ABAK01 PANC 081209
ANCSWSAK

ALASKA WEATHER SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VALDEZ AK
4 AM AST THU JAN 8 2004

HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE ARCTIC OCEAN REMAINED A CONSTANT FOR YET
ANOTHER NIGHT WITH LITTLE SIGN OF EXITING ANYTIME SOON. A COUPLE
OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS WERE ALSO INTACT OVER THE EASTERN AND 
WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA THROUGH THE NIGHT. THE BATTLE BETWEEN 
THESE TWO SYSTEMS SEEMS TO BE SWAYING IN FAVOR OF THE LOWS IN 
THE GULF AS THEY CONTINUE TO SPREAD THEIR HANDIWORK INTO THE
INTERIOR AND OVER THE BROOKS RANGE IN THE FORM OF HIGH WIND.
THE WIND ALREADY COUPLED WITH THE PRESENT COLD TEMPERATURES HAVE
ALSO BROUGHT OUT THE CONCERN FOR BITING WIND CHILL TEMPERATURES
ACROSS THAT REGION.

THE LOWS ALSO CONTINUED THEIR ONSLAUGHT ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST 
PANHANDLE OVERNIGHT WITH THE CONTINUED THREAT OF HEAVY SNOW AND
WIND. MUCH OF THE SOUTHEAST REMAINED IN A WINTER STORM WARNING
ALONG WITH WIND ADVISORIES. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 8 INCHES
WERE BEING EXPECTED WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS POSSIBLE. JUNEAU
WAS CARRYING 7 INCHES ON THE GROUND AT THE AIRPORT AS OF 3 AM 
THIS MORNING. FURTHER SOUTH FROM AROUND KETCHIKAN SOUTHWARD SAW
SNOW CHANGING TO ALL RAIN AND MOST OF THE SNOW MELT AND RAINFALL
AMOUNTS OVER THE LAST 6 HOURS SAW BETWEEN 1/4 AND 1/2 INCH.

A HIGH WIND WARNING WAS ALSO IN EFFECT OVERNIGHT ACROSS THE BROOKS
RANGE AND THE MATANUSKA VALLEY FOR WINDS GUSTING TO AROUND 50 MPH
OVER THE RANGE AND UPWARDS TO 75 MPH IN THE MATSU VALLEY. NUMEROUS
WIND AND WIND CHILL ADVISORIES ALSO CONTINUED OVER MUCH OF
SOUTHCENTRAL AND SOUTHWEST ALASKA THROUGH THE NIGHT LAST NIGHT AND
WILL PROBABLY REMAIN IN EFFECT A LITTLE LONGER UNTIL THE GULF OF
ALASKA LOWS RELAX THEIR SQUEEZE PLAY WITH THE ARCTIC HIGH.

OVERNIGHT LOWS AS OF 3 AM SHOWED READINGS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS 
ABOVE ZERO TO SERIOUS NEGATIVE TEMPERATURES IN THE MID 20 TO 
AROUND 40 BELOW FOR MOST OF THE NORTH SLOPE...NORTHWEST AND 
WESTERN ALASKA...AND ALONG WITH THE INTERIOR. ELSEWHERE...AND 
THAT DOES NOT LEAVE MANY OTHER LOCATIONS...SINGLE DIGITS THROUGH
THE 20S ABOVE ZERO WERE THE RULE. HOWEVER...SOME COASTAL SECTIONS
AROUND THE ALEUTIANS AND OF COURSE OVER THE SOUTHEAST PANHANDLE 
SAW WARMER AIR AS THE THERMOMETER ONLY DIPPED INTO THE 30S AND A
COUPLE SITES IN THE 40S. THE COLDEST AND WARMEST EXTREMES WERE 
EXPERIENCED AT DENALI NATIONAL PARK AT 42 BELOW AND AT METLAKATLA
ON ANNETTE ISLAND AT 43 DEGREES.

$$
JAN 04
 

NNNN