Southeast Alaska may be the recipient of a surge of rain this weekend, courtesy of a hurricane now spinning in the Pacific Ocean northeast of Hawaii.
Hurricane Oho, 645 miles east-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii, is forecast to reach the Juneau area by late Friday or early Saturday, according to forecasts from Accuweather and the Central Pacific Hurricane Center.
While it won’t be a hurricane when it arrives — it’s expected to be what meteorologists call an “extratropical storm” — it will still carry high winds and significant rain into the region.
According to National Weather Service forecasters in Juneau, the remnants of Oho may be strengthened by a “jet streak” — the point at which the jet stream reaches its maximum force and provides the most possible energy to deepen a storm.
“Confidence is increasing in a significant wind event,” forecasters wrote Wednesday morning.
According to an analysis posted online by Accuweather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski, Oho could bring 3-5 inches of rain to Southeast Alaska over the weekend.
The storm’s track and intensity are expected to vary in the days before it reaches Alaska, and hurricane forecasting more than 72 hours in advance is difficult.
