Sitka harbors urge boat owners to secure vessels ahead of Monday wind warning

Sitka's harbor department is asking boat owners to secure their boats before a high wind warning takes effect at midnight Monday, with gusts forecast to reach 60 mph.

"Don't forget to check your dock lines, fenders, and bilge system," Sitka Ports and Harbors said in a notice, asking residents to secure their vessels and anything loose.

The National Weather Service warning for the Sitka area runs from midnight to 9 pm Monday, Nov. 9, with southeast winds of 50 mph expected, the department said.

Two recent storms gusted past their forecasts. On Oct. 20, Sitka's airport clocked a 76 mph gust, well beyond the 50 mph in the advisories, in a storm that knocked out power to most of Juneau. On Nov. 5, the airport gusted to 53 mph against a 45 mph forecast.

Updates are posted by the weather service's Juneau forecast office.