textproduct: Juneau

AVIATION...18Z TAF ISSUANCE

Low clouds and fog that resulted in patchy IFR conditions earlier today have largely dissipated with an improvement to mainly MVFR to VFR cigs and vsbys, which should continue through early evening. Sea breeze influences will also be seen today, especially at Ketchikan and Skagway. Later this evening and overnight, the marine layer will once again advance inland and lower ceilings, likely similar to last night with perhaps a bit more inland advancement.

PREV DISCUSSION......ISSUED AT 414AM AKDT Fri Jun 26 2026

SYNOPSIS...

Key Messages:

- Slightly above normal temperatures for Friday and Saturday with clearing skies.

SHORT TERM...Some areas of rain continue this morning across the southern panhandle as the low that has been bringing these showers continues to move south of the panhandle. With the clearing skies this morning for the Icy Strait corridor, we have seen some areas of fog start to develop with visibilities dropping down to less than one mile at times. Elsewhere, a low stratus deck is setting up with observations reporting ceilings down to around 200-1,000ft. Headed through the day today, the rain chances should continue to decrease but the rain chances should increase again for the central panhandle as onshore flow becomes more prevalent going into Sunday and Monday. Another thing that will need to be watched is forecast guidance is pointing towards the possibility of an easterly shortwave moving across the Coast Mountains towards later this evening. Current confidence is still lower than one would like so will defer to the day shift to investigate further.

LONG TERM.../Sunday through Wednesday/...The long term forecast continues to be relatively benign through the weekend, with shower chances building back in Sunday into early next week for the northern inner channels. Ridging over the gulf continues to build through the weekend, increasing gulf winds to a northwesterly fresh to strong breeze down the coast through the rest of the extended period and tapering off through Tuesday. The panhandle looks to stay dry Saturday, which will allow for widespread mostly sunny skies, increased daytime high temperatures, and developing sea breezes through midday. Shower potential will still be present through the period as flow turns more westerly and onshore, but Saturday continues to look drier and drier as it gets closer. With these clearing skies this weekend, much of the panhandle may see high temperatures reaching the high 60s and even the low 70s. 10 to 15 kt sea breezes should increase through midday for areas seeing significant clearing and subsequently warm daytime high temperatures. A tightening pressure gradient over Northern Lynn Canal looks to increase winds through Taiya Inlet and into Skagway through the early afternoon of both weekend days, which has the potential to bring winds up to 20 to 25 kts with any sea breeze influence.

The rest of the period is still relatively quiet for Southeast Alaska standards, but shower potential will increase Sunday and last through the early work week due to multiple upper level disturbances advecting across the northern gulf. An upper level shortwave trough in the northern gulf doesn't have much in terms of a surface inflection, but as the disturbance with increased vorticity pushes over the panhandle Saturday night, potential for showers increases for the northern panhandle and along the outer coast Sunday and through the rest of the period. Mid-level moisture looks to be lacking through this period, so any showers that do develop will most likely be weak and may not make it all the way inland over the panhandle. For much of the panhandle, this may just manifest as increased cloud cover or some light drizzle depending upon the formation of a marine layer. Even so, this will still decrease daytime high temperature potential to the low to mid 60s.

MARINE... Outside: A low level ridge will be building across the Gulf of AK through the end of the week and into the weekend. Across the eastern gulf, strengthening NE flow will see winds in the SE GUlf strengthen to 20-30 kt out of the NW, with additional pockets of stronger winds around the vicinity of Cape Fairweather and outside of Cross Sound. Waveheights of 7-10 ft across the southern and SE Gulf will trend downwards as one heads north, becoming 4-6 ft for the northern Gulf for the weekend. SW swell of 1- 3 ft across the outer coastal waters becoming 3-4 ft for the Southern Gulf on Saturday.

Inside (Inner Channels): Marine fog during the early morning hours on Friday for the Icy Strait Corridor and northern Chatham area dissipates through the morning With the departure of a decaying low off the coast through the day on Friday, and the subsequent building of a low level ridge over the panhandle, a marine layer will likely begin building Friday night across the outer coast. Winds will become increasingly sea- breeze focused as we head into the weekend. The usual sea- breeze hot spot areas of Northern Lynn Canal/Taiya Inlet, the Icy Strait Corridor, and Clarence Strait will see 15-20 kt winds at times (with 25 kt winds occasionally possible for Taiya Inlet), while other inner channels will see winds of 5-15 kt.

AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

PUBLIC...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory for PKZ641-642-661>663.