180
FXAK69 PAFG 252356
AFDAFG
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
256 PM AKST THU DEC 25 2025
SYNOPSIS
TEMPERATURES ARE DROPPING ACROSS NORTHERN ALASKA BEHIND
THE RECENT SNOW EVENT AS HIGH PRESSURE SETS UP BENEATH COLD
ARCTIC AIR ONCE AGAIN. THE PATTERN OVER THE NEXT 10 DAYS CONTINUES
TO LOOK COLD WITH MOSTLY MUCH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND
PERIODS OF NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND SNOW. BREEZY WINDS AND
BLOWING SNOW ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE BERING STRAIT AND ALONG THE
YUKON DELTA TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. A MULTI-DAY SNOW EVENT
IS LIKELY TO BEGIN ACROSS THE UPPER TANANA VALLEY FRIDAY NIGHT
WITH A WIDESPREAD 3-6 INCHES OF SNOW EXPECTED WITH HEAVIER AMOUNTS
NEAR NORTHWAY.
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 COLDER 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 FRIDAY NIGHT THE UPPER TANANA VALLEY WILL SEE A MULTI-
DAY SNOW EVENT AS A FRONT STALLS OVER THEM. SNOW TOTALS FROM
FRIDAY NIGHT TO SUNDAY AFTERNOON COULD BE 3 TO 6 INCHES. HEAVIER
AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY, ESPECIALLY IN
THE HIGHER TERRAIN AND NEAR NORTHWAY.
WEST COAST AND WESTERN INTERIOR...
- COLDER TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN TO THE REGION TODAY. LOWS ALONG
THE COAST WILL BE IN THE 10S TO 20S BELOW ZERO, AND THE WESTERN
INTERIOR SEEING 20S, 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.
- NORTHEAST WINDS INCREASE ACROSS THE YUKON DELTA ON FRIDAY WITH
GUSTS TO 30-35 MPH. EXPECT AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW AND REDUCED
VISIBILITY THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.
- LIGHT SNOW IS POSSIBLE IN THE UPPER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY FRIDAY
NIGHT WITH ACCUMULATIONS UP TO 2 INCHES.
NORTH SLOPE AND BROOKS RANGE...
- ARCTIC AIR RETURNS TO THE REGION TONIGHT BRINGING LOW
TEMPERATURES INTO THE 30S AND 40S BELOW ZERO BY FRIDAY NIGHT.
THE EASTERN ARCTIC COASTLINE WILL SEE WIND CHILLS INTO THE 50S
BELOW ZERO STARTING FRIDAY NIGHT. THESE CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST
THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
- NORTH WINDS THROUGH BROOKS RANGE PASSES WILL GUST TO 25 MPH
FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT.
- 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
AN UPPER TROUGH THAT BROUGHT
SNOW ACROSS THE INTERIOR HAS RAPIDLY MOVED EAST INTO THE YUKON
TERRITORY THIS MORNING. IT HAS LEFT BEHIND A MIX OF CLEAR SKIES
AND STRATUS. BENEATH CLEAR SKIES, TEMPERATURES HAVE DROPPED BACK
INTO THE 30S BELOW ZERO WHILE AREAS BENEATH STRATUS REMAIN IN THE
TEENS AND 20S BELOW, WITH SOME SINGLE DIGITS BELOW ABOVE 1500
FEET. ACROSS THE WEST COAST, A 993 MB LOW HAS MOVED TO ADAK WHILE
HIGH PRESSURE PERSISTS TO THE NORTH. AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS TO
THE NORTHWEST OVER SIBERIA AND THE LOW MOVES NORTHEAST ALONG THE
ALEUTIANS, THE GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN FROM THE BERING STRAIT SOUTH.
THIS WILL BRING INCREASED NE WINDS ESPECIALLY ALONG THE YUKON
DELTA TONIGHT AND FRIDAY.
MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW IN THE ALEUTIANS WILL PHASE WITH
AN UPPER TROUGH DROPPING SOUTHEAST FROM THE CHUKCHI SEA ACROSS THE
INTERIOR LATE FRIDAY. NORTH OF THE BROOKS RANGE, EXPECT JUST A
FEW FLURRIES AND NORTH WINDS GUSTING TO 25 MPH THROUGH BROOKS
RANGE PASSES. FAIRBANKS MAY SEE A BRIEF PERIOD OF LIGHT SNOW
FRIDAY NIGHT, BUT 1 TO 3 INCHES EAST OF FAIRBANKS THROUGH SUNDAY
AFTERNOON. SNOW WILL PERSIST OVER THE UPPER TANANA VALLEY THROUGH
EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS LIKELY AS THE TROUGH
DIGS FURTHER SOUTHWEST. THIS WILL AMPLIFY NORTHERLY FLOW ACROSS
THE WEST COAST AND WESTERN INTERIOR AS A RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE
BERING SEA THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.
EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7...MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY
A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHWEST ARCTIC AND NORTH
SLOPE ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY, BRINGING LIGHT SNOW AND INCREASING
WEST WINDS. AT THIS TIME IT DOES NOT LOOK TO BRING WINDS STRONG
ENOUGH FOR BLIZZARD CONDITIONS, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH
THIS SYSTEM. ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL MOVE WEST TO EAST NORTH OF THE
SEWARD PENINSULA WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY BRINGING LIGHT SNOW AND
WIND AS WELL. TEMPERATURES LOOK TO REMAIN WELL BELOW NORMAL FOR
ALL OF THE FORECAST AREA WITH A MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS.
COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE
AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
AK...NONE.
PK...BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ801-802-853.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ803>805-852.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ806.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ807.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ815-861.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ816-817.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ816.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ817-851.
GALE WARNING FOR PKZ850.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ851-854.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ854.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ856.
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