NWS Fairbanks Gale Warning for Northwestern Alaska coastal waters expires 5 p.m. Thursday

Gale-force winds and 8-foot seas are forecast for Northwestern Alaska Coastal Waters near Utqiagvik through Thursday, with the National Weather Service in Fairbanks warning of hazardous marine conditions for small craft through most of the day.

The warning runs until 5 p.m. AKDT Thursday, July 23. Subsistence hunters and fishers who rely on Chukchi Sea waters for summer harvest face the most direct risk.

Forecast Conditions

The warning covers two forecast zones with slightly different conditions. One zone shows SW winds at 35 knots tonight shifting to W winds at 35 knots Thursday, with 8-foot seas both periods. A second zone shows east winds at 15 knots becoming north tonight with seas at 3 feet and rain showers, building to NW winds at 30 knots and 5-foot seas Thursday, then rising to 6-foot seas Thursday night with W winds at 30 knots.

The NWS describes sea forecasts as the average of the highest one-third of combined wind-wave and swell height, meaning individual waves can run higher than the forecast figure.

Weekend Outlook

Conditions remain rough into Friday in the second zone, with NW winds at 25 knots and 6-foot seas, before easing Saturday. Seas drop to 3 feet by Saturday in the first zone, though the second zone sees 5-foot seas return Saturday night. Rough water builds again Sunday, with NW winds at 20 knots and 5-foot seas forecast in one zone and NW winds at 30 knots and 6-foot seas in the other.