Small craft advisories hit Kodiak, Barren Islands waters through Sunday

Mariners working the grounds between Marmot Island and Sitkinak and around the Barren Islands face winds to 25 knots and seas to 7 feet through Sunday. Small craft advisories are in effect across those waters, issued by the National Weather Service in Anchorage, as a low-pressure system parked south of Middleton Island drives the wind and swell.

The advisory for the zone 15 to 85 nautical miles off Marmot Island to Sitkinak covers Saturday night through Sunday. Winds there are forecast to ease from 25 knots Sunday morning to 10 knots by afternoon. Seas are expected to hold at 7 feet.

NOAA issues small craft advisories under nationally standardized criteria. Those are sustained winds above 20 knots, seas or waves of 4 feet or more, or both. Advisories typically cover sustained winds of 20 to 33 knots and combined seas of 4 to 10 feet or greater.

Barren Islands East is under its own small craft advisory Saturday, with northwest winds at 25 knots and seas of 5 feet. West of the Barren Islands, including Kamishak Bay, the advisory takes effect Sunday. Forecasters call for west winds at 25 knots and seas building to 6 feet Sunday night.

The 1012 millibar low sitting 80 nautical miles south of Middleton Island is forecast to remain nearly stationary through Saturday afternoon. It is then expected to move to 325 nautical miles southeast of Kodiak City by Sunday morning at 1002 millibars before exiting into the North Pacific. Forecasters expect a new 1005 millibar low to form 75 nautical miles northeast of Kodiak City on Monday morning.

Seas in the Marmot Island to Sitkinak zone are forecast to ease further to 5 feet Sunday night and 4 feet by Tuesday.