Juneau, Alaska 7 Day Weather Forecast

Wx Forecast - Wx Discussion - Wx Aviation

542
FXAK67 PAJK 171519
AFDAJK

Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Juneau AK
619 AM AKST Wed Dec 17 2025

.SYNOPSIS...

Key Messages:

-Showers across the southern area this afternoon and overnight
 for the Southern portion of the panhandle. Showers may leave
 between 3 to 6 inches across PoW Island and the Ketchikan area
 starting Wednesday evening.

-Northerly outflow continuing and strengthening across the north
 through the next few days with freezing spray becoming more
 widespread and temperatures becoming colder.

&&

.SHORT TERM.../ through Wednesday night / Panhandle has two
stories yet again for today. Outflow for the northern half from
the cold air from the interior flowing into the panhandle and to
the gulf. Gusty winds will persist across this region through.
Combined with the cold temperatures that are filtering into the
northern portion of Lynn Canal, Cold wind chill temperatures have
triggered cold weather advisories.

The southern portion of the panhandle will see showers that have
developed from the cold air streaming into the wester half of the
gulf and rotating to the southeast gulf through early Wednesday
and then into Prince of Wales Island and the southern part of the
southern inner channels. Expect the snow line to slide south
through the panhandle during the day and the evening. Showers may
train as they are formed from the cloud streets of the cold into
the gulf and training showers will be more likely to build larger
accumulations of snow amounts. With lower levels for advisories
across the southern most zones of Southeast Alaska, have issued
for those areas starting in the late afternoon for PoW Island, and
in the evening for southern inner channels ( Ketchikan area ).



.LONG TERM...For the start of the long term, the low that has been
hanging around the Gulf of Alaska will finally be ejecting inland
into British Columbia around the Dixon Entrance region. As this low
ejects inland, it will bring some precipitation to the southern
panhandle. Most of the precipitation that is expected to fall will
be in the form of snow. Places like Ketchikan and Prince of Wales
Island are expected to see a few inches of snow as this low moves
into the area. For the northern panhandle, colder temperatures are
going to be the main story as Arctic air returns to the panhandle.
For the Skagway and Haines areas, temperatures are expected to drop
to around 0 F while farther south, temperatures in the Icy Strait
region are expected to range from the teens down to around 0. Things
warm up as you head south, but not by much. Temperatures look to
stay in the 10s to 20s for the central and southern panhandle going
through the week and into the weekend. Outflow winds will continue
to persist with places like Lynn Canal will continue to see gales to
strong gales for the week. Temperatures are expected to slowly
moderate as we head into the start of next week but the next hope
for a warm up looks to mid next week when ensembles are showing the
potential of there is the potential for a low to form in the
northern gulf.

&&

.AVIATION...Stationary pattern for the northern half of the
panhandle with very little changes in overall message: VFR with
strong interior winds. Expecting to see this pattern continue for
the next few days. Cut down on precipitation chances for
Petersburg and Wrangell with this incoming band of snow showers,
as not expecting precipitation to reach that far north in an
organized fathom. May see some dips to MVFR or IFR due to VIS from
snow, but not expecting conditions to last. As for the southern
panhandle, looking to see some organized precipitation that brings
down conditions to IFR in snow, and MVFR in rain/mix for
Ketchikan during the day. Confidence is moderate on the transition
between rain and snow for Ketchikan this evening.

&&

.MARINE...

Outside: The broad area of low pressure, over the southern Gulf
of Alaska ,weakens as it moves east Wednesday evening into
Thursday. At that time, late Wednesday, outflow develops as a high
over the Yukon strengthens. This will increase winds to ENE gales
over the NE gulf with freezing spray throughout the northern
inner channels and possibly into the NE gulf.

Gradual improving trend for seas over the next few days as the S
swell continues to subside through Wednesday. Combined seas
expected to subside to 8 ft by Wednesday except near outflow areas
that could see seas up to 15 ft in some areas due to the strong
winds there.

Inside: The main impacts across the inside channels continue to be
increased winds from northerly outflow and freezing spray concerns.
As of Wednesday morning, areas from N. Lynn Canal through Icy
Strait and out of Cross Sound continue to see north and easterly
winds of 35 to 45 kts. Strongest winds continue to be near Eldred
Rock and Point Couverden. These stronger winds will continue for
most of the week, slightly increasing and moving farther south
Thursday. At that time, Thursday into the weekend, freezing spray
continues to be a large forecast concern. Heavy freezing spray is
very likely throughout Lynn Canal, over Glacier Bay, and through
Taku Inlet. Moderate to periods of heavy freezing spray are also
likely through Icy Strait, Cross Sound, Stephens Passage, into N
Chatham Strait, and into Frederick Sound. Even the southern inner
channels have the chance of light freezing spray occurring. A
Marine Weather Statement has been issued, and will continue to be
updated, with more information.

&&

.AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...Cold Weather Advisory until 9 PM AKST Thursday for AKZ318.
     Strong Wind through this afternoon for AKZ318-325.
     Cold Weather Advisory from 6 PM this evening to 9 PM AKST
     Thursday for AKZ319.
     Winter Weather Advisory from 3 PM this afternoon to noon AKST
     Thursday for AKZ328.
     Winter Weather Advisory from 9 PM this evening to 3 PM AKST
     Thursday for AKZ330.
MARINE...Heavy Freezing Spray Warning for PKZ012.
     Gale Warning for PKZ012-013-021-022-031-053-642-643-651-663-671.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ011-032>035-641-644-652-661-662-664-
     672.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...Bezenek
LONG TERM...SF
AVIATION...NC
MARINE...Bezenek

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