textproduct: Juneau

UPDATE

To the aviation section following the 18Z TAF issuance...

AVIATION.../through Saturday morning/

As the front continues moving across the panhandle today, it leaves behind BKN to SCT skies and areas of light, intermittent rain over northern inland areas. Last night multiple locations throughout the region experienced worsening conditions, with both VSBYs and CIGs dropping, in some cases less than 1000 ft and down to 1 SM. This pattern will persist across the southern panhandle through today as rain showers steadily track southward, conditions dropping as heavier showers pass. However, conditions south of Icy Strait are expected to be predominantly MVFR this morning, with VFR likely by this afternoon to evening. While all sites should see improvements later today, a return of rain showers moving from south to north is forecast for late tomorrow morning, though should not impact VBSYs, and CIGs AoA 2500 ft expected. Overnight, winds will subside and shift to a primarily northerly flow across the entire region as a low pressure system tracks southward along the outer coast.

PREV DISCUSSION......ISSUED AT

552 AM AKDT Fri Jul 24 2026

SYNOPSIS...

Key Messages:

- Rain continuing for most of the panhandle today as a low and front slides south through the area.

- Some clearing for the northern panhandle on Saturday, with showers possible across the south.

- Wetter and cooler trend continues over the weekend into early next week as multiple fronts and troughs push north into the panhandle.

SHORT TERM.../through Saturday night/...Rain and overcast skies will continue across much of the panhandle today as a low slides south into the eastern Gulf and front slides across the panhandle. Rain will diminish from north to south tonight as the low shifts further south and drier air on the backside of the low pulls into the panhandle. Showers will build back into the panhandle from south to north on Saturday into Saturday night as front/trough extending from the low out in the Gulf pulls north through the region. Yakutat will become mostly dry today and through Saturday night as flow with drier northerly flow developing. Gusty southerly winds today for Haines and Skagway. Northerly outflow winds will develop across northern and central panhandle as the low/front shift south. Cool today with afternoon temps in the upper 50s to mid 60s. Slightly warmer on Saturday with occasional periods of sunshine, especially north, and offshore winds with highs in the mid 60s to near 70.

LONG TERM.../Sunday through Thursday/...A low pressure system in the Southern Gulf of Alaska will result in easterly flow aloft, which may lead to convective showers from Canada moving into Southeast Alaska on Sunday. As of now, confidence in this occurring is low due to model disagreement, but it is certainly something to watch. There is greater confidence in some stronger winds (up to 20 kts) from Dixon Entrance into Clarence Strait, and northerly winds in Lynn Canal. By Sunday evening, the northerly winds are expected to turn southerly as the pressure gradient flips.

The low pressure system in the Gulf of Alaska is expected to meander westward from Haida Gwaii through the middle of next week. The low pressure system looks to be fairly disorganized, but still will allow us to have rain chances and perhaps some stronger winds for the southern inner channels (Clarence Strait and Southern Chatham Strait).

MARINE... Outer Waters: A weak surface low is expected to move across the northern gulf coast through the day today causing winds to diminish and become very variable in direction. This low pressure center is then expected to move south along the coast overnight, bringing the variability and light winds with is. Through the weekend, winds in the gulf are overall expected to be below 15 kt and shift in direction as there is no well defined surface feature expected to drive a consistent direction. Significant wave heights are expected to diminish through the day as well, becoming 4-6 ft by Saturday morning. With the light winds, seas are expected to be mainly below 5 ft through the weekend.

Inner Channels: Winds across the inner channels are expected to diminish through the day today as the surface low moves in and completely breaks apart the pressure gradient. This is going to cause winds to become light and variable by Friday evening. Then, with high pressure over Canada, as the low moves southward, a pressure gradient favoring northerly outflow winds will set up. Winds are expected to switch to a north direction Friday night and remain through Saturday. With a pressure gradient setting up again, strong northerly winds are expected in Lynn Canal on Saturday, up to 20-25kts. High pressure is expected to build over the panhandle again, causing a southerly shift on Sunday.

AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

PUBLIC...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory for PKZ022-641>644-651-661>664-671-672.