Monday September 22 weather briefing for ARISE, Fairbanks Alaska mission region
** target area of the day: satellite underpass tracks in the area of 70-77N and 135-155W **
Current synoptic overview and short range forecast for the next flight day, Tuesday Sept. 23:
As the remains of a cyclone frontal system to the south move east into Canada, a
polar low is moving to the north and east through western Alaska. The upper level low associated
with the frontal system continues moving eastward across the state with the help of an increasingly
strong upper level jet stream. By Tuesday afternoon this frontal system will be stretching across
most of the state with the southern edge of the cold front passing through the Bering Sea and
Nunivak Island and the northern edge of the frontal system wrapping around the low north of Barrow.
The clouds and associated precipitation will be accompanied by increasing winds generally from the west.
One area of particular interest may be the region in the Barrow Sea where cold dry air
behind the front has produced an area that is forecast to be free of mid to high level clouds.
Also worth mentioning is a region of low tropopause heights that moves
quickly through the region. It is possible depending on the flight timing that
perhaps on the return trip, the flight may encounter this area of low tropopause heights.
Outlook for succeeding flight day, Wednesday Sept. 24:
The mid-level jet stream energy now in central Alaska will propagate another
trough/frontal system quickly through interior Alaska as several short wave features
make there way across the state. This weaker fast moving system has scattered high clouds
but mostly overcast mid level clouds in the area of interest.
Austin Conaty
NASA GSFC Global Modeling and Assimilation Office
