Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Metlakatla, AK

FXAK67 PAJK 172320 AFDAJK

Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Juneau AK 320 PM AKDT Sat May 17 2025

SHORT TERM
A broad weakening surface trough is slowly being eroded by a ridge that is pushing into the panhandle from the southwest. This is evident by the decreasing cloud cover and lack of showers over the southern half of the panhandle this afternoon. This trend will continue with clouds thinning and more breaks developing overnight, allowing for some cooler temperatures. For more protected channels further inland, some patchy fog development is possible.

For Sunday the lack of significant cloud cover means warmer daytime temperatures and likelihood of sea breezes to develop by the early afternoon. A developing gale force low will make its may into the southern gulf late Sunday afternoon bringing increasing cloud cover to the panhandle particularly south of Frederick Sound.
While this system is expected to be on a weakening trend as it approaches the panhandle, low end gusts to gale force are likely in the Dixon Entrance area late Sunday night into early Monday morning. Southern PoW and southern Clarence Strait can also expect gusty winds up to 35 mph late Sunday night into Monday. For more information see the Marine discussion.

LONG TERM
Continuing from the short term, the primary impacts from this system will be the near gale force winds as it makes its initial approach and then stalls and weakens just offshore, before slowly continuing inland Tuesday. 24 hour maximum precipitation will peak in the range of less than one inch, though locally higher amounts can be expected at higher elevations. The heaviest precipitation is expected to occur with the onset late Sunday night into early Monday morning, with highest amounts along southern PoW, gradually spreading towards Annette Island and Ketchikan.

With the low stalling, the southern panhandle will see rain continue to start the week, before the low shears apart becoming an open wave trough along the coast range, with light showers and broken cloud cover persisting through midweek, as well as sliding further northward. Overall the northern half of the panhandle looks to remain mostly dry and clear to start next week.

Looking towards midweek, there is still some uncertainty with a Bering low that is expected to enter the western gulf Wednesday, which could end up bringing more unsettled weather to the northern gulf coast and eventually the rest of the panhandle by Thursday.
Stay tuned for further updates.
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