Sitka, Alaska 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

185
FXAK67 PAJK 260604
AFDAJK

Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Juneau AK
1004 PM AKDT Mon May 25 2026

.UPDATE...update for the 06Z TAF issuance...
Only minor edits to the forecast this evening. Did increase winds
up Taiya Inlet into Skagway for Tuesday and have issued a Wind
Advisory starting at 7am and lasting until 10pm Tuesday.
Otherwise, forecast remains on track. PAtchy frost tonight across
portions of the northern panhandle if clearing can occur overnight
and before the winds begin to increase ahead of the next front.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...

Key Messages:

- Another front moves into the Northern Panhandle through Tuesday,
  with increasing marine winds across the inner channels and
  elevated seas along the coast.

.SHORT TERM.../through Tuesday night/
A dry and sunny Memorial Day has set up for SE AK
as a ridge builds in the wake of a departing front. Clearing skies
have paved the way for temperatures to reach into the 60s across
the panhandle, with a few isolated areas potentially reaching as
warm as the low 70s through the remainder of the day. Overnight,
low temperatures will plunge into the 30s or low 40s for many
areas, as the clearer skies allow lingering heat to radiate back
into space. Patchy frost may form overnight for areas around the
Icy Strait Corridor northward, with the slight possibility of a
few patches of frost for areas further south like Petersburg.

The ridge responsible for the pleasant weather is being built by
energy moving downstream of an unseasonably strong 978 mb low in the
Aleutians. Unfortunately for those who enjoy clearer skies, the
ridge will not remain long. Through Monday night, the ridge will be
driven E into British Columbia by a warm front advancing E from the
parent low in the Aleutians. Although the front will weaken as it
approaches the coast, still expect a return of abundant rain showers
to Yakutat beginning late Monday night, and for similar conditions
to return to the central and northern panhandle alongside outer
coastal areas through the day on Tuesday. Rain showers will
generally remain on the lighter side, and much of the southern
panhandle will generally stay dry. The Icy Strait Corridor north
will see upwards of half of an inch of rain through Tuesday night
with these showers. Totals will steadily diminish as one goes
further south. Breezy conditions will ramp back up across the
area, with stronger winds focused around land-based areas from
Sitka northward, and gusts reaching 20 to 25 mph at times. Winds
across the inner channels will climb up to 15 to 20 kt, with Lynn
Canal reaching 25 kt. Winds and PoP chances remain elevated
through Wednesday as onshore flow coincides with a shortwave
approaching the southern panhandle. For additional information,
see the long term discussion.

.LONG TERM.../Wednesday Through Saturday/
The mid to long term forecast remains mainly unchanged as a low
along the Aleutian chain moves into the Gulf of Alaska late
Tuesday into Wednesday. This low will send a front into the
panhandle bringing widespread rain showers into SE AK. The NE gulf
coast is most likely to see periods of moderate showers with
slightly elevated winds. On the other hand, the southern panhandle
is more likely to see longer breaks between showers. The main
impact from this low, Wednesday into Thursday, will be increased
southwesterly swell along the gulf and into the gulf coast. The
significant wave heights along the gulf are anticipated to be
around 15 ft at a period of 15 to 20 seconds.

Winds greatly decrease Thursday and remain on the lighter side
into the weekend as the low continues to weaken. However, this low
will continue to allow shower development into the panhandle with
continued onshore flow. Overall QPF remains on the lower side as
these showers are anticipated to be on the lighter side. Similar
conditions will continue into the weekend with breaks in between
showers. Along with this, slightly warmer maximum temperatures,
than what we have seen, are anticipated late this week through the
weekend. There is even a slight chance, around 40%, that portions
of the southern panhandle could see temperatures into the low 70s
during the start of next week. We will continue to monitor this
potential as it is still a week away.

.AVIATION.../through 06z Wednesday/
VFR conditions ongoing across the majority of the panhandle with
SCT to BKN CIGs largely between 5000 to 10000 ft. Anticipating
VFR conditions to prevail overnight for much of the panhandle,
with the exception of the outer coastline and some protected areas
in the southern panhandle that will see some low-end MVFR to IFR
clouds developing overnight. These low level clouds will largely
clear through the morning Tuesday as daytime heating gets
underway. Areas along the outer coast will begin to see a more
widespread drop to MVFR CIGs in the early morning through the
afternoon as a front pushes in, beginning with Yakutat and moving
eastward through the day.

This front will bring Yakutat down to MVFR flight conditions
overnight ahead of the front, before diminishing to 1500 ft CIGs
as the front pushes in around 15-18z. This will bring SE-ly 15 kt
winds with 25 to 30 kt gusts around 18z before switching to a
more southerly direction and diminishing after the front passes by
00z. Areas near the coastline from Cross Sound over to Gustavus
down to Sitka will see a drop to MVFR CIGs with this front by
18-21z with brief elevated SE to S-ly winds following behind it.
Areas across the northern half of the panhandle that are more
inland than Gustavus and Hoonah are expected to stay VFR and not
see precipitation move in until the very end of the TAF period,
but will see some winds of up to 15 kt with some gusty conditions
increasing from late morning through the afternoon. Skagway will
see some more elevated winds beginning in the morning, with
sustained 20 to 25 kt winds by late morning into the afternoon and
gusts of 30 kt up to 35 kt possible midday.

S Panhandle from Kake to Petersburg southward still looking to
see an extended period of VFR through the end of the TAF period,
into late Tuesday evening as front primarily targets the N
Panhandle. Only exception will be more protected areas such as
Petersburg, Wrangell, and Klawock seeing some low level clouds
develop overnight with MVFR to IFR CIGs largely between 500 to
1200 ft.

.MARINE...
Outside: Coastal and Gulf winds have ranged between 15 to 25 kts
NW-ly through the afternoon as ridging shifts eastward across the
Gulf. Anticipating winds to shift W through the late evening with
wave heights diminishing to 6 to 9 ft with swell becoming more
SW-ly. By Tuesday morning, a 980 mb low near the AK Pen sends a
front across the Gulf with winds turning SW-ly and barrier jet
Gale formation from Icy Bay west to Cape Suckling. By Tuesday
evening, winds across the Gulf remain SW-ly around 10 to 15kts,
increased along the Gulf and SE-ly around 20kts.

Inside:
Winds have remained around 15kts or less across the inner
channels as pressure gradient diminishes, going near calm and
variable overnight. Winds quickly increase through Tuesday
afternoon with N/S channels as gradient tightens from arriving
frontal passage. Strongest S-ly winds are expected in N Lynn,
Taiya Inlet, and the upper arms of Glacier Bay, sustained near 25
kts with gusts up to 35 kts. Expecting these winds to slacken
slightly but continue through the evening and into early Wednesday
morning. Wave heights around 2 to 3 feet are expected within the
inner channels, up to 4 feet in the aforementioned locations

&&

.AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...Wind Advisory from 7 AM to 10 PM AKDT Tuesday for AKZ318.
     Frost Advisory from 2 AM to 7 AM AKDT Tuesday for AKZ319>321-325.
MARINE...Gale Warning for PKZ652.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ012-022-053-641>644-651-661>664-671-
     672.

&&

$$

UPDATE...DS
SHORT TERM...GFS
LONG TERM...EAB
AVIATION...Contino
MARINE...NM

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