PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
547 PM AKST WED NOV 18 2009

...COLD WEATHER CONTINUES ACROSS THE INTERIOR...

A LARGE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH THAT DEVELOPED ACROSS THE INTERIOR LAST
WEEK REMAINS IN PLACE ACROSS NORTHERN ALASKA. THIS TROUGH WILL
REMAIN IN TACT THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK...AND THEN 
GRADUALLY LIFT OUT OF THE AREA THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.

IN PARTS OF THE INTERIOR WHERE THE SKY HAS REMAINED CLEAR THE
TEMPERATURE HAS DROPPED TO NEAR RECORD...AND IN THE CASE OF
BETTLES...RECORD LOW LEVELS FOR MID NOVEMBER. IN BETTLES...THE
LOW TEMPERATURE OF 45 BELOW ON THE 17TH BROKE THE PREVIOUS RECORD
OF 42 BELOW IN 1956. THE LOW TEMPERATURE OF 46 BELOW TODAY BROKE
THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 40 BELOW IN 1993.

AROUND THE MIDDLE TANANA VALLEY...TEMPERATURES HAVE NOT BEEN
NEARLY AS COLD DUE TO THE CLOUD COVER. THE CLOUDS ACT AS AN
INSULATING BLANKET PREVENTING THE AIR NEAR THE GROUND FROM
RADIATING BACK TO SPACE. SO FAR THE LOW TEMPERATURE AT THE
FAIRBANKS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HAS BEEN 23 BELOW...WHILE MANY
AREAS NORTH AND WEST OF FAIRBANKS HAVE EXPERIENCED TEMPERATURES OF
40 BELOW OR COLDER.

HERE ARE SOME OF THE COLDER READINGS AROUND THE INTERIOR THE LAST
COUPLE OF DAYS:

BETTLES..............................46 BELOW
TANANA...............................45 BELOW
ARCTIC VILLAGE.......................40 BELOW
FORT YUKON (AIRPORT).................38 BELOW 
DENALI PARK VISITORS CENTER..........38 BELOW 

TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN UNSEASONABLY COLD FOR THE NEXT FEW 
DAYS...AND WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE AMOUNT
OF CLOUD COVER. TEMPERATURES IN THE MIDDLE TANANA VALLEY COULD
DROP AS LOW AS 40 BELOW IN THE DEEPER SHELTERED VALLEYS IF THE
CLOUDS GIVE WAY TO A CLEAR SKY. PARTS OF THE WESTERN INTERIOR
WHERE THE SKY IS CLEAR WILL EXPERIENCE TEMPERATURES AS LOW AS 45
BELOW THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

THE WEATHER PATTERN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE COLD WEATHER WILL BE
UNDERGOING CHANGES THIS WEEKEND AND EARLY NEXT WEEK AS THE UPPER
TROUGH LIFTS OUT OF THE AREA. THIS WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO
SLOWLY MODERATE. THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THAT TEMPERATURES ON THE
HILLS AROUND FAIRBANKS WILL REBOUND TO NEAR 20 ABOVE BY EARLY NEXT
WEEK. TEMPERATURES IN THE VALLEYS WILL REMAIN COLDER...BUT WILL
LIKELY CLIMB ABOVE ZERO IN MANY AREAS BY EARLY NEXT WEEK.

$$

CB