Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Yakutat, AK

FXAK67 PAJK 231314 AFDAJK

Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Juneau AK 514 AM AKDT Fri May 23 2025

SHORT TERM
Key Points: - A gale force low moves into the eastern gulf sending multiple waves of weather toward the panhandle Friday into the weekend.
- Strongest winds located over the southern panhandle and southern marine areas.
- Times of moderate to heavy rain throughout Friday into Saturday for the southern panhandle.

Details: As of early this morning winds have started to increase over the southern panhandle marine and land areas. Winds will continue to increase into this morning as a gale force low reaches the eastern gulf sending a front over the panhandle. The strongest land winds will be located over the southern panhandle near Hydaburg and Annette Island with greatest wind gusts near 30 mph. The southern marine waters, west of POW and near Sumner and Clarence Strait, will experience increased winds to fresh to strong breezes of 20 to 30 kts. Winds will slightly diminish Friday evening before the next front arrives early Saturday, once again increasing winds.
The second front Saturday will be stronger bringing gale force winds to the southern panhandle.

As for precipitation, the heaviest rain will also be located over the southern panhandle. Around 1 to 1.5 inches of rain is in store Friday for southern areas near POW and Ketchikan. Both of those areas has a 80% probability of getting greater than 0.3 inches of rain per 6 hours late Friday morning into early Friday afternoon.
Precipitation rates will slightly decrease Friday night before once again increasing Saturday.

LONG TERM
Looking towards the weekend and next week, the rainy weather looks to stick around for several days.

Key points: - Moderate to heavy rain expected in the panhandle beginning Saturday. Lighter rain Monday, heavy rain returns Tuesday and Wednesday.
- Stronger-than-normal southerly winds will move into the southern panhandle.

Details: The southern portions of Alaska will continue to remain rather unsettled given the time of year with periods of rainfall likely each day from the Kenai Peninsula eastward to the southeast Panhandle region. A weakening low pressure system this weekend will give way to an incoming low from the Bering that will set up over the central Gulf through the middle of next week, with moist onshore flow.

Rainfall greatest coverage and intensity is expected from Icy Strait to the southern Panhandle. A heavy rain area remains depicted in the WPC medium range hazards graphic for the 25th to the 28th, given how late in the season this is, and the duration of the rainfall expected. The highest rainfall is likely to be south of the Sitka area based on the latest model guidance.

The EFI tables give the greatest amounts of rain from Monday afternoon into Wednesday night. Not only are the models showing high confidence of elevated amounts of rain, there is a Shift of Tails of near 1 to 2 - which tells us that this is an extreme event for this time of year. For Ketchikan, there is high confidence (>60%) chance of getting at least 2 inches of rain over 24 hours beginning Monday afternoon. And it's a similar story for areas around Prince of Wales Island and for Metlakatla.

For wind speeds, the EFI is highlighting stronger-than-normal southerly wind speeds Saturday through mid-week. Marine wind speeds in the southern inner channels could get upwards of 20 to 35 knots with the strongest speeds found in southern Clarence Strait and in the outside waters.
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