897  
FXAK67 PAJK 210627  
AFDAJK  
 
SOUTHEAST ALASKA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK  
1027 PM AKDT SUN SEP 20 2026  
   
UPDATE
 
 
WINDS HAVE SLACKENED CONSIDERABLY AND THE IMPRESSIVE AMOUNT OF  
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALL BUT CEASED FOR THE NIGHT, THOUGH A RARE  
BOLT OF LIGHTNING MAY BE VISIBLE IN THE NIGHT WITH DECENT CLEARING  
AND VISIBILITY.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
 
THE CENTER OF THIS WEEKEND'S STRONG LOW HAS MOVED ONSHORE IN SOUTH  
AK, AND HAS BEGUN TO WEAKEN. THE FURTHER DISTANCE AND WEAKENING  
PRESSURE GRADIENT HAVE SLACKENED WINDS AS A WHOLE FOR THE REGION, A  
BIT AHEAD OF THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. PAGY/PAHN ARE GUSTING JUST ABOVE  
20KT. THE IMPACTFUL PRECIPITATION HAS ALL BUT MOVED ON FROM THIS  
SYSTEM. A LOOK AT SATELLITE REVEALS ISOLATED SHOWERS PEPPERING THE  
GULF AND COASTAL AREAS, WHILE THE MORE WIDESPREAD CONSISTENT RAIN  
FROM EARLIER HAS MOVED FURTHER INLAND. THESE SHOWERS MAY HAVE SOME  
BLUSTERY WINDS AROUND THEM, AND TEMPORARY VSBY DROPS ARE POSSIBLE  
WITHIN THE CORE OF THEM, BUT WITHOUT THE DIURNAL HEATING SUPPORT OF  
THIS AFTERNOON, THE CORES ARE STRUGGLING TO ACHIEVE THE UPDRAFT AND  
HEIGHTS TO ALLOW FOR LIGHTNING FORMATION. COME DAYTIME MONDAY, THERE  
MAY BE A RESURGENCE OF THUNDERSTORMS BUT NOT NEARLY TO THE FREQUENCY  
AND STRENGTH OF EARLIER SUNDAY AFTERNOON.  
 
ALL THAT SAID, WITH LOW CLOUD COVERAGE AND A MODESTLY CONVECTIVE  
ENVIRONMENT, CIGS HAVE RISEN ABOVE 3KFT FOR A MAJORITY OF THE  
REGION, LEADING TO MVFR/VFR FLIGHT CONDITIONS TONIGHT. WITH THE  
GREATLY DIMINISHED WIND ENVIRONMENT, SO TOO HAS GONE THE CONCERN FOR  
WIND SHEAR. PIREPS REGARDING TURBULENCE HAVE ALL BUT CEASED, WITH A  
FEW NOTING A SMOOTH APPROACH IN DESCENT.  
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...  
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- THUNDERSTORMS MOSTLY ALONG THE OUTER COAST FOR THE NE GULF COAST  
AND SOME PARTS OF THE INNER CHANNELS  
 
- A FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE DUE TO HEAVY  
RAIN AND ICE MELT OCCURRING THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  
 
- COOLER BUT SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES FOR THE PERIOD, WITH DAYTIME  
HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE 50S.  
 
SHORT TERM...THE LOW PRESSURE THAT HAS BEEN AFFECTING SOUTHEAST ALASKA  
HAS STARTED TO WEAKEN AS IT INTERACTS WITH THE NORTHERN GULF COAST.  
THIS LOW WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS THIS  
EVENING AS THE CENTER MOVES TOWARDS PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND. WHILE THE  
LOW REMAINS IN THE AREA, SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL STILL BE  
POSSIBLE GOING INTO TOMORROW FOR THE PANHANDLE. SOME OF THESE  
SHOWERS COULD BE GUSTY AND HAVE HEAVY PERIODS OF RAIN. AS THE LOW  
MOVES BACK INTO THE GULF ON MONDAY, IT IS EXPECTED TO INTERACT WITH  
THE NEXT LOW MOVING INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA MONDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY  
TUESDAY MORNING. WITH THIS NEXT SYSTEM, THERE COULD BE SOME GUSTY  
WINDS, ESPECIALLY FOR LOCATIONS ALONG THE OUTER COAST BUT THE  
GRADIENT OTHERWISE LOOKS TO BE LESS SIGNIFICANT THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN  
TODAY. THE PATTERN FOR THE SHORT TERM CONTINUES TO LOOK ACTIVE WITH  
MORE RAIN AND WIND MOVING INTO THE AREA HEADING INTO THE MIDDLE OF  
THE WEEK.  
 
LONG TERM.../WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... WEDNESDAY WILL SEE THE  
TAIL END OF AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN FROM A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM  
IN THE GULF, WITH RAIN AND WIND DIMINISHING THROUGH THE DAY. THIS  
LOW IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTH OUT OF THE AREA THROUGH THE  
DAY THURSDAY, WHICH LOOKS TO BE A PERIOD OF DRIER CONDITIONS AND  
CALMER WINDS. THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW LOOKS TO SHIFT TO BE MORE  
SOUTHERLY, BUT NOT FULLY OFFSHORE, SO THE SOUTHERN PANHANDLE,  
ESPECIALLY, COULD SEE MORE SHOWERY CONDITIONS. LATE FRIDAY OR  
OVERNIGHT INTO SATURDAY, ANOTHER FRONT LOOKS TO MOVE ACROSS THE  
PANHANDLE, BRINGING ELEVATED WINDS BACK TO THE INNER CHANNELS, UP  
TO ABOUT 20-25KTS, WITH PERIODS OF HEAVIER RAIN. THIS SYSTEM IS  
NOT EXPECTED TO BRING UNSEASONABLE AMOUNTS OF RAIN, SO THERE IS NO  
MAJOR FLOODING CONCERN AT THIS TIME.  
 
