High Wind in Alaska, January 28, 2026

Southeast Alaska Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Juneau AK
559 AM AKST Wed Jan 28 2026

.SYNOPSIS...

Key Messages:

- Active weather will continue through Wednesday night as
  multiple strong systems track along the Eastern Gulf of Alaska.

- Another system will push inland through Wednesday, with wind
  gusts up to 60 mph expected, mainly near southwestern Prince of
  Wales Island and the Metlakatla area. Wind Advisories and High
  Wind Warnings are in effect through Wednesday night.

- Aviation conditions continue to be poor due to wind, with
  numerous pilot reports of ongoing low-level wind shear.
  Southeasterly to Easterly low-level wind shear will continue
  through Wednesday, reaching near 70kts by Wednesday afternoon
  across the southern panhandle.

- Mariners should exercise caution through Thursday with
  southeasterly strong- gales and gusts to storm force winds
  along the coast. Southerly seas along the coast will build to
  near 25 ft. Many inner channels will feel gale force conditions
  with the strongest winds near Prince of Wales Island, Clarence
  Strait, and major ocean entrances. Winds and seas begin to
  subside Thursday.

.SHORT TERM...The active weather pattern continues unabated, as
front after front continues to move through the panhandle,
rotating around a broad area of low pressure anchored over the
western Gulf. Little change to the broader scale forecast was
made, with another round of rain and wind moving up from the south
through Wednesday. Windy conditions are still expected across SE
AK through the day on Wednesday, with wind gusts expected to
strengthen once more as the next wave moves through. As of the
time of writing, this wave has just begun to move into the far
southernmost portions of SE AK. Some increases to wind gusts were
made across the central panhandle and Icy Strait Corridor as a
result, although the strongest winds are still expected for Prince
of Wales Island. Otherwise, the only other change of note has been
the increase of low temperatures across much of the panhandle for
Wednesday night into Thursday, given the prevalence of downsloping
winds and warm air advection.

.LONG TERM...For the start of the long term, we will have a low
in the Gulf of Alaska that will be bringing rain to the panhandle.
This system is not expected to be that significant but some
stronger winds and rain could be possible. After this system moves
through the area on Thursday, we are expected to see a break in
the weather for Thursday night into Friday morning. The concern
then turns towards the next system that is expected to move from
south to north near Haida Gwaii before continuing northward. There
is some concern with this low as the GFS and NAM have this system
moving north along the coast which could bring high winds to a
lot of locations for the panhandle. The Euro wants to track this
system to the north and east more going inland over Misty Fjords.
This would keep the stronger winds more isolated compared to the
GFS/NAM solution. Ensemble guidance at this point does not provide
as much as one would hope for. EPS continues to stay in line with
the deterministic Euro in that the low tracks over Ketchikan
before going into BC. Meanwhile, the GEFS is more in line with its
deterministic counterpart in that the low tracks along the coast
before going inland on the NE Gulf Coast. This is something that
will need to be monitored for the next couple of days as the
potential for high winds across the panhandle exists.

After this system exits the area, the panhandle should see somewhat
of a break from any significant systems moving through. High
pressure is expected to move through the area Friday night into
Saturday morning. This reprieve will be short though as the active
weather is expected to continue for the long term with a warm and
wet pattern remaining in place.

Looking into the extended forecast to early next week, model
guidance is trending toward an upper level arctic trough over the
Bering dipping down south of the Aleutian chain. This would shift
eastward at the start of the week and cause an amplifying upper
level ridge to surge northward over the gulf towards SE AK. In the
lower levels, this would support a strong surface low around the
central to western gulf and ample moisture transport, particularly
into the southern panhandle, from a warm front and associated
weak to potentially moderate atmospheric river around Tuesday of
next week. Stay tuned for further updates as we monitor this
potentially developing pattern.
wet pattern remaining in place.

&&

.AVIATION.../ through Wednesday night / One through exiting the
panhandle through the north and northeast gulf coast so a burst of
winds as the front moves though. Rest of panhandle mainly VFR with
pockets of MVFR ceilings of 2000 to 3000 feet. Cloud shield from
next weather system moving out of the NE Pacific to the southern
portion of the panhandle. Expecting very gusty winds over the
southwest portion of the panhandle as the front spread it it next
bit of organized rain to the region.

The lower level winds remaining brisk or picking back up so LLWS
is possible across much of the panhandle, and will likely be one
the biggest hazards pilots will have to deal with today.

&&

.MARINE...
Outside Waters:
A complex of lows will continue to impact the region through the
week persisting through Wednesday. Fresh Seas have built to near
25 f, and will be sustained by strong gales Wednesday out of the
southeast, bringing dangerous conditions for the majority of the
Gulf of Alaska and coastal locations. As the parent system makes
landfall along the AK Peninsula Thursday, winds and seas relax
Friday into Saturday for the majority of the northern coast.
Another large system moves into the Gulf Saturday afternoon,
increasing easterly gale force winds and seas building by Sunday.

Mariners should be aware of a secondary low forming along our
coast Friday, with quite a bit of uncertainty on strength and
track of the low. Some guidance has this low rapidly moving north
toward the Fairweather grounds which could result in southerly
gale force conditions impacting Chichagof/Baranof and Cross Sound.
However, most guidance has this low making landfall in the
southern Panhandle, bring gale force conditions to western PoW and
Clarence Strait. Stay tuned to NOAA WX radio and
weather.gov/Juneau for updates.

Inside:Elevated winds and seas continue through Wednesday, with
winds strengthening through the morning hours as the next system
arrives, increasing to strong breeze (22 to 27 kt) to (for the
southern and central inner channels) gale force. An improving
trend will take hold on Thursday, with winds diminishing to fresh
breeze by Thursday evening as the pressure gradient flips back out
of the north.

&&

.AJK WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PUBLIC...Wind Advisory until 9 AM AKST this morning for AKZ317-328-332.
     Wind Advisory until 9 PM AKST this evening for AKZ323.
     Wind Advisory from 9 AM this morning to 9 PM AKST this evening
     for AKZ327.
     High Wind Warning from 9 AM this morning to 6 PM AKST this
     evening for AKZ328-332.
     Wind Advisory until 6 PM AKST this evening for AKZ330.
MARINE...Gale Warning for PKZ033>036-053-641>644-651-652-661>664-671-672.
     Small Craft Advisory for PKZ011-021-022-031-032.

&&

SHORT TERM...GFS
LONG TERM...SF
AVIATION...Bezenek
MARINE...GFS/AP

Visit us at http://www.weather.gov/Juneau