


Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Juneau, AK
Issued by NWS Juneau, AK
209 FXAK67 PAJK 060535 AFDAJK Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Juneau AK 935 PM AKDT Sat Jul 5 2025 .UPDATE...Updated aviation section for 6z taf issuance. && SHORT TERM.../Through Sunday Night/...A weak trough tracks across the Dixon Entrance area into tonight, keeping winds on the breezier side for the southern Panhandle & increase chances for showers, which will become more numerous as a front catches up & merges with it. The aforementioned frontal system is stronger & more organized than we`ve seen, as of late, which will begin to march through the eastern Gulf starting this evening & progress through the Panhandle for Sunday, increasing rain chances and bringing breezier conditions to the Southeast Alaska region. Another low will approach the Panhandle, riding up along the aforementioned front, bringing the southern Panhandle more action with enhanced winds and precipitation, late Sunday night into Monday morning. Notably, there is a slight chance for thunderstorms over the eastern Gulf waters and along the central and northern Outer Coast Sunday afternoon as temperatures up at 850mb of as low as just below 0 deg C & CAPE values of up to around 150 J/kg advect toward and over those areas behind the front. Temperatures remain relatively seasonable for the region over the weekend. LONG TERM.../Monday through Thursday/ Key messages: - Temperatures remain seasonable heading into next week. - Front bringing widespread rain to the panhandle to start next week. - Heavy rain still on track for far southern panhandle Monday into Tuesday, shorter duration. - More heavy rain potential late in the week. Details: Model spread has decreased regarding the track of the surface low on Monday which is responsible for directing a plume of moisture at the southern panhandle. This has lead to a less impactful solution becoming more likely with heavy rain lasting for a shorter period of time over Monday night into Tuesday, and overall lower 24 hr precipitation totals. Winds are still expected to increase in the southeastern gulf to fresh to strong breeze. Cooler 850 mb temperatures aloft will cause increased instability over the northeast gulf behind the front from Sunday, allowing for some thunderstorm potential from Yakutat Bay southeast to the Fairweather Grounds Monday afternoon. The rest of the panhandle will see light to moderate rain showers last through Tuesday. Through the middle of the week, weather will remain unsettled across the panhandle with onshore flow continuing to bring diminishing showers to the area through Wednesday with a break Wednesday night into Thursday as winds in the gulf shift out of the east with a strong low approaching the central gulf. Attention is now shifting to a heavy rain event later in the week with a plume of moisture with a longer fetch and flow orientation more perpendicular to the outer coast, in contrast to the early week system. A gale force low is also expected to accompany this heavy rain with a near gale force front approaching the panhandle on Thursday. Stay tuned for further updates as we head into next week. AVIATION...A general downward trend in CIGS and VSBYS are expected over the next 18 hours as an occluded front works in from the west. Currently, VFR conditions are the main conditions but some MVFR is starting to work into the southern panhandle this evening as ceilings go as low as 1400 ft at Ketchikan and Hydaburg. The more synoptically forced precipitation along and east of the front will start moving into the outer coastal and southern areas after 08Z tonight, and will spread gradually eastward through the morning into the afternoon hours. We expect mostly MVFR CIGS and VSBYS with this activity that will last into Sunday evening mainly for the north. Periods of IFR can also be expected during the heavier rainfall. Some breezy conditions expected as this system moves through as well. MARINE...Inside Waters: Winds are largely out of the south at around 10 kt this afternoon. The exception to this is the Clarence Strait area that is seeing a tightening pressure gradient as a trough slowly approaches and crosses over Dixon Entrance area into the night. Therefore, winds will increase out of the southeast up to 20 kt for the afternoon & evening hours as a result. The increasing trend will spread northward late tonight with 15 to 20 kt winds for most places on Sunday as a stronger more organized front moves through. Outside Waters: The aforementioned trough moving over the extreme southeastern Gulf & through the Dixon Entrance has caused southeast to east winds to increase up to 20 kt this afternoon with some higher gusts. For tonight, a low center will track northward across the western Gulf with a front passing over the eastern Gulf through the day on Sunday. Increased winds with this front up to around 20 to 25 kt and a barrier jet along the northeastern Gulf coast of around 25 to 30 kt late tonight through Sunday afternoon are expected. We are not expecting a huge increase in seas with the Sunday frontal system with them building up to around 6 to 8 ft with the barrier jet/small craft areas. && .AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PUBLIC...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory for PKZ644-651-652-664-671-672. && $$ SHORT TERM...99 LONG TERM....99 Visit us at http://www.weather.gov/Juneau