Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Juneau, AK
Issued by NWS Juneau, AK
494 FXAK67 PAJK 120534 AFDAJK Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Juneau AK 934 PM AKDT Fri Sep 11 2026 .AVIATION...06Z TAFs...Mainly VFR conditions are expected overnight into Saturday. There could be some areas of fog and mist, particularly near PAPG late tonight into early Saturday, but this is not expected to linger well into the morning. A marine layer is developing well offshore, but any organized areas of low cloudiness should remain west of the coastline through Saturday. Speeds will average 10 kt or less through the period with sea breeze formation in/near Lynn Canal and Icy Strait Saturday afternoon. && SYNOPSIS... Key Messages: - High pressure dominates through the weekend with drier conditions, more sunshine, and high temperatures in the mid 60s to low 70s. SHORT TERM.../Through Sunday night/ A ridge over the Gulf of Alaska rotates to a clockwise pattern, and leading to a flat ridge over the northern gulf and south coast of the state. The associated weather Friday night through the weekend is going to be dry, with some thin high clouds. A short wave at mid levels is ushering the trough form Bristol Bay over the Anchorage age and then the will slide across the northern portion of the panhandle Saturday and to early Sunday. Expect to see winds taper off overnight and lighter wind Saturday and Sunday. May see a touch of fog overnight at one of typical fog location around Petersburg. Am not anticipating dense fog less than a 1/2 mile but it may be localized around Kupreanof Island overnight night. Temperatures through the weekend are expected to be slightly warmer than normal for highs and near normal for the lows. LONG TERM.../Monday through Thursday/...High pressure persists over the Gulf of Alaska, continuing to keep the region seasonably dry and warm. Beginning Monday, an impactful Bering Sea low pressure system tracking east across western and central mainland Alaska will send several fronts across the northern half of the region, bringing increasing chances of light rain through the week. Expect an initial, lighter pass of showers on Tuesday, with precipitation amounts increasing as a secondary front pushes in by Wednesday morning along the NE Gulf Coast, where it is likely to see the greatest amounts. While 24-hour rainfall totals are trending higher with recent model runs, guidance spread remains. Some areas, like Yakutat, could see locally heavy rainfall overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. The high pressure ridge is expected to weaken as the low pressure system approaches from the west. Northwest flow along the ridge axis will transport a moisture plume originating from Tropical Storm Lowell into the northern region and could increase wind speeds along exposed prominent capes by Wednesday as the pressure gradient tightens. Also with this pattern, winds are likely to strengthen near Skagway as these fronts pass. Increased cloud cover in the north will bring slightly cooler afternoon highs alongside mild overnight lows, while the southern panhandle stays mostly sunny with highs remaining in the mid to high 60s. Some guidance is starting to pick up on additional activity later in the week, though outside of the current forecast period. Stay tuned for more information as we get closer. MARINE... Outside (Gulf and Coastal Waters): High pressure continues to take hold for most of the Gulf this afternoon. As such, winds will continue to be N-NW for places along the eastern portion of the Gulf. Places north of Cape Fairweather should see more of a westerly component to the wind. Wave heights have trended down with the reduced winds but will continue to see effects from the westerly swell moving into the area. As the high pressure moves to the east, winds for the central and southern portion of the gulf will increase to 15-20 kt while points north of Cape Edgecumbe should see NW winds remaining around 10-15 kt. Inside (Inner Channels): Northerly winds continue to weaken this afternoon as high pressure gains more control over the Gulf of Alaska. This will allow for wind speeds to drop from 15-20 kt down to 5-10 kt this evening. With the decreasing winds, wave heights should diminish as well with waves dropping to less than 3 ft for most locations. Going into the day tomorrow, winds could pick up for portions of the Inner Channels with daytime sea breezes kicking in. The strongest places look to be Cross Sound into Icy Strait and Lynn Canal. Winds in these locations could reach 15-20 kt during the daytime hours and will see some increased, choppy seas. && .AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PUBLIC...None. MARINE...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...Bezenek LONG TERM...BAS AVIATION...MJB MARINE...SF Visit us at http://www.weather.gov/Juneau