textproduct: Juneau

UPDATE

PREV DISCUSSION...

ISSUED AT 256 PM AKDT Sat Jul 18 2026

SYNOPSIS...

Key Messages:

- Clearing skies across the interior with widespread dry conditions persisting through the weekend, high temperatures into the 60s and 70s expected. Get outside and enjoy!

- Increasing forecast confidence of another round of warm temperatures early next week, especially across the southern panhandle.

SHORT TERM.../Today through Monday/...Clouds stuck around a little longer than anticipated keeping temperatures on the lower side, reaching into the mid 60s. We will continue to see decreasing cloud cover into tomorrow. The gulf coast is likely to see increased cloud cover again tonight into tomorrow morning before also seeing areas of blue sky. Along with this, above average temperatures will continue for a majority of SE AK. This is especially true to start the work week on Monday where temperatures are anticipated to reach into the high 60s to mid 70s. Over the southeastern panhandle 850mb temperatures increase to around 14 to 16 C. This helps to create around a 70% chance that areas near Hyder will reach 80 degrees F or greater. Winds during this time remain on the lighter side around 10 mph. With clearing skies, expect developing sea breezes that can increase wind gusts to 15 to 20 mph during the afternoon hours. Strongest afternoon winds are most likely to occur over Icy Strait and the Young Bay areas increasing to 20 to 25 kts. See more information in the marine section.

LONG TERM.../Tuesday through Friday/...Following a particularly warm Monday, Tuesday is expected to be slightly cooler due to the small increase in cloud cover and upper level winds to be directed more off shore, bringing cooler air in off the water rather than warm air off of the interior. Through the week, temperatures are then expected to trend downward towards high 50s and 60s across the panhandle. A weak frontal system looks to move across the north gulf coast through the day Tuesday. This is expected to bring rain to Yakutat and possibly outer coastal communities in the northern panhandle. This system is not expected rain to Juneau and other interior communities, but there is a possibility for increased cloud cover as the front moves through the area. Some models are indicating some precipitation across the northern panhandle on Wednesday, but this could be due to several factors like a more prevalent marine layer, or terrain influenced showers. The central and southern panhandle are expected to remain dry with mostly sunny skies through Wednesday before a more organized low center and associated frontal system moves across the northern gulf, bringing increased rain chances across the panhandle for the end of the week.

AVIATION.../through Sunday afternoon/... A front departing the region will result in decreasing clouds and increasing CIGs today for interior TAF sites, becoming VFR 4-6kft. For coastal areas, a slower improvement today with marine layer slowly burning off, with IFR to MVFR CIGs becoming borderline MVFR to VFR 2-4kft. Marine layer expected to build back in tonight for coastal areas, with VIS and CIGs becoming MVFR to possibly IFR, before improving back to VFR late Sunday morning as the marine layer burns off. Gusty daytime breezes 20-30kt for PAGY, otherwise daytime winds generally 6 to 12 kt with lighter nighttime winds.

MARINE... Inside waters (Inner Channels): . High pressure reasserts over the Gulf through the weekend into next week with a stronger thermal gradient setting up, leading to moderate to fresh breezes from west to northwest developing each afternoon. Winds could occasionally become strong during the afternoon for Icy Strait, Peril Strait and backside of Douglas Island. The N-S channels of the southern panhandle will generally see winds gentle to moderate, except for Clarence Strait, which will continue to see northwest breezes up to 20kt each afternoon. Northern Lynn Canal will increase from the south and become moderate to fresh during the day as the thermal gradient increases across Skagway.

Outside (Gulf and Coastal Waters): High pressure reasserts itself over the Gulf this weekend and into next week, with elevated northwest winds up to 20 kt prevailing for the eastern coastal waters, with high winds south of Cape Edgecombe. Winds look to become strong at times beginning around the middle of next week from near Cape Decision to Dixon Entrance. Seas in the Gulf should remain around 4 to 6 ft going into the weekend, though waves along Cape Decision down to Dixon Entrance could increase to 5 to 7 ft due to higher wind speeds. Waves could further increase around later Tuesday or Wednesday for the same region with the uptick in winds. Marine conditions could become hazardous to small craft, but confidence not quite high enough this for out for small craft advisory issuance. Furthermore, expecting mostly good visibility greater than 2 miles, as the marine layer looks to remain around 1000 ft or greater.

AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

PUBLIC...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory for PKZ021.