Ice Forecast
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
232 FZAK80 PAFC 272209 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 209 PM AKDT Monday 27 May 2024 FORECAST VALID...Saturday 1 June 2024 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...High. SYNOPSIS...A low will move east along the Aleutian Islands then dissipate over the southeast Bering Sea Thursday. Another stronger low will move east across the southern Bering Sea Thursday through Saturday. High pressure will generally remain over the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas through Saturday. The main ice edge extends along the west coast of Alaska from near Kipnuk to near Kwikpak, then to 61 47N 167 25W to 61 47N 169 36W to southeast Saint Lawrence Island, then from near Gambell to 63 51N 173 58W to 61 40N 175 55W to 61 18N 172 13W to 60 37N 177 19W and continues in Russian waters. The ice edge is open water. From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge extends along the west coast of Alaska from near Kipnuk to Kwikpak, then to 40 nm west of Hooper Bay to 105 nm west of Hooper Bay to southeast Saint Lawrence Island, then from near Gambell to 55 nm west of Gambell to 170 nm southwest of Gambell to 145 nm south of Gambell to 250 nm southwest of Gambell and continues in Russian waters. The ice edge is open water. -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- PKZ860-Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island from 15 nm to 80 nm- PKZ861-Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point from 15 nm to 75 nm- Ice covered. FORECAST FOR THE BEAUFORT SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. Winds will be light and variable over the Beaufort Sea through Saturday. The ice pack will continue to be consolidated through Saturday, with some movement influenced by local currents. -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- Ice covered. FORECAST FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. Winds will remain out of the northeast through Saturday south of Point Barrow. These winds will help the existing polynya off the northwest coast of Alaska to continue to expand through the forecast period. North of Point Barrow, winds will be northeasterly through Wednesday morning, then westerly late Wednesday through Thursday and northerly Friday into Saturday. Overall, the sea ice north and west of Point Barrow will remain consolidated through the forecast period. -BERING SEA- PKZ763-Kuskokwim Delta and Etolin Strait out to 15 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- 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- 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- FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. Winds will generally be easterly to northerly over the remaining sea ice through Saturday. Sea ice will continue to gradually melt through the forecast period, especially south of Saint Lawrence Island and within Norton Sound. Any remaining shorefast ice is highly susceptible to breaking away as it continues to melt. && Schreck