Disasters · Gulf of AlaskaCape Fairweather storm warning: 37–42-foot seas, storm period extended 3 hoursWritten November 9, 2026 at 11:26 PM UTCWatchTranscript0:07Forecasters raised the sea forecast to thirty-seven forty-two feet and extended the0:11storm warning three hours.0:12Severe winds and hazardous seas could capsize or damage vessels and reduce0:15visibility.0:16Mariners faced decisions about leaving port and continuing through exposed waters.0:20What conditions follow the storm warning's scheduled end?0:23On November9 th, we reported thirty-five to forty foot seas and gusts up to seventy0:28five knots for Icy Cape to Cape Suckling.0:30That was a different offshore zone.0:32Cape Fairweather to Icy Cape now has a thirty-seven to forty-two foot sea forecast.0:37The earlier broadcast covered a storm warning scheduled from nine a m Monday through0:42midnight.0:42The changes in this update concern waters farther along the coast between Cape0:46Fairweather and Icy Cape.0:47The forecast covers waters fifteen to eighty nautical miles offshore in the Gulf of0:51Alaska.0:52Those boundaries matter for anyone planning a route.0:54The separate waters immediately along the coast have their own forecast and warning0:58area.0:59Monday morning storm forecast calls for southeast winds of forty to sixty knots,1:03with gusts reaching seventy knots.1:04Forecasters kept those speeds from the previous evening.1:07But changed the wind direction from east to southeast.1:09They also moved the scheduled storm ending from nine p m to midnight Monday night.1:15Forecasters expect seas of thirty, seven to forty, two feet during the storm period.1:19That's a forecast of dangerous conditions offshore.1:22These figures don't tell us that a vessel has already encountered those seas or that1:25the forecast heights have already occurred.1:27Sunday afternoon's forecast had called for seas of thirty, five to forty feet.1:31Sunday evening's update raised both ends of that range by two feet to thirty, seven1:35to forty, two feet.1:37Monday morning's update kept the higher range.1:39The two-foot change describes how the forecast changed, rather than a measured rise1:43in the ocean.1:44Sunday evening's message expired Monday morning while scheduling the storm through1:48nine p.1:48m.1:49Monday.1:50Monday morning's message expires that afternoon while scheduling the storm through1:53midnight.1:54Those separate message deadlines don't mean the storm warning was cancelled.1:57The first Sunday message even expired before the storm scheduled three a m.2:02Monday start, its warning text and encoded event times still agreed on a nine p m.2:07Ending.2:08Monday morning's text and event.2:10Ending fields agree on midnight.2:11We don't know whether a later warning has changed that schedule.2:14Forecasters also expected hazardous conditions before the storm period.2:17Sunday's first outlook carried a small craft advisory with seven to eight foot seas.2:21A gale period from midnight to three a.2:24m.2:24Monday followed with east winds of thirty, five to forty, five knots.2:28That earlier gale forecast included gusts to fifty, five knots and seas of seven to2:32twelve feet.2:33Forecasters also expected rough conditions after the storm.2:36Sunday's afternoon outlook scheduled another gale from nine p.2:39m.2:40Monday to six a.2:41m.2:42Tuesday with southeast winds of thirty, five to forty, five knots.2:46Forecasters tell mariners to remain in port, alter course, or secure their vessels2:50for severe conditions.2:51The decisions depend on a vessel's location and route through the exposed offshore2:55waters, where the warning identifies capsizing, vessel damage, and reduced2:59visibility as dangers.3:01The earlier following gale outlook included gusts to sixty, five knots in seas of3:05thirty, two to thirty seven feet.3:07Sunday evening, forecasters increased its winds to forty to fifty knots and seas to3:11thirty three to thirty eight feet.3:13Gusts stayed at sixty five knots.3:15Monday morning then changed both that gale's timing and its forecast.3:18The storm warning is scheduled through midnight Monday night, the start of Tuesday,3:22November10 th.3:23The following gale warning runs from midnight to six p.3:26um3:27Tuesday.3:28That leaves another eighteen hours of hazardous wind and sea forecasts after the3:32storm period.3:33For that following gale, forecasters expect east winds of thirty, five to forty,3:37five knots, and gusts up to sixty knots.3:39Mariners still need the latest warning before making decisions offshore.3:43Even after the scheduled storm ending, seas remain forecast at thirty to thirty five3:47feet through the gale period.Read the articleStory timelineHeyDexRelated coverageSame event·Nov 9, 10:21 AM UTCAlaska offshore storm warning extended, with gusts forecast to 75 knots
