gradual
weakening of the system thereafter, with a slightly lower threat
of high winds and heavy rain to impact the eastern Aleutians to
the southwestern coastline on Saturday. Nevertheless, windy and
rainy conditions are expected to spread further into western
Alaska from Sunday into Monday. As the system pushes farther
inland, the western portion of the Brooks Range appears to be the
target of another round of moderate to locally heavy precipitation
early next week. Meanwhile, there is increasing model signal for
another relatively deep cyclone to reach the western Aleutians
early next week, with its wind and rain possibly spreading into
the Alaska Peninsula and the southern coastline by Tuesday night.
The southern periphery of the two systems mentioned in the
previous paragraph is forecast to bring a couple rounds of
moderate to locally heavy rain for the southern coastal sections
such as Kodiak Island. There will be little to no rain to speak
of farther east across much of the Alaska Panhandle until by late
Monday next week when rain ahead of the second cyclone edges into
the region. With the prevalence of clouds and rain, cool daytime
temperatures are expected across southwestern Alaska. Otherwise,
somewhat warmer than normal conditions are expected for the
eastern part of the state especially the Panhandle, the North
Slope, and portions of the Alaskan Peninsula through early next
week.
Kong
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