'Advection of moisture' to hit Kodiak Island

“Basically, it’s a highway of wind and rain, and you’re playing in traffic,” Kutz said.

Kutz said a weather front that originates in the Pacific Ocean, goes north right across Kodiak Island up into western Alaska will remain stationary for up to a week starting today. 

The front is stuck behind a bubble of high pressure centered over Yukon Territory, hooking across interior Alaska, trapping everything behind it. 

“It’s a strong high pressure system and it’s bent like a hook and the front can’t go north, it can’t go south, and it could be for a week,” Kutz said.

The ”sustained advection” Kutz mentioned means moisture from the ocean will be picked up and shoved horizontally along the leading edge of the front, and eventually dumped on the island. 

“You’re playing goalie the next few days, and it’s going to be one salvo after another.” Kutz said. “It’s definitely a long fetch of moisture.”

The Marine Forecast for Marmot Island to Sitkinak, the eastern coastline of Kodiak Island, calls for a gale warning through tonight, with east winds to 35 knots and seas to 22 feet. 

Chiniak Bay waters are under a gale warning with east winds to 35 knots and seas to 16 feet today. 

“Everything that comes into that low pressure system will hit that front and ride up to Kodiak,” Kutz said. He added that it’s very unlikely that cold temperatures will follow the deluge. “We’ll be in a warm pattern now.”

Kutz said while the forecast is for heavy weather, “This is nothing Kodiak hasn’t seen before.”