345
FXAK69 PAFG 310016
AFDAFG
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
416 PM AKDT SUN MAR 30 2025
SYNOPSIS
AN IMPACTFUL WEATHER PATTERN IS TAKING SHAPE ACROSS
NORTHERN ALASKA. A WARM FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS THE WESTERN
INTERIOR AND NORTH SLOPE TODAY. LOCALIZED BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE
OCCURING ALONG THE WESTERN ARCTIC COAST AND ADDITIONAL BLOWING
SNOW IS EXPECTED EAST TO KAKTOVIK THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. BEHIND
THIS FRONT, FREEZING DRIZZLE AND RAIN AND DENSE FOG ARE PRESENT
ALONG THE WEST COAST. THIS FRONT WILL BRING SNOW TO THE FAIRBANKS
AREA STARTING MONDAY MORNING. MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF SNOW WILL PERSIST
THROUGH THURSDAY, WITH RAIN POSSIBLY MIXING IN WITH SNOW AT VALLEY
LOCATIONS IN THE AFTERNOONS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE IN
EFFECT.
KEY WEATHER MESSAGES
CENTRAL AND EASTERN INTERIOR...
- WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE FAIRBANKS AREA
AS WELL AS DENALI PARK FOR SNOW AMOUNTS AND DIFFICULT TRAVEL
CONDITIONS BEGINNING MONDAY MORNING.
- WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY BEGINNING MONDAY MORNING FOR BLOWING
SNOW OVER THE STEESE HIGHWAY SUMMITS.
- DRY THROUGH THIS EVENING, WITH A FAST MOVING FRONT BRINGING
WIDESPREAD SNOWFALL TO THE INTERIOR TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING,
EXITING MONDAY NIGHT.
- EXPECTING 1 TO 3 INCHES ACROSS THE INTERIOR, HIGHEST AMOUNTS IN
THE AK RANGE AND UPPER CHENA BASIN.
- MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE WILL LIKELY BE IMPACTED BY ACCUMULATING
SNOWFALL.
- MORE ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL IS LIKELY MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH
THURSDAY ACROSS THE S INTERIOR AND ALASKA RANGE AS A FRONT
REMAINS OVER THE AREA. SEVERAL MORE INCHES OF SNOWFALL
ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE. EXPECT WARMING TEMPS WITH CONTINUED
PARTIAL MELTING ALONG THE ROADS IN THE AFTERNOON PERIODS, WITH
REFREEZING AT NIGHT. SNOW MIXING WITH RAIN IS POSSIBLE DURING
THE AFTERNOON HOURS.
WEST COAST AND WESTERN INTERIOR...
- AN ICE STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR ICE ACCUMULATION FROM
NOME TO GOLOVIN, WITH EITHER LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE AND/OR LIGHT
FREEZING RAIN. FREEZING PRECIPITATION WILL TAPER OFF THIS
EVENING.
- THE NEXT LOW MOVES IN MONDAY NIGHT WITH MORE CHANCES FOR SNOW
AND MIXED PRECIP. THE TRACK OF THIS LOW IS LOOKS TO BE FURTHER
SOUTH THAN THE FIRST TWO AND WILL CONTINUE TO BRING
PRECIPITATION THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
NORTH SLOPE AND BROOKS RANGE..
- BLOWING SNOW WITH LOCALIZED BLIZZARD CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE
OVERNIGHT AS A STRONG WARM FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE ARCTIC COAST
FROM WEST TO EAST. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT.
- TEMPERATURES RAPIDLY INCREASE TODAY AS THE FRONT MOVES ACROSS
THE REGION.
- WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF THE NORTH
SLOPE AND ARCTIC COAST REGION THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT, PERSISTING
THE LONGEST OVER THE E ARCTIC WHERE WINDS WILL REMAIN THE
STRONGEST AS THE LOW MOVES EAST.
- QUIETER WEATHER IS EXPECTED AFTER TUESDAY NIGHT AS WINDS
DIMINISH.
FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
THE SECOND WARM FRONT IN A
SERIES OF SYSTEMS HAS PUSHED FROM THE WEST COAST INTO THE WESTERN
INTERIOR THIS MORNING. BEHIND THIS FRONT, MOISTURE TRAPPED BENEATH
A HIGHLY ANOMALOUS RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE CENTERED OVER THE
WESTERN ALEUTIANS IS RESULTING IN FOG, FREEZING DRIZZLE, AND ICE
ACCUMULATION FROM NOME SOUTH ACROSS THE WEST COAST. WITH THE HIGH
EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN PLACE, THIS POSTFRONTAL FOG WILL ALSO LIKELY
REMAIN IN PLACE UNTIL ANOTHER SYSTEM ARRIVES LATE MONDAY, BRINGING
MIXED PRECIPITATION TO THE WEST COAST. PRIOR TO THAT, THE CURRENT
WARM FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE INTERIOR AND BRING 1 TO 2 INCHES OF
SNOW, INCLUDING FOR THE MONDAY MORNING COMMUTE ACROSS THE
FAIRBANKS AREA. THE NEXT SYSTEM ARRIVING AT THE WEST COAST ON
MONDAY WILL BRING MORE MOISTURE INTO THE INTERIOR MONDAY NIGHT AND
TUESDAY, WITH 3 TO 5 ADDITIONAL INCHES OF HEAVY WET SNOW LIKELY
ACROSS INTERIOR VALLEYS. PRECIPITATION MAY MIX WITH RAIN AT TIMES
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AFTERNOONS IN THE INTERIOR VALLEYS AS
TEMPERATURES RISE INTO THE MID 30S. YET ANOTHER SYSTEM ARRIVES TO
THE WEST COAST ON TUESDAY EVENING, BRINGING ADDITIONAL MIXED
PRECIPITATION BEFORE PUSHING INTO THE INTERIOR AS SNOW.
FORECAST MODELS HAVE COME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT ON THE OVERALL
PATTERN AND TIMING OF SYSTEMS, BUT STILL DIFFER SIGNIFICANTLY ON
TOTAL SNOW AMOUNTS. WITH THIS PATTERN BEING HIGHLY UNUSUAL, EXPECT
MODELS TO CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE. THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING, EXPECT 4
TO 9 INCHES OF TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ACROSS THE INTERIOR,
THOUGH WARM DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY CAUSE SOME MELTING OF
THE NEW SNOW THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7
THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD
BEGINNING WEDNESDAY NIGHT WILL BEGIN WITH A WEAKENING SYSTEM
ACROSS THE INTERIOR AND A TRAILING SHORTWAVE SYSTEM OVER THE
WESTERN ARCTIC COAST. AFTER THESE FEATURES PUSH EAST AND WEAKEN ON
THURSDAY, CHINOOK CONDITIONS WILL SET IN AND BRING THE WARMEST
TEMPERATURES OF THE SPRING THUS FAR TO THE INTERIOR FOR THE
WEEKEND WHILE COOL TEMPERATURES PERSIST ACROSS THE WEST COAST.
AREAS OF PRECIPITATION ARE STILL POSSIBLE ACROSS THE INTERIOR, SO
WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR POSSIBLE RAIN AS THE PATTERN
TRANSITIONS. WITH CHINOOK CONDITIONS, THIS IS UNLIKELY FOR THE
FAIRBANKS AREA. A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE PARKED OVER THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST WILL LIKELY CAUSE WARM TEMPERATURES AND CHINOOK
CONDITIONS TO PERSIST WELL INTO THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE
AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
AK...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ801>803-806.
ICE STORM WARNING FOR AKZ822.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ804-805-808.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ834.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ838>845.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR AKZ847.
PK...BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ806-810.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ807.
GALE WARNING FOR PKZ811-812-857-858.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ813-816-817-850-851-853-859>861.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ814.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ815.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ854.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ856.
CHRIEST
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page