textproduct: Juneau

SYNOPSIS

Key Messages:

- Inner channel marine winds remain light through Monday night up to 10 kts expected except locally gusty near eastern Icy Strait.

- Pattern change on the horizon as a weather system approaches late Tuesday, bringing a return of rain and elevated winds across the panhandle by mid week.

AVIATION

Conditions across the panhandle this afternoon have remained mostly VFR with the exception of MVFR ceilings for Sitka. Conditions should remain VFR for most of the panhandle this evening before the marine layer moves in to parts of the panhandle. With the marine layer moving into outer coast, conditions should deteriorate during the evening and overnight hours tonight with ceilings dropping down to MVFR and IFR. Some visibility reductions are also possible with some mist and potentially fog developing for places like Yakutat. Confidence in conditions decreasing is moderate with the potential for fog being hindered if upper level clouds move in. Conditions are expected to improve tomorrow afternoon before we see our next system move into the area later tomorrow night into Wednesday morning.

MARINE

Outside Waters: High pressure gradually weakens through this week as several surface features make their way east across the northern Gulf. Winds predominantly NW'rly at 10 to 20 kt in the eastern Gulf Monday afternoon, trending toward a more W'rly component in the central and northern Gulf through tonight. Winds start picking up Tuesday morning and shifting to a more southerly direction with the upcoming system. Generally expecting an increase to 25 to 30 kt winds, gusts to 40 kt, for the central and northern Gulf Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday morning. Also noting a high likelihood of increased winds near prominent capes. Wave heights of 3 to 6 ft expected Tuesday morning, building to 8 to 11 ft in the central and northern Gulf by early Wednesday morning, before diminishing through midweek, all with a SW-ly swell. Anticipating less marine layer influence tomorrow morning, however visibilities could still be impacted along the NE Gulf coastline south toward Cross Sound.

Inside Channels: The retreating morning marine layer and clearing skies have generated light sea breezes around 10 to 15 kt over the northern panhandle this afternoon, specifically within Icy Strait around the Sisters Island to Rocky Island region. Elsewhere, seeing light to gentle breezes prevailing through this afternoon and overnight. Winds are expected to start picking up Tuesday morning across the panhandle as the pressure gradient tightens with the incoming system. Predominately southerly winds will continue to increase Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday across the northern and central inner channels. The highest of these winds will be in Lynn Canal with S winds 25 to 35 kt, gusts to 40 kt, with brief gales in Northern Lynn mainly overnight into Wednesday morning. As this systems exits the region, winds are expected to decrease some, but remain elevated ahead of another Gulf system moving in late week.

AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

PUBLIC...None. MARINE...Gale Warning for PKZ012. Small Craft Advisory for PKZ013-022-643-644-651-652-662>664-671- 672.