


Prognostic Meteorological Discussion
Issued by NWS
Issued by NWS
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134 FXAK02 KWNH 022240 PMDAK Alaska Extended Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 640 PM EDT Wed Apr 2 2025 Valid 12Z Sun 06 Apr 2025 - 12Z Thu 10 Apr 2025 ...Heavy coastal rain and mountain snow threats across the southern tier of Alaska this weekend into early next week... ...Guidance/Predictability Assessment... Models, ensembles and machine learning tools offer a quite similar, amplified and blocky upper flow pattern evolution valid for well into next week. Predictability on this scenario is well above normal. This pattern should favor multi-day coastal heavy rain and terrain heavy snow threats across the southern to southeast tier of the state. There is also some uncertainty on any more localized snow potential underneath a western mainland upper trough/closed low position. Embedded system differences and run to run variances grow rapidly over time, especially for the offshore surface lows that may vary local focus details to monitor into shorter time frames. With this in mind and with the intent to try to mitigate forecast spread consistent with uncertainties, the WPC medium range product suite was primarily derived from a composite blend of the 12 UTC GFS/ECMWF/UKMET/Canadian this weekend and Monday before transitioning to a blend of the less detailed, but compatible with each other GEFS/ECMWF/NAEFS/Canadian ensemble means. This also acts to maintain reasonable continuity. ...Weather/Hazards Highlights... An upper ridge extending from western Canada through most of the mainland into the weekend should steadily give way to upper trough and embedded closed low amplification over the western half of the mainland into early-mid next week. At the same time a larger mean upper low should wobble to the south/southeast of the Alaska Peninsula/Kodiak Island through the period. The initial surface system associated with the Pacific upper low will bring strong winds to the eastern Aleutians heading into this weekend and heavy precipitation to the southern coast and Panhandle through the weekend into early next week, with some rain/snow likely continuing into mid next week as another offshore lw pressure system rotates into the mean low position and ultimately reach closer to the southern coast. A broad area of lighter precipitation should extend farther north across the mainland, especially during the weekend, as some moisture advects inland. The weekend should start with above normal temperatures over most areas, with near to slightly below normal readings along the western coast. Warmest anomalies should be over eastern locations. The upper trough developing over the western mainland and leading frontal boundary starting to push eastward will promote an eastward expansion of near to below normal temperatures next week, ultimately confining most of the above normal anomalies to the southeastern part of the state by the middle of next week. Schichtel 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 $$