Ice Forecast
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
896 FZAK80 PAFC 221522 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 300 PM AKDT Friday 21 June 2024 FORECAST VALID...Wednesday 26 June 2024 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...High. SYNOPSIS...High pressure will prevail over much of the ice pack from the Chukchi Sea and Beaufort Seas southward through the Bering Sea. A seasonally strong low pressure system enters the Bering Sea on Wednesday. The main ice edge extends from near Wales to Diomede and continues westward in Russian waters. The ice edge is open water. There is also some areas of brash ice remaining to the northeast of Saint Lawrence Island. From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge extends from near Wales to Diomede and continues westward in Russian waters. The ice edge is open water. There is also an area of brash ice remaining to the northeast of Saint Lawrence Island. -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. Light and variable winds will make tides and currents as well as the Beaufort Gyre the predominant mover for sea ice.Near-shore ice will continue to degrade. -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)...Light and variable winds will make tides and currents the predominant mover of sea ice through the period. Expect melt to continue to accelerate in the southern Chukchi Sea through the period. -BERING SEA- 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- 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)...Alaska waters of the Bering Sea will largely be sea ice free by mid-week. An area of brash ice will linger northeast of Saint Lawrence Island through Wednesday. && Lawson