The National Weather Service is addressing problems with its broadcast site on Biorka Island. The VHF weather forecast available in the Sitka region has been offline since some time over the weekend.
Kim Custer is an electronics systems analyst with NOAA’s Juneau office. He says the audio signal is not getting to the transmitter, and that they’re working to diagnosis and repair the exact problem.
Custer says Sitka is the only area where VHF weather radio problems have been reported. There also are problems with a weather radio the National Weather Service jointly operates with the Coast Guard.
Until the repairs are made, Custer says those in the Sitka area may get their forecast by calling 747-6011, or by going online. Or you can link here to the forecast for the inside waters, the outside waters, and the on-shore zone weather.
You also can catch the marine weather at an additional time on Raven Radio, at around 8:30 a.m., in addition to its usual times of 6:19 a.m. and approximately 5:30 p.m.
