618
FXAK69 PAFG 251353
AFDAFG
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
453 AM AKST THU DEC 25 2025
SYNOPSIS
A QUIET START TO CHRISTMAS AS COLDER AND DRIER AIR BEGINS TO
SETTLE BACK INTO THE REGION. ALONG THE BEAUFORT SEA COASTLINE
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE CONTINUING, BUT WILL BEGIN TO DISSIPATE
LATER THIS MORNING. A VERY WEAK FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE UPPER
KUSKOKWIM VALLEY FRIDAY MORNING BRINGING LIGHT SNOW TO THE AREA.
THIS SYSTEM WILL MOVE WEST TO EAST, POTENTIALLY BRINGING LIGHT
SNOW INTO THE TANANA VALLEY BY FRIDAY NIGHT. OVERALL SKIES WILL
CLEAR FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE WEEKEND, AND TEMPERATURES WILL FALL
RAPIDLY ACROSS NORTHERN ALASKA.
KEY WEATHER MESSAGES
CENTRAL AND EASTERN INTERIOR...
- TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO FALL ACROSS THE EASTERN INTERIOR
TODAY. BY TONIGHT OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE IN THE 20S TO 40S BELOW
ZERO RANGE. THESE COOLER TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN
THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK, WITH OCCASIONAL BRIEF WARM-UPS AS
CLOUDS MOVE THROUGH THE REGION.
- FRIDAY AFTERNOON LIGHT SNOW IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THE TANANA VALLEY
TO DENALI PARK. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LESS THAN HALF AN
INCH. THESE SNOW CHANCES WILL MOVE WEST TO EAST FRIDAY NIGHT.
STARTING SATURDAY MORNING THE UPPER TANANA VALLEY WILL SEE A
MULTI-DAY SNOW EVENT AS A FRONT STALLS OVER THEM. SNOW TOTALS
FROM SATURDAY TO MONDAY COULD BE 3 TO 6 INCHES, WITH MORE
POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN.
WEST COAST AND WESTERN INTERIOR...
- COLDER TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN TO THE REGION TODAY. NIGHTTIME
LOWS ALONG THE COAST WILL BE IN THE 10S TO 20S BELOW ZERO, AND
THE WESTERN INTERIOR SEEING 30S AND 40S BELOW ZERO RETURN.
- ANOTHER ROUND OF NORTHERLY WINDS THROUGH THE BERING STRAIT
THURSDAY NIGHT IS EXPECTED. THIS COULD CREATE AREAS OF REDUCED
VISIBILITY DUE TO BLOWING SNOW. THESE WINDS WILL WEAKEN BY
FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
- LIGHT SNOW IS POSSIBLE IN THE UPPER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY FRIDAY
NIGHT WITH ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 2 INCHES POSSIBLE.
NORTH SLOPE AND BROOKS RANGE..
- BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ALONG THE BEAUFORT SEA COASTLINE WILL
CONTINUE UNTIL MIDDAY TODAY.
- ARCTIC AIR RETURNS TO THE REGION TONIGHT BRINGING LOW
TEMPERATURES INTO THE 30S AND 40S BELOW ZERO. THE EASTERN ARCTIC
COASTLINE WILL SEE WIND CHILLS INTO THE 50S BELOW ZERO STARTING
TOMORROW NIGHT. THESE CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE
WEEKEND.
- EARLY NEXT WEEK THERE IS THE POTENTIAL TO SEE TWO ROUNDS OF
LIGHT SNOW MOVING WEST TO EAST FROM POINT HOPE TO DEADHORSE.
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WOULD BE LIGHT WITH THESE TWO SYSTEMS, BUT
WOULD BRING A REPRIEVE FROM THE COLDER AIR.
FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
A 996 MB LOW PRESSURE IS CONTINUING TO MOVE EAST ACROSS THE
CANADIAN ARCHIPELAGO. AS THIS LOW MOVES EAST, THE BARRIER JET THAT
HAS DEVELOPED ALONG THE BEAUFORT SEA COASTLINE WILL BEGIN TO
WEAKEN LATER THIS MORNING. A TRIPLE POINT LOW OFF THE COAST OF ST.
PAUL ISLAND IS BEING BLOCKED FROM MOVING FURTHER INTO THE INTERIOR
FROM A 1040 MB HIGH IN FAR EASTERN SIBERIA. WITH IT BEING BLOCKED
THE WARM FRONT THAT EXTENDS ONTO THE MAINLAND WILL BE RELEGATED TO
THE UPPER KUSKOKWIM AND TANANA VALLEY.
THIS FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE UPPER TANANA VALLEY BY SATURDAY
MORNING. THIS FRONT WILL BEGIN TO STALL AS MUCH OF THE UPPER LEVEL
SUPPORT HAS FADED. MOVING INTO SUNDAY THERE WILL BE A 980 MB LOW
PRESSURE IN THE GULF OF ALASKA. THIS LOW WILL SEND MULTIPLE FRONTS
THROUGH SOUTHEAST ALASKA THAT WILL WRAP INTO THE SOUTHEAST
INTERIOR. THIS WILL REINVIGORATE THE STALLED FRONT, AND SUPPLY
ADDITIONAL MOISTURE TO THE LOWER LEVELS. THERE COULD BE A PERIOD
OF MODERATE SNOWFALL FROM THIS EVENT, PARTICULARLY ON THE
NORTHERN SLOPES OF THE EASTERN ALASKA RANGE.
EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7
THE FIRST OF TWO TROUGHS WILL MOVE OVER TOP THE RIDGE AXIS IN THE
BERING SEA, BRINGING AN ARCTIC FRONT IN THE NORTHWEST ARCTIC
COASTLINE. MODELS HAVE SHIFTED THIS FRONT TO REMAIN NORTH OF NOME.
THIS FRONT WILL MOVE WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE ARCTIC PLAINS,
BRINGING LIGHT SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW TO THE REGION. BEHIND THIS
FRONT A SECOND TROUGH WILL MOVE OVER TOP THE RIDGE AXIS TUESDAY
NIGHT. THIS TROUGH HAS MORE MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH IT, BUT SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS AT THIS TIME LOOK TO REMAIN BELOW 4 INCHES FOR THIS
FRONT.
FOR LOCATIONS REMOVED FROM ANY CLOUD COVER OR PRECIPITATION
CHANCES, ESPECIALLY FROM THE YUKON FLATS TO THE LOWER TANANA
VALLEY AND KUSKOKWIM VALLEY, TEMPERATURES WILL LIKELY REMAIN IN
THE 30S TO 40S BELOW ZERO NEXT WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND.
COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE
AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
AK...BLIZZARD WARNING FOR AKZ805.
PK...BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ801-802-806-850-853.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ803-804-852.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ814-860.
GALE WARNING FOR PKZ815-861.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ816-817-854.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ816.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ817-851-854.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ851.
DENNIS
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