336
FZAK80 PAFC 040025
ICEAFC

Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters
National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program
325 PM AKDT Monday 3 November 2025

FORECAST VALID...Saturday 8 November 2025

ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...Moderate.

SYNOPSIS...A high pressure ridge over the High Arctic and most of
the Beaufort Sea will gradually tilt eastward towards the Canadian
Archipelago over the next several days. A low over the Chukchi Sea
will weaken and be replaced by high pressure by Wednesday. A low
over the western Bering Sea tracks east and combines with a low in
the Gulf of Alaska on Wednesday. This new low will linger in the
Gulf of Alaska through Saturday as it gradually weakens. While in
the Gulf, this low will spread low pressure northward across the
state of AK as well as across the Beaufort Sea. By Saturday, a
strong low will be centered over the western Bering Sea, weak low
pressure will spread across much of the Beaufort Sea, and high
pressure will spread across the Chukchi Sea and High Arctic.

-BEAUFORT SEA-

PKZ505-Central US Arctic Offshore-
PKZ510-Eastern US Arctic Offshore-

Ice covered.

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 140 nm-
PKZ860-Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island from 45 to 60 nm-
PKZ861-Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point from 20 to 45 nm-

The main ice edge in the Beaufort Sea extends from 71 53N 154 54W
to 71 6N 149 54W to 70 12N 144 6W to 70 43N 149 53W to 71 19N
154 54W. The ice edge is open water.

From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge in the Beaufort
Sea extends from  45 nm north of Ikiak to 35 nm north of Oliktok
Point to 115 nm east of Oliktok Point to 10 nm north of Oliktok
Point to 12 nm north of Ikiak. The ice edge is open water.

FORECAST FOR THE BEAUFORT SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast
confidence is moderate. Moderate easterly winds will persist through
Thursday, after which weak low pressure develops across the Beaufort
Sea and winds become light and variable. The recent and ongoing
moderate easterly winds have created enough warming to melt some sea
ice across the southern Beaufort Sea. Expect this trend to continue
through Thursday, and also expect sea ice to continue drifting west
about 10-15 nm per day. Once winds diminish starting approximately
on Friday, sea ice growth should become favorable again.

-CHUKCHI SEA-

PKZ505-Central US Arctic Offshore-

Ice covered.

PKZ500-Western 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-
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 Chukchi Sea extends from 71 53N 154 54W
to 70 49N 164 54W to 72 30N 167 55W to 71 7N 172 21W and
continues southwest into Russian waters. The ice edge is open water.
There is also ice along the coast from Cape Lisburne through the
North Slope, as well as within Kotzebue Sound.

From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge in the Chukchi
Sea extends from 45 nm north of Ikiak to 115 nm west of Point
Franklin to 215 nm north of Cape Lisburne to 180 nm north-northwest
of Cape Lisburne and continues southwest into Russian waters. The
ice edge is open water. There is also ice along the coast from Cape
Lisburne through the North Slope, as well as within Kotzebue Sound.

FORECAST FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast
confidence is moderate. A low centered over the Chukchi Sea is
producing southerly/southeasterly winds across the northern portion
of the sea and westerly/northwesterly winds across the southern
portion. As the low lifts northward, winds will shift generally
northerly/northwesterly on Wednesday and then primarily northerly
from Thursday through Friday. On Saturday, winds become light and
northerly. Due to winds, expect sea ice along the Siberian coast to
continue drifting southeasterly about 10-15 nm per day through
Tuesday. Expect the main ice pack in the northern Chukchi Sea to the
west/northwest about 10-15 nm per day through Tuesday. From
Wednesday through Saturday, expect sea ice to generally drift to the
south about 5-10 nm per day. The recent and ongoing moderate winds
have made it difficult for new sea ice to grow (especially along the
ice edge and along the coast). However, once winds diminish and
shift northerly during the second half of the forecast period, sea
ice growth will become more likely overall.

-BERING SEA-

PKZ763-Kuskokwim Delta and Etolin Strait out to 15 nm-
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-

FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence
is moderate. Northwesterly winds across the northern and eastern
Bering Sea will briefly become light and variable on Tuesday before
northerly winds develop from Wednesday through Friday. On Saturday,
winds shift easterly due to a strong low centered over the western
Bering Sea. Sea ice lingers along the Y-K Delta coast as well as
along portions of the Norton Sound coast. Expect present sea ice to
linger (especially within protected areas) but for new sea ice
growth to be minimal during the forecast period.

&&
Fenrich