689
FXAK69 PAFG 280017
AFDAFG
NORTHERN ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
317 PM AKST SAT DEC 27 2025
SYNOPSIS
COLD TEMPERATURES CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA, WITH THE
ONLY AREA OF ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL BEING FROM TOK SOUTHEAST ALONG
THE ALASKA HIGHWAY. EXPECT 2 TO 5 INCHES THERE THROUGH SUNDAY
NIGHT, THEN AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES LATE MONDAY. ELSEWHERE,
TEMPERATURES REMAIN COLD UNDER MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES. A SERIES OF
WEAK FRONTAL SYSTEMS WILL BE CLOUDS, WARMER TEMPERATURES, AND
LIGHT SNOW TO THE ARCTIC COAST AND WEST COAST ON SUNDAY AND
MONDAY. LIGHT SNOW, CLOUDS, AND FLURRIES DRIFTING NORTHWEST WILL
BRING A WARM UP TO THE CENTRAL INTERIOR LATE ON MONDAY.
KEY WEATHER MESSAGES
CENTRAL AND EASTERN INTERIOR...
- COLD TEMPERATURES CONTINUE ACROSS THE REGION WITH TEMPERATURES
IN THE -20S TO -40S ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA. COLD CONDITIONS
CONTINUE THROUGH NEXT WEEK WITH BRIEF WARMUPS POSSIBLE AS CLOUD
COVER MOVES THROUGH THE REGION.
- A DENSE FOG ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE FAIRBANKS AREA DUE
TO VISIBILITY OF ONE QUARTER MILE OR LESS IN ICE FOG. ICE FOG IS
EXPECTED TO PERSIST IN THE AREA THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE
CLOUD COVER BRINGS IN WARMER TEMPERATURES.
- LIGHT SNOW EXPECTED IN THE UPPER TANANA VALLEY THROUGH MONDAY.
3 TO 6 INCHES OF TOTAL SNOW EXPECTED. THIS SNOW WILL BE VERY
FINE AND WILL NOT ACCUMULATE EFFICIENTLY.
- NORTHEAST WINDS THROUGH MONDAY WITH GUSTS 20-25 MPH ALONG
INTERIOR SUMMITS INCLUDING THE WHITE MOUNTAINS AND THE DALTON,
ELLIOTT, AND STEESE HIGHWAY SUMMITS. VALLEY WINDS WILL REMAIN
MOSTLY CALM.
- NORTH WINDS THROUGH ALASKA RANGE PASSES INCREASE SATURDAY WITH
GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH PERSISTING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. PERIODS OF
BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE WINDS. CAUTION
SHOULD BE TAKEN WHEN TRAVELING THROUGH THE PASSES.
- LIGHT SNOW OR FLURRIES, ALONG WITH CLOUDS, ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS
THE CENTRAL INTERIOR INCLUDING FAIRBANKS ON TUESDAY AS REMNANTS
OF THE FRONT OVER THE SE INTERIOR DRIFT WEST. THIS WOULD LIKELY
BRING TEMPERATURES UP INTO THE TEENS AND 20S BELOW ZERO.
WEST COAST AND WESTERN INTERIOR...
- COLDER TEMPERATURES CONTINUE SATURDAY. COASTAL LOW TEMPERATURES
BETWEEN 0 AND -20 WITH LOWS BETWEEN -20 AND -45 FOR THE WESTERN
INTERIOR. TEMPERATURES WARM BRIEFLY SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.
- A SERIES OF WEAK FRONTAL SYSTEMS WILL BRING LIGHT SNOW NORTH OF
THE SEWARD PENINSULA. THE FIRST WILL BE SUNDAY AND THE SECOND ON
MONDAY. ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE VERY LIGHT; GENERALLY AN INCH OR
LESS FOR EACH FRONT. WARMER AIR FOLLOWS WITH TEMPERATURES
RISING ABOVE 0 FOR MOST OF THE WEST COAST AND INTO THE 20S ABOVE
FOR ST. LAWRENCE ISLAND.
