Ice Forecast
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
723 FZAK80 PAFC 292334 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 334 PM AKDT Wednesday 29 May 2024 FORECAST VALID...Monday 3 June 2024 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...High. SYNOPSIS...A low over the southeast Bering Sea will dissipate Thursday. Another stronger low will move east across the southern Bering Sea Thursday through Saturday, then into the Gulf of Alaska Sunday and Monday. High pressure will generally remain over the Chukchi Sea through Monday, while a low drops south over the Beaufort Sea Friday through Monday. The main ice edge extends along the west coast of Alaska from near Kipnuk to near Kwikpak, then to 61 39N 168 5W to 61 43N 169 54W to southeast Saint Lawrence Island, then from near Gambell to 61 44N 176 38W to 61 18N 172 11W to 60 32N 177 27W 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 50 nm west of Hooper Bay to 108 nm west of Hooper Bay to southeast Saint Lawrence Island, then from near Gambell to 180 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. Westerly winds will become light and variable Saturday through Monday. The ice pack will continue to be consolidated through Monday, 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 north to northeast through Monday 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. Sea ice will continue to thin between the Bering Strait and Point Hope as well. North of Point Barrow, winds will be westerly through Thursday and northerly Friday through Monday. 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 Monday. 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