


Ice Forecast
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
983 FZAK80 PAFC 022316 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 316 PM AKDT Monday 2 June 2025 FORECAST VALID...Saturday 7 June 2025 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...High SYNOPSIS...A low will move east across the Bering Sea through Tuesday, then inland Wednesday. A weaker low will move east across the central Bering Sea Thursday as high pressure builds over the southern Bering Sea. High pressure will persist over the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas through Wednesday before moving north over the high Arctic. -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 high. Winds will generally be easterly to northeasterly near the Alaska coast through Wednesday, then become northerly Thursday before becoming light and variable Friday and Saturday. Expect little sea ice movement near the coast beyond the shorefast ice through Saturday. -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. Easterly to northeasterly winds will persist through Thursday. Winds will then shift to northerly as they weaken Friday and Saturday. Sea ice will drift west to southwest overall, which will cause the polynya to expand through the forecast period. Shorefast ice may continue to break off through Saturday. South of Point Hope, winds will generally remain northerly through the forecast period. Near the Bering Strait, southerly ocean currents will be competing with northerly winds especially through Tuesday. As the ocean current weakens on Wednesday, sea ice is more likely to drift south toward the Bering Strait. As this ice drifts south into warmer waters, it will gradually melt. -BERING SEA- PKZ767-Saint Matthew Island Waters- PKZ803-Kwikpak Pass to Cape Stephens out to 15 nm- PKZ804-Cape Stephens to Moses Point out to 15 nm- PKZ806-Sledge Island to Wales out to 15 nm- PKZ816-South side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 nm- PKZ817-North 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 Wales to 65 47N 169 33W and continues in Russian waters. There is also sea ice near and south of Saint Lawrence Island inside of an area from near Gambell to 63 53N 168 4W to 60 32N 168 57W to 60 15N 175 2W to 61 20N 175 42W to 61 3N 171 58W to near the southeast corner of Saint Lawrence Island. The ice edge is open water. From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge extends from near Wales to 10 nm west of Diomede and continues in Russian waters. There is also sea ice near and south of Saint Lawrence Island inside of an area from near Gambell to 60 nm northeast of Savoonga to 50 nm west of Cape Mohican to 230 nm west-southwest of Cape Mohican to 245 nm west-northwest of Cape Mohican to 140 nm west-northwest of Cape Mohican to near the southeast corner of Saint Lawrence Island. The ice edge is open water. FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate. Over the remaining ice pack, northerly winds will become northwesterly Wednesday, then westerly Thursday. Winds will return to northerly Friday and Saturday. As sea ice drifts with winds and currents, it will continue to melt especially south of Saint Lawrence Island. The sea ice that remains off the north coast of Saint Lawrence Island will generally compact back against the shore during periods of northerly winds. && Schreck