AVIATION...  
 
THE CENTER OF THIS WEEKEND'S STRONG LOW HAS MOVED ONSHORE IN SOUTH  
AK, AND HAS BEGUN TO WEAKEN. THE FURTHER DISTANCE AND WEAKENING  
PRESSURE GRADIENT HAVE SLACKENED WINDS AS A WHOLE FOR THE REGION, A  
BIT AHEAD OF THE PREVIOUS FORECAST. PAGY/PAHN ARE GUSTING JUST ABOVE  
20KT. THE IMPACTFUL PRECIPITATION HAS ALL BUT MOVED ON FROM THIS  
SYSTEM. A LOOK AT SATELLITE REVEALS ISOLATED SHOWERS PEPPERING THE  
GULF AND COASTAL AREAS, WHILE THE MORE WIDESPREAD CONSISTENT RAIN  
FROM EARLIER HAS MOVED FURTHER INLAND. THESE SHOWERS MAY HAVE SOME  
BLUSTERY WINDS AROUND THEM, AND TEMPORARY VSBY DROPS ARE POSSIBLE  
WITHIN THE CORE OF THEM, BUT WITHOUT THE DIURNAL HEATING SUPPORT OF  
THIS AFTERNOON, THE CORES ARE STRUGGLING TO ACHIEVE THE UPDRAFT AND  
HEIGHTS TO ALLOW FOR LIGHTNING FORMATION. COME DAYTIME MONDAY, THERE  
MAY BE A RESURGENCE OF THUNDERSTORMS BUT NOT NEARLY TO THE FREQUENCY  
AND STRENGTH OF EARLIER SUNDAY AFTERNOON.  
 
ALL THAT SAID, WITH LOW CLOUD COVERAGE AND A MODESTLY CONVECTIVE  
ENVIRONMENT, CIGS HAVE RISEN ABOVE 3KFT FOR A MAJORITY OF THE  
REGION, LEADING TO MVFR/VFR FLIGHT CONDITIONS TONIGHT. WITH THE  
GREATLY DIMINISHED WIND ENVIRONMENT, SO TOO HAS GONE THE CONCERN FOR  
WIND SHEAR. PIREPS REGARDING TURBULENCE HAVE ALL BUT CEASED, WITH A  
FEW NOTING A SMOOTH APPROACH IN DESCENT.  
 
MARINE...  
INSIDE(INNER CHANNELS): A STRONG LOW CONTINUES TO PUSH INLAND NEAR  
PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND SUNDAY AFTERNOON. AN ASSOCIATED FRONT HAS  
LIFTED INLAND OVER THE PANHANDLE, BRINGING PERSISTENT SOUTHERLY  
AND EASTERLY WINDS THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL  
CONTINUE ALONG LYNN CANAL SUNDAY NIGHT, PARTICULARLY IN THE  
VICINITY OF TAIYA INLET WHICH WILL SEE SUSTAINED WINDS UP TO 35 KT  
AND GUSTS UP TO 45 KT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. WINDS WILL DIMINISH  
LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY WITH A SHORT BREAK OVER THE PANHANDLE  
BEFORE THE NEXT SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE AREA BY TUESDAY.  
 
OUTSIDE (GULF AND COASTAL WATERS): WINDS AND WAVES HAVE STARTED TO  
TREND DOWNWARDS AS THE LOW IN THE NORTHERN GULF CONTINUES TO PUSH  
INTO PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND. AS OF THIS DISCUSSION, WINDS IN THE  
GULF HAVE FALLEN TO 25 KT OR LESS, BUT ERRATIC GUSTS UP TO GALE  
FORCE OR STRONGER ARE STILL POSSIBLE IN THE VICINITY OF STRONG  
CONVECTIVE SHOWERS THAT CONTINUE TO DEVELOP, AND REMAIN POSSIBLE  
THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. ALONG WITH THESE STRONG WINDS,  
SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHTS THAT REACHED AS HIGH AS 15 TO 20 FT  
ACROSS THE GULF HAVE BEGUN TO SUBSIDE AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO  
THROUGH MONDAY. ACTIVE WEATHER IS STILL IN STORE FOR MID WEEK AS  
WINDS ONCE AGAIN INCREASE ACROSS THE GULF INTO TUESDAY.  
 

 
   
AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
PUBLIC...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM AKDT MONDAY FOR AKZ318-319.  
FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 4 AM AKDT MONDAY FOR AKZ318-319.  
MARINE...GALE WARNING FOR PKZ012.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR PKZ011-013-021-022-031>034-053-641>644-  
651-652-661>664-671-672.  
 

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...SF  
LONG TERM...AGP  
AVIATION...VFJ  
MARINE...STJ  
 
VISIT US AT HTTP://WWW.WEATHER.GOV/JUNEAU  
 
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