Badger, Alaska 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

396
FXAK69 PAFG 212328
AFDAFG

Northern Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Fairbanks AK
228 PM AKST Sun Dec 21 2025

.SYNOPSIS...

An active weather pattern returns with no less than three distinct
storm systems setting their sights on the northern two thirds of
the state through the holiday week. Each system will bring
periods of moderate to heavy snow, blowing snow, and gusty winds
across the West Coast, Western Interior, and Eastern Interior. The
first system, a frontal system shearing apart along the coast,
continues to produce near-blizzard conditions along the Bering
Strait Coastline and Northwest Arctic Coastline this afternoon.
The next two systems will bring moderate to heavy snow to Interior
Alaska late Sunday night / early Monday morning through Thursday.
Snow is expected to arrive in Fairbanks by Tuesday night, with
the heaviest snowfall beginning Wednesday. By Thursday night much
of the snow should be out of the Eastern Interior with only
flurries possible. Temperatures will quickly fall across Northern
Alaska Thursday night. In the meantime for the Eastern Interior,
very cold temperatures will persist prior to the snow midweek,
with wind chill values approaching 60 below zero for parts of the
Upper Tanana Valley and Fortymile Country through Monday.

&&

.KEY WEATHER MESSAGES...
Central and Eastern Interior...
- Cold temperatures through Monday with valley lows in the -30s to
  -50s. Temperatures briefly warm Tuesday through Thursday with
   highs reaching above 0 in the Central Interior before cooling
   back to lows in the -30s to -50s late next week. Increasing
   easterly winds Monday will likely keep wind chill values below
   -50 even as temperatures begin to warm.

- Snow expected Tuesday through Thursday throughout the Fairbanks
  North Star Borough, Central Interior, and Western Alaska Range.
  Snow accumulations of 6 to 12 inches possible with the heaviest
  snow currently expected to begin early Wednesday morning. A
  winter storm watch remains in place.

- Locations above 2000 feet will see wind gusts up to 35 mph. This
  could create areas of blowing snow reducing visibilities below
  1/2 mile at times. Valley locations will see light winds below
  15 mph, but paired with heavy snowfall and visibilities could
  drop to 1/2 mile or less.

West Coast and Western Interior...
- A N-S oriented stalled frontal system shears apart along the
  West Coast later this evening.
    - Additional snow of 1 to 3 inches expected.
- Gusty southerly winds through the Bering Strait of 40 to 60 mph
   leads to periods of blizzard conditions.
- Winds begin to diminish in intensity Monday morning.
- Blizzard Warnings remain in place for Point Hope, Wales, Tin
   City, and Diomede through noon Monday.

- Two waves of snow wash over the West Coast and Western Interior
  late Sunday through Wednesday. Additional snow accumulations of
  6 to 12 inches possible in the Northwest Arctic Borough and
  between 5 and 10 inches expected along the Southern Seward
  Peninsula and Eastern Norton Sound. Strong and gusty winds will
  redevelop with these systems. Winter Storm Warnings have been
  issued.

North Slope and Brooks Range...
- Southerly winds increase late today with gusts of 20 to 30 mph
  possible west of Point Barrow.
 - The strongest gusts of 40 to 60 mph expected along the
    Lisburne Peninsula and at Point Hope. A blizzard warning has
    been issued.

- A series of storms brings widespread snowfall and gusty winds to
  the Western Arctic Coast and Western Brooks Range late Sunday
  through Wednesday.
 - The heaviest snow is expected along the southwestern slopes of
    the Western Brooks Range with 6 to 12 inches possible.
 - Gusty winds could lead to periods of reduced visibility due to
    blowing snow.
 - Atigun Pass will see 1 to 3 inches on Wednesday with southerly
    winds up to 30 mph Wednesday morning. This could lead to a
    period of reduced visibility through the pass.

- There is a chance of strong westerly winds Thursday through next
  weekend which may lead to periods of low visibility due to
  blowing snow and possible blizzard conditions.

&&

.FORECAST ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION...

At the surface, an area of high pressure at 1041 mb is centered
just south of Adak this afternoon with its axis extending
northward across the Bering Sea. A second area of high pressure at
1046 mb is anchored over the Yukon Territory and extends westward
across interior Alaska. Between the two, an occluding surface
front is draped along the west coast of Alaska, oriented N-S and
extending southward from a 990 mb low centered northwest of the
Chukchi Sea. In the upper-levels, the synoptic pattern remains
dominated by a large omega block - a stout 569 dm ridge extending
from the North Pacific to west of the Beaufort Sea bookended by
an upper-level low over Siberia and a second over the Alaska
Panhandle.

