textproduct: Juneau

EVENING AND AVIATION UPDATE

Forecast remains largely on track this evening under clear skies and calm winds as a weak ridge of high pressure moves eastward from the Gulf across the area Wednesday night through early Thursday afternoon. Adjusted temperatures downward overnight, opting for the persistence based forecast from last night with temperatures largely following the same trends with model guidance continuing to struggle with clearing skies and radiational cooling. Current thinking is low temperatures tonight drop into the upper teens to low 30s across the N Panhandle, into the mid 20s to low 30s for S Panhandle communities. Towards tomorrow, dry conditions expected through much of the day, however incoming front pushes into the S panhandle by Thursday evening with widespread precipitation expected by Friday morning across the area.

AVIATION.../Through 06z Friday/

VFR conditions prevail through under mostly clear skies and light winds. Winds overnight will remain 10kts or less, outside of drainage winds near Haines which could prompt an isolated gust up to 20kts. Best flight conditions through the period will remain across the N Panhandle through the TAF period, along and north of a line from Yakutat to Gustavus to Juneau, however anticipating conditions for N Panhandle to diminish just after the TAF period ends into Friday morning as an incoming front from S Panhandle pushes inland. As mentioned, for the southern panhandle, VFR conditions will prevail through 00z, the aforementioned incoming front pushes into the S Panhandle TAF sites, with winds increasing and flight conditions deteriorating down to MVFR or worse through 06z, near the end of the TAF cycle. With this front, SE- ly LLWS primarily contained to the S Panhandle TAF sites, around 40kts of directional shear for Klawock with a brief period of speed shear for Ketchikan, both near 06z.

PREV DISCUSSION......ISSUED AT 403 PM AKDT Wed Apr 1 2026

SYNOPSIS...

Key Messages:

- Generally diminishing winds and seas across southeast and the eastern gulf as a ride moves towards the area overnight into Thursday

- Another system will move into the gulf later Thursday bringing increased winds and rain and snow to the panhandle to end the week.

SHORT TERM...Seasonable spring weather will stick around briefly into Thursday across the panhandle as a ridge moves across the gulf into the area. Any lingering high level clouds over the panhandle will largely dissipate later Wednesday into Thursday morning as a result, allowing for overnight low temperatures to drop below freezing once more. This means many areas will once again have to deal with diurnal temperature swings with snow melting during the day and then ice forming overnight. This could lead to slippery conditions again Thursday morning.

High temperatures Thursday are expected to be similar to Wednesday as extensive cloud cover is not expected to impact daytime heating for the most part, with highs reaching the mid to upper 40s.

A low moving into the gulf later Thursday will push a front and potentially an embedded low towards the panhandle, bringing increased winds and precipitation back to the area for the end of the week. With moist southerly flow and 850 mb temperatures of -5 degrees or more, the panhandle south of Frederick Sound should see all rain from this system at sea level, with the rain/snow line marching northward towards Icy Strait by early Friday. For more on what to expect from this system to end the week, see the long term discussion below.

LONG TERM.../ Friday through Monday / A band works its way northward into the northern panhandle spreading the precipitation into the northern panhandle. Have kept precip type as mixed. Freezing level and lower level temperatures have a questionable level of whether it wanted to be rain or snow. Think that a the icy strait corridor and north may be more of a non accumulating or very low accumulation wet snow. Friday and into Friday night, before warming saturday, tries to switch to more of that area to a rain state... through think there is a chance that if could stay mixed even Saturday.

A second wave on the moisture plume seems to be favoring a good a spring rain event for the southern panhandle to perhaps the central panhandle. Don't think there should be any concerns for hazards mid rang e

MARINE... Outside Waters: Winds and seas continue their downward trend through Wednesday night as the previous gale force low slides southward toward the pacific northwest. Seas will drop down to 4 to 7 ft tonight as winds shift out of the north and dip down to 5 to 15 kt overnight. Another low will move into the gulf later in the day Thursday and into Friday, raising winds to strong to possibly gales out of the south and then east and seas increasing to 9 to 12 ft.

Inside Waters: Moderate outflow conditions will ramp down through the evening and overnight Wednesday. Winds will diminish through tonight as the gradient weakens with the low pushing further away. Winds pick up from the south becoming fresh to strong across the central/southern inner channels by later Thursday and continuing into Friday with the approach of the next low and front, with gales possible for Clarence Strait. Weaker offshore flow will pick up again along the northern inner channels as well ahead of the front.

AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

PUBLIC...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory for PKZ022-661-662.