Ice Forecast
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
028 FZAK80 PAFC 262307 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 307 PM AKDT Friday 26 April 2024 FORECAST VALID...Wednesday 1 May 2024 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...High. SYNOPSIS...A low weakens in the western Gulf of Alaska. An additional low will develop near Anadyr on Saturday and move near the western Aleutians on Monday. High pressure will remain over the high Arctic and Bering Strait region through Wednesday. The main ice edge extends from near Quinhagak to 58 44N 164 19W to 58 56N 171 42W to 60 42N 177 34W to 60 49N 179 47W and continues in Russian waters. The ice edge is open water. From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge extends from near Quinhagak to 70 nm west of Cape Newenham to 115 nm north- northwest of Saint Paul Island to 140 nm west of Saint Matthew Island to 280 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 remain out of the northeast, keeping the pack well established along the coast. -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 and east. Polynyas will continue to open from Utqiagvik through Point Hope. -BERING SEA- PKZ762-Bristol Bay from Cape Chichagof to Cape Peirce out to 15 nm- 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- Ice covered. PKZ412-Bering Sea 171W to 180 and North of 56N- PKZ414-Bering Sea East of 171W- PKZ756-Port Heiden to Nelson Lagoon out to 15 nm- PKZ758-Nelson Lagoon to Cape Sarichef out to 15 nm- PKZ760-Bristol Bay greater than 15 nm- PKZ761-Bristol Bay from Port Heiden to Cape Chichagof out to 15 nm- PKZ764-Kuskokwim Delta from 15 to 80 nm- PKZ766-Pribilof Islands Nearshore Waters- FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. Generally ice will move with tides and currents through Monday. On Tuesday, another front enters the Bering Sea from the south which will bring easterly winds back to the ice edge. Overall the ice edge will retreat 10 to 20 nm while continuing to thin. -COOK INLET- PKZ740-Cook Inlet North of Kalgin Island- FORECAST FOR COOK INLET (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. River ice may move south into upper Cook Inlet via the Knik River. Otherwise, Cook Inlet is expected to remain largely sea ice free. && Lawson