AWAK88 PAVW 172344
RWSAK 
ALASKA WEATHER SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE VALDEZ AK 
400 PM AKDT THU MAY 17 2012
HIGH PRESSURE WAS OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE STATE TODAY WITH A
CENTER LOCATED OVER THE EASTERN BEAUFORT SEA AND EXTENDED SOUTH
TO NEAR TALKEETNA. A LARGE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WAS OVER THE
GULF OF ALASKA WITH THE CENTER JUST SOUTH OF THE CENTER OF THE GULF.
THIS WEATHER SYSTEM PRODUCED PARTLY CLOUDY TO MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES
FROM KODIAK TO ANCHORAGE..VALDEZ AND YAKUTAT. OVER THE ALEUTIANS A
COMPLICATED LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DOMINATED THE WEATHER PATTERN
WITH A LOW CENTER NEAR ADAK AND A TROUGH THAT EXTENDED NORTH INTO
THE CENTRAL BERING SEA. A SECOND LOW WAS JUST SOUTH OF COLD BAY.
A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT PRODUCED GUSTY WINDS FROM CAPE LISBURNE
SOUTH THROUGH WESTERN ALASKA..BRISTOL BAY..ALASKAN PENINSULA AND
INTO THE WESTERN GULF OF ALASKA. A TROUGH EXTENDED NORTHEAST FROM
WESTERN SIBERIA..ACROSS THE SIBERIAN PENINSULA AND NORTHERN CHUKCHI
SEA..AND ALONG THE NORTHERNMOST COASTLINE OF ALASKA INTO THE YUKON.
ANOTHER DAY OF PRECIPITATION AND FOG HOVERED OVER THE NORTH SLOPE
WITH SNOW REPORTED AT BARTER ISLAND..LIGHT RAIN AT BARROW AND FOG
REPORTED THROUGH THE ENTIRE AREA. BY NOON..KIVALINA HAD REPORTED
RAIN..AS DID WAINWRIGHT. THROUGH THE ALEUTIANS..RAIN CONTINUED 
FROM COLD BAY..SAND POINT SOUTH TO DUTCH HARBOR AND SAINT PAUL 
ISLAND. KODIAK ISLAND REPORTED DRIZZLE DURING THE MORNING WITH 
FOG PERSISTING INTO THE AFTERNOON. LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS CONTINUED 
AT SITKA AND WRANGELL.
IT CONTINUED TO BE A BLUSTERY DAY OVER THE ALEUTIANS AND ALASKA
PENINSULA WITH WINDS FROM 20 TO 30 MPH REPORTED FOR MOST
STATIONS. PORT HEIDEN REPORTED WIND GUSTS TO 44 MPH BY MID
MORNING WITH ATKA REPORTING WINDS TO 33 MPH..SLOWLY EASING TO 
NEAR 30 MPH BY MID AFTERNOON. THROUGH THE NORTHWEST..CAPE LISBURNE
AND MEKORYUK BOTH REPORTED GUSTY WINDS TO 31 MPH INTO THE
MORNING.
TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE GREAT LAND THIS THURSDAY WERE ABOVE FREEZING
ACROSS THE WHOLE OF THE STATE. HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 30S WERE 
RECORDED FROM THE EASTERN BEAUFORT SEA COAST..WESTWARD ALONG THE 
ARCTIC COAST..CONTINUING SOUTHWARD ALONG THE CHUKCHI SEA COAST TO
THE BALDWIN PENINSULA..THE NORTHWESTERN SEWARD PENINSULA..SAINT
LAWRENCE ISLAND..AS WELL AS THE CENTRAL AND WEST-CENTRAL ALEUTIAN 
ISLANDS..THE PRIBILOFS..AND THE CENTRAL Y-K DELTA AREA FROM SCAMMON
BAY TO NUNIVAK ISLAND. HIGHS CLIMBED INTO THE 40S ALONG THE BROOKS
RANGE..IN THE KOTZEBUE SOUND AREA..THE WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN 
PORTIONS OF THE SEWARD PENINSULA..THE KOBUK AND SELAWIK VALLEYS..
THE SOUTH SLOPES OF THE EASTERN BROOKS RANGE..THE FAR WESTERN 
ALEUTIANS..THE NORTHERN YUKON DELTA..THE NORTHWESTERN BRISTOL BAY
COAST..THE SOUTHERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE ALASKA PENINSULA..THE EASTERN
ALEUTIANS..KODIAK ISLAND..THE KENAI PENINSULA..WESTERN PRINCE 
WILLIAM SOUND..THE NORTHEASTERN GULF COAST..AND ALL BUT THE MOST
NORTHERN AND MOST SOUTHERN POINTS ON THE PANHANDLE. HIGHS IN THE
50S WERE FELT TODAY ALONG THE SOUTHEASTERN SEWARD PENINSULA..THE
UPPER KOYUKUK RIVER VALLEY..THE DELTA JUNCTION REGION..DENALI PARK
..THE UPPER TANANA VALLEY..THE FORTYMILE COUNTRY..THE LOWER Y-K
VALLEYS..THE KUSKOKWIM DELTA..THE NORTHERN THIRD OF THE ALASKA 
PENINSULA..THE ANCHORAGE BOWL..THE COPPER RIVER BASIN..THE NORTHERN
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND REGION..THE MATANUSKA VALLEY..AND THE NORTHERN
AND SOUTHERNMOST EXTREMES OF THE PANHANDLE. HIGHS SOARED INTO THE 
60S ACROSS THE GREATER FAIRBANKS AREA..THE TANANA VALLEY..THE MIDDLE
YUKON VALLEY..THE UPPER KUSKOKWIM VALLEY..THE SUSITNA VALLEY..AND
IN EXTREME EASTERN NORTON SOUND.
$$
PAP/WZ MAY 12