Ester, Alaska 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

537
FXAK69 PAFG 212359
AFDAFG

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
359 PM AKDT Sat Mar 21 2026

.SYNOPSIS...
Generally benign weather continues across most of Northern Alaska,
with a gradual warming trend expected across the area. On the
eastern Arctic Coast, gusty west winds which resulted in blowing
snow will diminish through this evening. North winds through
Isabel Pass persist into tomorrow night before likewise
decreasing. Blowing snow will be possible Tuesday night into
Wednesday with south to southwest winds on the Western Arctic
Coast, the Chukchi Sea coast near Kivalina, and through the Bering
Strait. Northeast winds will increase across the Interior on
Tuesday and Wednesday, especially in higher elevations, before
declining Wednesday night. Most of Northern Alaska could see
temperatures rise into at least the teens to thirties above zero
by Thursday and Friday, with the highest temperatures likely in
Interior valleys and the lowest temperatures on the North Slope
and in higher elevations.

&&

.KEY WEATHER MESSAGES...
Central and Eastern Interior...

 - Below average temperatures are expected through the weekend,
   with lows in teens and twenties below zero, with the southern
   Yukon Flats falling into the thirties below. A gradual warming
   trend is expected next week, with highs reaching into the teens
   and 20s above by Thursday.

 - Gusty northeast winds up to 30 mph at the highest elevations
   are possible through late Sunday. The Eagle Summit area could
   see some of the strongest winds during this time.

 - North gap winds through the Alaska Range passes, especially
   Isabel Pass, could blow up to 45 mph through the weekend.

West Coast and Western Interior...

 - High temperatures are expected to warm to the teens to 20s
   above zero by midweek, with some areas potentially reaching the
   30s.

 - South winds around 20 mph gusting up to around 30 mph will be
   possible Tuesday night into Wednesday through the Bering Strait
   and near Kivalina, which could potentially produce blowing
   snow at times.

North Slope and Brooks Range..

 - Strong westerly winds along the Eastern Arctic Coast could gust
   up to 40 mph through this afternoon and could support blowing
   snow through then before winds subside.

 - Wind chills as low as the 40s below zero will be possible
   tonight. A warming trend is likely Sunday into early next week.

 - Some chances for light snow are possible late Sunday into
   Monday on the western North Slope, with up to an inch of
   accumulation.

 - South to southwest winds on the Western Arctic Coast Tuesday
   night into Wednesday could produce additional blowing snow.

&&

.FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION...
Persistent ridging is in place over the Aleutians extending north
into the Bering Sea, with a deep, vertically-stacked low
pressure/ troughing over the Canadian Archipelago. With surface
high pressure over the North Slope, a westerly gradient wind is
blowing across the eastern Arctic Coast, resulting in blowing snow
this morning. Recent observations indicate improvement in
conditions that is expected to continue as the Arctic low shifts
eastward. With clear skies, lows this morning were widely in the
negative teens to negative 30s across most of the West Coast and
Interior, with negative single digits in some coastal areas and
elevated areas. The North Slope was mostly in the 20s, but with
west winds in eastern areas, wind chills in those areas were
mostly in the 40s to near 50F. Gusty winds up to above 30 mph
have been reported at sites in Isabel Pass and will continue into
tomorrow night before declining. With significant diurnal warming
during the daytime, temperatures across Interior valleys have
warmed by 25 to 35 degrees each day from their overnight lows,
which is expected to continue.

Sunday night into Monday, a round of light snow will be possible
over parts of the western North Slope, although accumulations will
likely be light. As ridging over the Bering Sea begins to tilt
eastward into Western Alaska, temperatures will gradually warm,
with highs rising across the area into the teens and 20s by
midweek.

&&

.EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7...
By late Tuesday morning, high pressure will develop just off the
eastern Arctic Coast. This will lead to increased south winds and
blowing snow across the Western Arctic Coast and to a lesser
extent the Chukchi Sea Coast near Kivalina and through the Bering
Strait. Moving into the late-week time frame, winds are likely to
gradually become westerly as the high pressure shifts east,
overspreading the eastern Arctic Coast for a time before winds
fall off altogether. Wednesday into Thursday, northeast winds will
pick up across much of the Interior, especially at higher
elevations, with potential northerly gap winds through the Alaska
Range passes at times and with overall winds diminishing Friday.
By Thursday into Friday, the northern end of the Bering Sea ridge
will become so tilted that it splits off and become focused over
the North Slope and Brooks Range. This will coincide with the
potential for much warmer temperatures widely in the 20s and in
some spots even 30s across Northern Alaska by Friday. By Saturday
morning, a round of light snow will be possible along the West
Coast.

Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...None.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ815.
&&

$$

DS