277
FZAK80 PAFC 172130
ICEAFC

Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters
National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program
130 PM AKDT Monday 17 August 2026


FORECAST VALIDSaturday 22 August 2026


ANALYSIS CONFIDENCEHigh.


SYNOPSIS. High pressure slides across the Chukchi Sea and Beaufort
Sea through Wednesday. The next low pressure system digs into the
Chukchi Sea on Thursday with a weak disturbance or two tracking
through the region. A stronger low pressure system develops south of
the Seward Peninsula on Friday.


-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 45 to 80 nm-PKZ860-Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island from 45 to 80
nm-


Ice covered.


FORECAST FOR THE BEAUFORT SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast
confidence is high.


High pressure persists into the middle of the week, followed by weak
low pressure emerging from the ALCAN border on Thursday. An arctic
trough dissipates over the Beaufort Sea on Friday with another weak
wave of low pressure lifting out of interior Alaska into the
Beaufort Sea on 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-



The main ice edge in the XXXX Sea extends from near 71 32`N 156 1`W
to 70 58`N 160 49`W to 71 16`N 162 44`W to 72 41`N 161 48`W to 70
17`N 168 5`W to 70 28`N 170 55`W to 71 53`N 170 7`W to 72 57`N 174
3`W to 70 11`N 174 47`W to 68 15`N 169 13`W to 66 30`N 170 35`W.




From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge in the Chukchi
Sea extends from 10 nm north of Utqiagvik to 25 nm northwest of
Wainwright to 75 nm west of Point Franklin to 170 nm north of Point
Lay to 120 nm west of Icy Cape to 170 nm west of Icy Cape to 180 nm
northwest of Point Lay to 270 nm northwest of Point Lay to 240 nm
west of Point Lay to 50 nm west of Point Hope to 100 nm west of
Shishmaref.




FORECAST FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast
confidence is high.


Unsettled conditions will linger through the period. Gusty
northwesterly winds develop late Monday into Tuesday as low pressure
briefly strengthens over the Seward Peninsula. High pressure in-
between systems results in light and variable winds on Wednesday
before an even stronger area of low pressure deepens south of the
Seward Peninsula Friday into Saturday. Expect strong northerly winds
into the Bering Strait by midday Friday, lingering into Saturday
afternoon. Cooler temperatures and strong northerly winds may see
marginal ice creep southward along the Chukotka Peninsula coast.




-BERING SEA-


PKZ763-Kuskokwim Delta and Etolin Strait out to 15 nm-PKZ765-North
and West of Nunivak Island PKZ801-Etolin Strait to Dall Point out to
15 nm-PKZ802-Dall Point to Kwikpak Pass out to 15 nm-PKZ803-Kwikpak
Pass to Cape Stephens 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-PKZ850-Etolin Strait to
Kwemeluk Pass from 15 to 90 nm-PKZ852-Norton Sound greater than 15
nm-PKZ853-Kwemeluk Pass to Kwikpak Pass from 15 to 90 nm-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 Pierce out to 15 nm-PKZ764-Kuskokwim Delta from 15
to 80 nm-PKZ767-Saint Matthew Island Waters-PKZ816-South Side of
Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 nm-PKZ817-North Side of Saint
Lawrence Island out to 15 nm-PKZ851-Southwest of Saint Lawrence
Island from 15 to 100 nm-PKZ854-Sledge Island to Wales greater than
15 nm-


Ice free.



FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence
is high.



-COOK INLET-


PKZ730-West of Barren Islands including Kamishak Bay-PKZ740-Cook
Inlet North of Kalgin Island-PZK741-Kachemak Bay-PKZ742-Cook Inlet
Kalgin Island to Point Bede-



Ice free.



 FORECAST FOR COOK INLET (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is
high.




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