494
FZAK80 PAFC 232319
ICEAFC

Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters
National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program
320 PM AKDT Friday 23 May 2025

FORECAST VALID...Wednesday 28 May 2025.

ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...High.

SYNOPSIS...High pressure over the Chukchi, Beaufort, and Bering Seas
will gradually give way to widespread low pressure this weekend.
More specifically, a low pressure system near the Kamchatka
Peninsula will track east across the Bering through Sunday and into
the Gulf of Alaska on Monday. Another low from the North Pacific
will skirt south of the Aleutian Chain on Monday and Tuesday.
Various low pressure systems in the High Arctic will track east
through the forecast period.

-BEAUFORT SEA-

PKZ505-Central US Arctic Offshore-
PKZ510-Eastern US Arctic Offshore-
PKZ813-Point Franklin to Cape Halkett out to 15 nm-
PKZ814-Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island out to 15 nm-
PKZ815-Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point out to 15 nm-
PKZ859-Point Franklin to Cape Halkett from 15 to 75 nm-
PKZ860-Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island from 15 to 80 nm-
PKZ861-Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point from 15 to 75 nm-

Ice covered.

FORECAST FOR THE BEAUFORT SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast
confidence is moderate. Light and variable winds will transition to
be generally southerly winds through Saturday. From Sunday through
Wednesday, winds will be westerly to southwesterly. Shorefast ice
will be at risk of break-off, mainly along the outer edges of the
shorefast ice, through much of the forecast period. Overall, the
main ice pack will move to the north around 5-10 nm per day through
Saturday, then move eastward 10-15 nm per day through Wednesday.

-CHUKCHI SEA-

PKZ500-Western US Arctic Offshore-
PKZ505-Central US Arctic Offshore-
PKZ807-Wales to Cape Espenberg out to 15 nm-
PKZ808-Cape Espenberg to Motherwood Point out to 10 nm-
PKZ809-Motherwood Point to Cape Krusenstern out to 10 nm-
PKZ810-Cape Krusenstern to Cape Thompson out to 15 nm-
PKZ811-Cape Thompson to Cape Beaufort out to 15 nm-
PKZ812-Cape Beaufort to Point Franklin out to 15 nm-
PKZ813-Point Franklin to Cape Halkett out to 15 nm-
PKZ855-Kotzebue Sound greater than 10 nm-
PKZ856-Wales to Cape Thompson greater than 15 nm-
PKZ857-Cape Thompson to Cape Beaufort from 15 to 85 nm-
PKZ858-Cape Beaufort to Point Franklin from 15 to 85 nm-
PKZ859-Point Franklin to Cape Halkett from 15 to 75 nm-

Ice covered.

FORECAST FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast
confidence is high. North of Point Hope, light and variable winds
will become generally westerly from Saturday through Wednesday which
will begin to close the polynya. South of Point Hope, light westerly
winds become northerly on Sunday and then light and variable from
Monday through Wednesday. The area of open water near Wales will
continue to slowly expand.

-BERING SEA-

PKZ803-Kwikpak Pass to Cape Stephens out to 15 nm-
PKZ817-North side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 nm-

Ice covered.

PKZ414-Bering Sea Offshore East of 171W-
PKZ760-Bristol Bay greater than 15 NM-
PKZ761-Bristol Bay from Port Heiden to Cape Chichagof out to 15 nm-
PKZ762-Bristol Bay from Cape Chichagof to Cape Peirce out to 15 nm-
PKZ763-Kuskokwim Delta and Etolin Strait out to 15 nm-
PKZ764-Kuskokwim Delta from 15 to 80 nm-
PKZ765-North and West of Nunivak Island-
PKZ767-Saint Matthew Island Waters-
PKZ801-Etolin Strait to Dall Point out to 15 nm-
PKZ802-Dall Point to Kwikpak Pass out to 15 nm-
PKZ804-Cape Stephens to Moses Point out to 15 nm-
PKZ805-Moses Point to Sledge Island out to 15 nm-
PKZ806-Sledge Island to Wales out to 15 nm-
PKZ816-South side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 nm-
PKZ850-Etolin Strait to Kwemeluk Pass from 15 to 90 nm-
PKZ851-Southwest of Saint Lawrence Island from 15 to 100 nm-
PKZ852-Norton Sound greater than 15 nm-
PKZ853-Kwemeluk Pass to Kwikpak Pass from 15 to 90 nm-
PKZ854-Sledge Island to Wales greater than 15 nm-

The main ice edge extends from near Kipnuk to 59 26N 172 28W to 60
29N 179 18W to 63 11N 173 41W. The ice edge is open water.

From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge extends from
near Kipnuk to 55 nm south of Saint Matthew Island to 290 nm
southwest of Gambell to 60 nm southwest of Gambell. The ice edge is
open water.

FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence
is high. Northerly winds will shift easterly on Saturday before
becoming northerly again from Sunday through Monday. Winds will
shift southerly by Wednesday. Overall, expect sea ice to drift in
the direction of the winds as it continues to melt and for areas of
ice free water to expand. The remaining pack ice is expected to
decay to marginal ice through Wednesday.


&&
Fenrich