This upper-level ridge will begin to slide east today then
bifurcate on Monday, allowing a series of shortwave troughs to
traverse the northern half of the state through the end of the
week, each stronger than the previous.

At the surface, this translates to a suppression of the Bering
Sea ridge as no less than three frontal features and attendant
surface lows move overtop this ridge, further weakening it with
each subsequent front. The first of these fronts is a N-S oriented
front draped along the west coast this afternoon. While this
frontal wave is occluding and shearing apart, it remains robust
enough to allow snow and gusty winds to persist from the Bering
Strait Coast and the Northwest Arctic Coastline into the evening
hours. Behind this front there will be a weak ridge leading to a
brief period of drier conditions before the next front arrives.

Early Monday morning the next more substantial low will move from
the Gulf of Anadyr to the Seward Peninsula. Model guidance
continues to bring a slug of moisture across the entirety of the
coast, with a bullseye of heavier precipitation for Norton Sound
north to Kotzebue Sound. This will likely lead to a period of
heavy snowfall across the Southern Seward Peninsula and the
eastern Norton Sound. From late Sunday night to Monday afternoon
with 5 to 10 inches of snow possible.

As this front begins to drape across the Western Interior, there
will be a shortwave trough moving quickly across Siberia in
conjunction with yet another surface low and upper level wave
racing east from the Sea of Okhotsk. The first shortwave will
reinforce the warm front in the Northwest Interior as the second
wave and surface low usher in additional moisture due to enhanced
west-southwesterly flow aloft. Paired with a 300 mb jet streak,
the Northwest Interior will see a period of frontogenesis. This
will bring heavy snowfall to the Northwest Interior and Western
Brooks Range. Snowfall totals from Tuesday morning to Wednesday
could be up to 12 inches.

As these features move east it will flatten the ridge that is the
North Pacific. As that next trough / surface low reach the coast,
moisture will be advected farther inland over the Interior. While
there is still model uncertainty regarding timing of the front
into the Eastern Interior, there is better consensus on potential
snowfall amounts with this system. The area with the most
confidence of heavy snow will be the North Slopes of the Alaska
Range including the Parks Highway at Denali Park. 7 to 14 inches
of snow is possible there, while in the Tanana Valley could see 6
to 10 inches. A strong low-level jet will also likely bring gusty
winds to higher elevations above 2,000 feet leading to blowing
snow to communities and roadways outside valley locations.


&&

.EXTENDED FORECAST DAYS 4-7...

Heavy snowfall is expected to continue across the Eastern Interior
Wednesday before finally tapering off going into Thursday. As the
front moves south into the Gulf of AK, an Arctic trough builds in
behind the front, bringing temperatures back down into the 20s and
30s below zero. In spots where low stratus develops, we can expect
to see slightly warmer temperatures and potentially even some light
flurries. Alternatively, areas experiencing clearing will likely
experience slightly colder temperatures than anticipated.

As we head into the weekend, high pressure will continue to build in
over the West Coast, pushing a Siberian low further southeast and
into the Gulf of AK. As the low sits the gulf, southeast flow will
allow for some potentially light snow to make its way back into the
Central and Eastern Interior. However, if the high strengthens and
moves east, snow chances will likely remain near the Alcan border.
Confidence regarding snowfall timing and chances remain low for
right now, but we will continue to keep an eye out for how this
system develops over time.



Coastal Hazard Potential Days 3 and 4...None

&&

.AFG WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
AK...Blizzard Warning for AKZ801-820-821.
     Winter Storm Warning for AKZ813>819.
     Winter Storm Warning for AKZ822>824.
     Winter Storm Watch for AKZ834-838>847.
     Cold Weather Advisory for AKZ835-836.
PK...Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ801-802-850-853.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ803-852.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ804.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ805.
     Gale Warning for PKZ806-854.
     Gale Warning for PKZ807-856.
     Gale Warning for PKZ808.
     Gale Warning for PKZ809-855.
     Gale Warning for PKZ810.
     Gale Warning for PKZ811.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ812.
     Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ816-854.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ816-817.
     Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ817.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ851.
     Gale Warning for PKZ857.
     Brisk Wind Advisory for PKZ858.
&&

$$