Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Coffman Cove, AK

FXAK67 PAJK 141231 AFDAJK

Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Juneau AK 431 AM AKDT Tue Oct 14 2025

SHORT TERM
Our active week continues as a series of systems move into the gulf, driving multiple rounds of gale force winds and moderate rainfall. Simply put, winds will impact your day Tuesday.

As of 4am Tuesday morning the current SITREP along our coast is the lull before the storm; anticipate gales, to strong gales, building through the morning with the highest coastal wind speeds along Cape Fairweather toward Yakutat. The inner channels will feel gale force winds as well, see Marine Section for further details regarding the coast and inner channels.

For land dwelling folks, this system has prompted a High Wind Warning for Skagway with frequent gusts to 60 mph Tuesday afternoon, but many communities in the central and northern Panhandle will see strong winds as well (gusts to 40mph). These winds will spread from west to east through the day Tuesday.
Touching on rain, periods of heavy rain associated with a decaying atmospheric river will be present with the strong winds, certainly a wet and windy Tuesday. Wednesday morning winds will be at a lull once again, before a much more extensive low envelops the Gulf. Model trends have really ramped up in the last 24 hours, with ensembles showing high confidence in storm force winds for our coast.

LONG TERM
/Wednesday through Saturday/...

Key Points: - Gale force front Wednesday into Thursday - Moderate to heavy rain Thursday with the potential for strong winds to continue for the inner channels into Friday - Another system reaches the southern panhandle Saturday

Details: An active weather pattern continues to impact the panhandle, bringing consistent rain with periods of gusty winds through the week. A gale force system supported by an upper level low moving northeast along the Aleutians will send a strong gale force front towards the northeastern gulf Wednesday afternoon, bringing 35 to 45 kt sustained winds off the coast from Cape Fairweather to Kayak Island. Many of the models are leaning towards high end strong gales to storm force winds off the coast of Cape Suckling, but the EC is still leaning towards maximum gale force winds going into Wednesday evening. As the front moves onshore overnight, gulf winds will decrease, but inner channel winds will generally stay elevated as the pressure gradient turns more N/S oriented. Northern Lynn Canal is expected to see strong breezes to near gales, with the potential to reach gale force sustained southerly winds. Pressure guidance is looking very similar to the system from Tuesday, so it will be helpful to compare to those peak wind speeds. This tight pressure gradient will continue near gales to gale force winds for the outer gulf waters on the back end of the front, which will also influence strong westerly wave heights reaching between 20 to 26 ft on Thursday. This system is also expected to bring moderate to heavy rain rates to the Northern Panhandle and along the outer coast, picking up Wednesday night and staying elevated through Thursday.
Within the first 12 hours, around 1 to 1.5 inches of rain are expected for most coastal communities as well as Juneau. Yakutat will feel the brunt of this system as it jumps onshore, expecting between 1.5 and 2 inches within the first 12 hours and calming down from there. Rain will continue Thursday, bringing another 1 to 2 inches to a majority of the panhandle, and reaching up to 3 inches in higher elevated areas.

The panhandle won't see much of a break in between systems, as another fast moving surface low jumps onshore in the southern panhandle overnight into Saturday. Less than an inch of rain is actually expected on Friday, with the majority around an inch impacting the S Panhandle Saturday. Winds won't be as strong with this system, currently peaking at high end near gales early Saturday morning and weakening quickly as the low dips inland and directions start to turn offshore. Northerly outflow winds will try to strengthen through Saturday, though they won't last long as another front moves into the gulf overnight Sunday into Monday.
Temperatures will be cooling through the week, with highs in the mid to high 40s up north and low to mid 50s down south.
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