Hurricane force winds and sea pack ice

[Scalphunter]

make for dangerous conditions when the ice is pushed ashore. Most of the west coast of Alaska is under this and blizzard warnings. An baroclinic leaf  developed  and can be seen on Sat pixs of NE pacific.

WWAK82PAFC_AKZ161
-----------------
AKZ155-161-062100-

...DANGEROUS ICE CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG THE ALASKA
WEST COAST...

...POTENTIAL FOR COASTAL FLOODING ALONG THE SOUTHWEST COAST...

A VERY STRONG LOW MOVING ACROSS THE BERING SEA THIS WEEK WILL RESULT
IN DANGEROUS SEA ICE CONDITIONS ALONG THE WESTERN ALASKA COAST.

IN BRISTOL BAY STRONG ONSHORE WINDS STARTING WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND
CONTINUING INTO FRIDAY MORNING WILL CAUSE ICE TO PUSH ONTO BEACHES
FROM DILLINGHAM TO TOGIAK. BEACH EROSION CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED FROM
NAKNEK TO TOGIAK BAY.

FROM CAPE NEWENHAM TO TOKSOOK BAY ICE SHOVES ARE LIKELY THURSDAY
THROUGH SATURDAY.

MORE INFORMATION ON EXPECTED ICE CONDITIONS FOR AREAS NORTH OF THE
KUSKOKWIM DELTA ALONG WITH DETAILED GRAPHICS ARE AVAILABLE AT
http://HTTP://PAFC.ARH.NOAA.GOV/ICEGRAPHICS.PHP.

IN ADDITION TO DANGEROUS ICE CONDITIONS THERE IS ALSO POTENTIAL FOR
MINOR COASTAL FLOODING ALONG THE SOUTHWEST ALASKA COAST THURSDAY
THROUGH FRIDAY. A LONG FETCH OF WESTERLY STORM TO HURRICANE FORCE
WINDS WILL BUILD SEAS UP TO AROUND 35 FEET OVER THE SOUTHERN BERING
SEA BY THURSDAY MORNING. STRONG WINDS WILL THEN MOVE THESE VERY HIGH
WAVES TOWARD THE SOUTHWEST ALASKA COAST THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO
FRIDAY. THE PRESENCE OF SEA ICE DOES HELP TO DAMPEN THESE WAVES.
HOWEVER...THERE IS STILL A THREAT FOR STORM SURGE DURING HIGH TIDES
TO PRODUCE MINOR COASTAL FLOODING.

THIS SITUATION CONTINUES TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY.

THE NEXT STATEMENT IS SCHEDULED AT 1 PM WEDNESDAY.

for what is worth

John

[skysummit]

That would be quite a sight!

[Scalphunter]

 So far 2 homes been destoryed when  their roofs where tore off in False Pass , Alaska and the local medical clinic there  had the windows  blown in.  wind gust where clocked  at 100 mph there this afternoon. Storm and blizzard warn are up as far north as the Seward Pennisula. Anchorage has high wind warning  up for  wind gust of 95 mph along the  Turnagin Arm.


 John

[Downlinerz2]

  That must be extremely awesome and scary.  Here on Lake Erie if ice is blown ashore it can be a major problem but I cannot imagine what it must be like up there with the much larger amount of ice and the hurricane winds!
    Mark

[Scalphunter]

 Latest on the 936 MB low that is hitting  western Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska—
Winds exceeding 75 mph hit the Aleutian town of Unalaska over the weekend, part of the same storm system now causing havoc around the state. It wasn't anything that Aleutians residents hadn't seen before, said Lauren Adams, a longtime resident and the station manager of KUCB 89.7 FM, the local public radio station.

"A door was ripped off the health center, car windows were broken and I think a dumpster lid was blown off here in Unalaska," Adams said. "But we've covered much more severe weather than this."

Channel 2 meteorologist Mitch Sego describes the storm this way:

A major late-season storm system plowed into western Alaska Wednesday, bringing hurricane-force winds and heavy snow and rain to the state. The strongest official wind gusts have been across the Aleutians and Alaska Peninsula. A 91 mph gust caused damage to several buildings, including the Public Safety Building, in False Pass. A peak wind of 92 mph was reported in Cold Bay.

A high wind warning remains in effect for the Pribilof Islands and the Kuskokwim Delta and Bristol Bay regions, with wind gusts from the south approaching 75 mph. Winds will subside Thursday night.

Snow over Southwestern Alaska mixed with or changed to rain overnight as warmer air made its move northward. However, precipitation remained as all snow north of Bethel. Thus, a winter storm warning is in effect from the Lower Yukon River north to Point Hope. Snow totals will range from 2 to 8 inches.

The frontal boundary ahead of the storm’s central circulation propagated into Southcentral last night, bringing periods of heavy snow and strong winds. So far, winds have gusted to near 60 mph in Palmer, 90 mph in Anchorage’s Upper Hillside and along Turnagain Arm, with lighter 30-60 mph wind gusts for the rest of Anchorage. A high wind warning continues for the higher elevations of Anchorage, Turnagain Arm, and Portage Valley.

In addition, heavy snow has fallen in the city of Kenai and for much of the Cook Inlet region. Snow and rain will plague Prince William Sound and the eastern Kenai Peninsula through Friday with heavy snow for the mountains. There is a winter storm warning for heavy snow along and west of the Susitna Valley. Snow totals of 10 to 20 inches are likely, with some locations near the Alaskan Range piling up nearly two feet. 

Showers will continue tomorrow but the winds will diminish to less than 50 mph. The forecast looks better for the weekend. Showers will linger Saturday morning in Anchorage, and then partial sunshine is back by Sunday. The threat for rain will remain from Prince William Sound, east into the SE Panhandle through the weekend.

 This stom is  dumping snow  all over the interior of Alaska and looks like it may dump some rain here in Se as the  front passes thru

John

[Downlinerz2]

John,
   That Low is certainly  formidable looking on IR and WV satellite!  This chart is a good look at it this morning.
   Mark

[Scalphunter]

 Couple news links on the recent storm.

http://www.newsminer.com/bookmark/12674761

and

http://www.newsminer.com/bookmark/12674761


John