NORTH SLOPE AND BROOKS RANGE...
- COLDER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH LOWS IN
THE -20S TO -40S ACROSS THE ENTIRE NORTH SLOPE.
- A SERIES OF WEAK FRONTAL SYSTEMS WILL BRING LIGHT SNOW FROM
POINT HOPE TO DEADHORSE. THE FIRST WILL BE SUNDAY AND THE SECOND
ON MONDAY. ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE VERY LIGHT; GENERALLY AN INCH
OR LESS FOR EACH FRONT. WARMER AIR FOLLOWS BRINGING TEMPERATURES
INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS ABOVE AND BELOW 0 MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
AN UPPER TROUGH CONTINUES TO
DIG SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE MAINLAND. THIS FEATURE IS ANCHORED BY A
VERY COLD 509 DAM 500 MB LOW NEAR INUVIK. TO THE WEST, A RIDGE OF
HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT IS BUILDING NORTHWARD, CENTERED JUST SOUTHWEST
OF ST. MATTHEW ISLAND. SOUTHEAST OF THE TROUGH, A MOISTURE LADEN
FRONTAL SYSTEM IS BRING COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF PRECIPITATION TO
SOUTHEAST ALASKA, WITH A LITTLE BIT OF THAT MOISTURE CLIPPING THE
ALASKA HIGHWAY EAST OF TOK WHERE IT IS FALLING AS SNOW. THIS
PATTERN WILL SLOWLY AMPLIFY THROUGH MONDAY BEFORE A SHORTWAVE
TROUGH LOOKS TO MOVE WEST FROM EASTERN RUSSIA OVER THE TOP OF THE
RIDGE, BRINGING LIGHT SNOW TO THE NORTH SLOPE. SOME CLOUDS AND
MOISTURE WILL ALSO DRIFT NORTHWEST FROM THE FRONTAL SYSTEM,
BRINGING SOME CLOUDS TO THE CENTRAL INTERIOR AND POSSIBLY FLURRIES
BY LATE MONDAY. A SECOND SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE TO THE WEST
COAST TUESDAY, BRINGING LIGHT SNOW WEST OF GALENA.
AT THE SURFACE, HIGH PRESSURE PERSISTS OVER THE NORTHERN YUKON
TERRITORY, SPREADING WEST OVER INTERIOR ALASKA. A STRONG PRESSURE
GRADIENT HAS DEVELOPED ACROSS THE ALASKA RANGE AND WILL PERSIST
THROUGH THE NEXT FEW DAYS WITH CONTINUED NORTHERLY GAP WINDS
THROUGH ALASKA RANGE PASSES.
EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
A FRONTAL SYSTEM ARRIVING AT THE WEST COAST TUESDAY WILL PUSH INTO
THE INTERIOR ON WEDNESDAY, BRINGING LIGHT SNOW. GENERAL TROUGHING
WITH VERY LOW HEIGHTS LOOKS TO PREVAIL ACROSS NORTHERN ALASKA IN
THE EXTENDED PERIOD. 500 MB HEIGHTS WILL LIKELY DIP BELOW 500 DAM
AT SOME POINT IN THE PERIOD ACROSS THE WHOLE AREA, INDICATIVE OF A
VERY COLD AIRMASS. CLOUD COVER WILL BEGIN TO SLOWLY INCREASE
THOUGH AS THE BLOCKING RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE TO THE WEST BREAKS
DOWN.
COASTAL HAZARD POTENTIAL DAYS 3 AND 4...NONE
AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
AK...DENSE FOG ADVISORY FOR AKZ844.
PK...BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ801-850.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ802.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ806.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ807.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ810.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ811-856.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ816-851.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ817.
HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FOR PKZ854.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ855-858.
BRISK WIND ADVISORY FOR PKZ857.
CHRIEST
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page