Heat advisory for Prince of Wales Island runs noon to 7 p.m. Friday

Temperatures on Prince of Wales Island are forecast to reach 80 degrees Friday under a National Weather Service heat advisory in effect from noon to 7 p.m. AKDT. Inland locations away from the water will be the warmest.

NWS Juneau issued the advisory Thursday at 1:28 p.m., rating it moderate in severity and likely in certainty.

About 6,000 people live on the island, across Craig, Klawock, Hydaburg and other communities, reachable from Ketchikan only by airplane or ferry. Its economy runs on fishing, tourism, logging and sawmill work, and Forest Service jobs.

"Individuals not accustomed to these unusually hot temperatures for this region may experience heat related illnesses," the advisory said.

The forecast office advises drinking plenty of fluids, checking on elderly and vulnerable relatives and neighbors, closing curtains during the day, opening windows at night and using fans or community buildings with air conditioning.

NWS Juneau also issued frost advisories for the City and Borough of Yakutat. The latest, issued at 4:35 a.m. Thursday, warns of lows near 35 degrees until 8 a.m. Two earlier advisories put lows at 32 degrees. Frost can kill sensitive outdoor plants left uncovered, and the office urged residents to cover them or bring them indoors.

Alaska News previously covered a heat advisory across much of Southeast Alaska, including Juneau and Ketchikan, with temperatures in the lower 80s and most homes lacking air conditioning. KRBD reported Aug. 12 that advisories then covered Ketchikan, Prince of Wales Island, Haines and Skagway, with persistent high pressure driving warm, dry conditions expected to last three to four more weeks. The region is not in a drought.

The forecast calls for highs of 70 to 76 degrees Saturday, cloudy skies and mid-60s on Labor Day, with rain likely by Tuesday night.