Ice Forecast
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
630 FZAK80 PAFC 082257 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 257 PM AKDT Wednesday 8 May 2024 FORECAST VALID...Monday 13 May 2024 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...High. SYNOPSIS...A series of lows will move east across the Aleutian Islands toward the Gulf of Alaska through Monday. The main ice edge extends from near Quinhagak to 58 51N 168 30W to 59 13N 173 58W to 60 43N 179 11W 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 to 90 nm south-southwest of Cape Mohican to 280 nm south of Gambell to 275 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 through Monday. Pack ice will remain consolidated against the shorefast ice with little change. -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 generally remain out of the north through Monday. Polynyas will continue to open from Utqiagvik through Kivalina, but will quickly fill in with new ice. -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. Overall, north to east winds will persist over the ice pack through Monday. The ice pack will move south and west 30 to 40 nm through the weekend. Polynyas will continue to expand, though some new ice formation is expected especially north of Saint Lawrence Island. Shorefast ice from the Kuskokwim Delta through the Yukon Delta has not shown signs of much degradation as of yet, but is expected within the next couple of weeks as seasonal warming continues. && Schreck