Chena Ridge, Alaska 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

171
FXAK69 PAFG 241455
AFDAFG

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
555 AM AKST Sat Jan 24 2026

.SYNOPSIS...
Generally quiet weather will continue across Northern Alaska
today, with light snow showers confined to the Eastern North
Slope/Brooks Range and Eastern Interior. A cold, dense airmass
remains on track to move southwest across our region Sunday
through Tuesday with significantly colder temperatures, especially
for locations further north and west where well above normal
temperatures have been observed over the past several days.
Widespread double digit below zero temperatures reaching down to
around -20F to -45F are expected to build in regionwide early next
week with even colder wind chills at times. Gusty winds will also
accompany this cool down, with strongest winds expected across
higher elevations and the West/Arctic Coast. Winds will remain
elevated through midweek, as increasing southeasterly flow works
to bring more widespread light snow chances and warming
temperatures into the region.

&&

.KEY WEATHER MESSAGES...

Central and Eastern Interior...

- Light snow will work north to south across the Eastern Interior
  today, continuing overnight and throughout the day on Sunday for
  the Upper Tanana Valley. Accumulations around a T-2" expected.

- Wind gusts of 20-40 mph will continue today through Alaska
  Range Passes and along the Yukon River at Eagle.

- Coldest valleys across the Interior will drop to -15F to -30F
  through the weekend, trending even Monday and Tuesday down to
  around -20F to -45F with even colder wind chills.

- Light snow chances will continue for the Upper Tanana Valley
  into early next week, with those chances expanding regionwide
  Tuesday into Wednesday as gusty winds and warmer temperatures
  build into the Interior.

West Coast and Western Interior...

- Quiet and dry conditions will continue today with areas of low
  stratus and dense fog (particularly along the West Coast), as
  temperatures trend colder over the weekend.

- Northeast winds steadily increase Sunday into Monday as a much
  colder airmass builds in, supporting the return of widespread
  subzero temperatures. Coldest locations are expected to drop to
  around -15F to -40F through midweek with even colder wind
  chills.

- Wind gusts of 30-50 mph will become widespread along the West
  Coast early next week, with locally stronger gusts up to around
  60 mph possible offshore and at St. Lawrence Island. Winds are
  expected to remain elevated through midweek.

- Light snow chances will build in regionwide southeast to
  northwest Tuesday into Wednesday, as warmer temperatures also
  work back in mid to late week.

North Slope and Brooks Range...

- Light snow and wind gusts of 30-40 mph will continue today
  across the Eastern North Slope/Brooks Range, with additional
  snow accumulations of 1-3" and areas of blowing snow.

- Well above normal temperatures in place now will trend much
  colder over the weekend into early next week as a significantly
  colder airmass builds in, supporting the return of widespread
  double digit below temperatures. Coldest locations are expected
  to drop to around -20F to -45F with even colder wind chills.

- Gusty winds will continue through the Brooks Range early next
  week, expanding further Arctic Coast early to midweek with gusts
  around 30-50 mph. Winds are expected to remain elevated through
  midweek, strengthening regionwide tuesday into Wednesday.

- Isolated light snow showers will continue early next week,
  becoming increasingly scattered by midweek.

&&

.FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION...Saturday through Monday Night.
Early morning satellite imagery shows a broad NW tilted upper
level trough over Northern Alaska, as a 502 dm low centered in the
western Canadian Archipelago steers a front south across the
Interior. Light snow will continue across the Eastern North
Slope/Brooks Range today, as the front shifts south along the
Alcan Border through the Eastern Interior today into tonight. An
additional 1-3" of snow is expected further northeast with around
a T-2" for the Eastern Interior, heaviest along the Alcan Border.
Elsewhere across the region, we are looking at a generally quiet
and dry day with areas of low stratus and fog particularly along
the West Coast.

High confidence continues to support that aforementioned 500 mb
low in the high Arctic working southwest from the Chukchi Sea and
NW Canada towards the Bering Sea early next week. This system will
usher in much colder temperatures across region, with widespread
double digit below zero surface temperatures expected as 850 mb
temperatures around -20C to -35C build in. This airmass will work
to support coldest locations dropping to around -30F to -50F with
even colder wind chills. The apex of the widespread coldest
conditions is favored to be Monday night into Tuesday morning.
While temperatures will trend even colder in an already cold
Interior, this will be a significant pattern change for locations
further north and west where well above normal temperatures to
finish out the week will see as much as a 40-60 degree cooldown.

Gusty winds will accompany this system as it tracks from the
Chukchi Sea to the Bering Sea early next week given a tightening
pressure gradient particularly along the West Coast. In this
corridor, we will see winds steadily ramp up Sunday into Monday
with gusts to around 30-50 mph, locally stronger up to around 60
mph offshore and at St. Lawrence Island. Winds across higher
elevations and the North Slope/Brooks Range will also pick up
during this timeframe, with these strong winds leading to areas of
blowing snow and very cold wind chills. Snow chances Sunday and
Monday will remain confined to the North Slope/Brooks Range and
Upper Tanana Valley as predominant dry conditions prevail
elsewhere.

&&

.EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7...Tuesday through next Saturday.
Ensemble models continue to remain in fairly good agreement through
the extended forecast, showing that aforementioned 500 mb low
continuing its progression southwest across Northern Alaska into the
Bering Sea by late Tuesday into Wednesday. This upper level setup
will support prevailing southeasterly flow building into the
Interior Tuesday into Wednesday, as moisture from the Gulf of Alaska
lifts north over the Alaska Range with widespread light snowfall
midweek and warming temperatures.

Strong winds will also continue through midweek with this pattern,
especially along the North Slope, West Coast, and across higher
elevations. This combination of cold air and gusty winds could
easily lead to a period of dangerously cold wind chills midweek.
Winds will be calmer for most part across the Interior as strong
inversions will make it difficult for these winds to mix down to
valley floors except where valleys and channels are open to the
northeast. The exception to this will be the Middle Tanana Valley
around Delta Junction where winds are expected to ramp up Tuesday as
winds favor a more downvalley southeasterly flow. Where winds are
stronger especially further south and west, temperatures will trend
warmer versus areas that keep with lighter winds. Summit winds will
be stronger, especially along the Dalton Highway Summits, in
addition to along the Arctic/West Coasts. We will continue to
monitor the potential and narrow down the corridors for any hazard
product issuance where wind chills or blowing snow with these
stronger winds will lead to hazardous conditions.

Winds will subside for most Wednesday into Thursday as strongest
wind shifts north to the Arctic Coast. The low in the Bering Sea
will strengthen once it can tap into warmer, more moist air around a
low in the North Pacific. This will help to pull in a warmer airmass
back across Northern Alaska, bringing temperatures closer to a
seasonal normal to finish out the work week into next week as least
isolated snow chances persist.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ805.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ801-810-811-850-856-857.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ802-804-805-853.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ806.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ807.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ814-860.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ815.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ816.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ817.
     Gale Warning for PKZ851-854.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ861.
&&

$$

MacKay