Healy River, Alaska Weather Forecast Discussion

241
FXAK69 PAFG 232320
AFDAFG
Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
320 PM AKDT Tue Sep 23 2025
.SYNOPSIS...
Cool and unsettled conditions continue across Northern Alaska
today, as isolated to scattered rain and snow showers persist
across the Eastern Interior, North Slope, and Alaska/Brooks
Ranges. More moderate to heavy snow has been observed in the
Alaska Range, with a Winter Weather Advisory now in effect until 9
AM AKDT Wednesday along the Richardson Highway south of Delta
Junction through Isabel Pass for accumulating snow and gusty
winds. Winds are exepcted to ramp up tonight and continue through
Wednesday morning, with areas of blowing snow possible as gusts
peak around 50 mph. Mostly dry conditions continue across Western
Alaska and Western Interior outside of isolated showers.
Temperatures will see a warming trend overall for Wednesday, most
noticeable across the Interior, ahead of our next system building
in for Thursday and Friday with another round of isolated to
scattered rain and snow showers along with cooler temperatures to
finish out the week.
&&
.KEY WEATHER MESSAGES...
Central and Eastern Interior...
- Isolated to scattered rain and snow showers in the Alaska
  Range and Eastern Interior as dry conditions prevail across the
  Central Interior.
- Winter Weather Advisory now in effect until 9 AM AKDT Wednesday
  for Isabel Pass for moderate to heavy snow and gusty winds.
- Cooler temperatures today will give way to highs in the 40s to
  low 50s on Wednesday and Thursday, ahead of cooler conditions
  building back in by the weekend.
- Lows reach near to below freezing tonight into Wednesday
  morning, supporting more widespread frost/freeze conditions,
  including a possible first freeze in the city of Fairbanks.
- Next system builds in Wednesday night into Thursday, with
  another round of isolated to scattered rain and snow showers.
West Coast and Western Interior...
- Generally dry conditions continue through Wednesday outside
  of isolated showers along the West Coast.
- Highs through the weekend hold steady in the upper 30s to mid 40s.
- Precipitation chances steadily increase Thursday into Friday as
  a system moves in from Siberia through Southwest Alaska,
  supporting isolated to scattered rain and snow showers.
North Slope and Brooks Range...
- Isolated to scattered rain/mostly snow showers continue
  through tonight, with snow accumulations around a T-3", highest
  in the Eastern Brooks Range and Western Arctic Coast.
- Dry conditions return to the Brooks Range Wednesday as
  scattered rain/snow showers continue along the Western Arctic
  Coast.
- Next system moves in Thursday into Friday, keeping
  rain/snow chances going through the weekend.
- Highs in the mid to upper 30s along the Arctic Coast, 20s to
  low 30s in the Brooks Range.
&&
.FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION...Today through Friday.
Early afternoon satellite imagery shows a shortwave trough
lifting northeast across the Eastern Interior and Brooks Range as
a secondary shortwave continues building into the Western Arctic
Coast. isolated to scattered rain and snow showers persist across
the Eastern Interior, North Slope, and Alaska/Brooks Ranges. More
moderate to heavy snow has been observed in the Alaska Range, with
a Winter Weather Advisory now in effect until 9 AM AKDT Wednesday
along the Richardson Highway south of Delta Junction through
Isabel Pass for accumulating snow and gusty winds. Storm total
snow accumulation in our latest forecasts have trended higher
given efficient southerly upslope flow, with storm total
accumulations around Isabel Pass expected to be around 8 inches,
with 90th percentile forecasts pushing that number towards a foot.
Winds are exepcted to ramp up tonight and continue through
Wednesday morning, with areas of blowing snow possible as gusts
peak around 50 mph. Lower confidence surrounds exactly how much
blowing and drifting snow we will see given the wetter snow this
time of year, but still something certainly to watch for. This
advisory may need to be extended in time dependent on later snow
and wind forecasts. Snow totals elsewhere will remain light,
generally in that T-3" range in the higher elevations. Further
west, mostly dry conditions continue across Western Alaska and
Western Interior outside of isolated showers. As a transitory
ridge of high pressure builds in for Wednesday, temperatures
overall will see a warming trend especially across the Interior as
conditions remain dry.
For Thursday into Friday, a low moving out of Siberia into the
Northern Bering Sea and another in the Gulf of Alaska will
continue to support moisture transport into Northern Alaska. As a
result, we will see an increase in areal coverage of rain and snow
showers across the Interior north through the Brooks Range to the
Arctic Coast, and another across Western Alaska. This unsettled
pattern will continue into the extended forecast timeframe as
cooler temperatures build in through the weekend.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...
No concerns at this time.
&&
.EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7...Saturday through next Tuesday.
Ensemble model guidance heading into the weekend shows broad
upper level troughing over Northern Alaska, helping to keep a cool
and unsettled pattern around with isolated to scattered rain and
snow showers. A ridge of high pressure beginning to build into
Western Alaska will force better precipitation chances east across
the Interior, Brooks/Alaska Ranges, and North Slope as drier
conditions build in further west. This latest forecast solution
continues to support increased confidence for low impact,
generally quiet weather, with light overall precipitation totals.
We will continue to track any changes to this pattern as we head
into early October.
Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None
&&
.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Winter Weather Advisory for AKZ849-850.
PK...Small Craft Advisory for PKZ801-802-850.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ816.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ851.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ853.
&&
$$

NWS AFG Office Area Forecast Discussion