textproduct: Juneau

SYNOPSIS

Key Messages:

- Lingering rain showers continue through Saturday, tapering off overnight.

- Another front will clip the southern panhandle and bring more rain Sunday, while the rest of the panhandle remains dry.

- Memorial Day Monday looks to be warm and dry, with clearing skies through the afternoon and high temperatures reaching into the upper 50s to low mid 60s across the panhandle.

LONG TERM

As the low near Haida Gwaii moves southeastward into Monday morning, precipitation chances will diminish across the far southeastern part of the panhandle, with skies beginning to clear into the evening. The northern and central panhandle will see some clearer skies, drier weather and warmer temperatures to around 60 degree highs on Monday as northerly offshore flow sets up from the low to the south. This nicer weather will last until Tuesday morning, as a low developing in the Bering Sea brings a front across the Gulf and into the panhandle Tuesday into Wednesday, beginning with the NE outer coastline and moving inland and southward overnight into Wednesday.

The elevated northwesterly winds from late Sunday night will last through the morning hours along the coastline and some N-S inner channels, but much of the land areas will remain calmer and predominantly below 10 kts with the exception of PoW seeing some 10 to 15 kt westerly winds as ridging begins to move into the eastern Gulf following this low. The winds will stay diminished Monday night into Tuesday ahead of the Tuesday/Wednesday system. This upcoming system will bring some elevated southeasterly winds to the northern panhandle and northern coastline primarily, before winds begin to diminish again into late week.

AVIATION.../12Z Saturday Until 12Z Sunday/

As the front continues to depart southeast Alaska & a ridge of high pressure builds-in behind it, flight conditions will generally improve from around primarily MVFR in the morning to the VFR category this afternoon. The exception will be the northern Lynn Canal region, including PAGY & PAHN, which will remain primarily solidly VFR through the period. Winds will become rather breezy/gusty out of a southerly direction for PAGY as the pressure gradient tightens again over that area from around midday today through the evening hours. Elsewhere, wind magnitudes should be relatively benign through the TAF period. Appreciable LLWS concerns are not anticipated for the Alaskan Panhandle through the forecast period.

MARINE

Inside Waters (Inner Channels): After the passage of the front on Friday, ridging has built-in, & the winds have diminished to 15 kt or less with waves of 3 ft or less with a more relaxed pressure gradient. This will last into early next week. For the rest of the Inner Channels, primarily expect winds of less than 20 kt & seas of 4 ft or less through the weekend & through early next week. The exception will be the southern half of Clarence Strait as southeasterly winds of up to 25 to 35 kt will funnel into that area from the Hecate Strait / Dixon Entrance area from a strong low passing by to the south of the eastern gulf & Panhandle.

Outside Waters (Eastern Gulf of Alaska): Through late Saturday evening, ridging has built-in, & the pressure gradient has relaxed, causing westerly winds to decrease to 15 kt or less through late Saturday evening with seas between 6 & 9 ft with the highest values for the south. Winds will increase to around 25 - 35 kt for the SE gulf, southern Clarence Strait, & areas around the Dixon Entrance for the latter half of the weekend through early next week as a strong low pressure system marches south of the panhandle, increasing significant wave heights to between 9 & 14 ft over that area for that timeframe with the highest vales the farther south you go.

AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

PUBLIC...None. MARINE...Gale Warning for PKZ641-661. Small Craft Advisory for PKZ036-642>644-662>664-671.