Ice Forecast
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
705 FZAK80 PAFC 022225 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 224 PM AKDT Friday 2 October 2026 FORECAST VALIDWednesday 7 October 2026 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCEHigh. SYNOPSISA weak low meanders over the Beaufort Sea through Sunday. On Monday a strong Bering Sea low will begin to affect winds north and west of Alaska as high pressure builds over the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Winds over the ice pack will be light and variable for much of the forecast period. Freezing air temperatures will continue to drive widespread freezing in and around the pack. The main ice edge in the Alaska waters extends from near 70 9`N 145 48`W to 70 20`N 142 45`W to 70 49`N 150 15`W to 73 12`N 161 15`W to 71 47`N 176 12`W. The ice edge is a mix of new and multiyear pack ice. New ice is present behind barrier islands and within protected bays. From land-based points in Alaska, the main edge extends from Prudhoe Bay to 20 nm northeast of Kaktovik to 19 nm northwest of Oliktok Point to 165 nm north-northeast of Icy Cape to 255 nm northwest of Cape Lisburne. The ice edge is a mix of new and multiyear pack ice. New ice is present behind barrier islands and within protected bays. -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- PKZ859-Point Franklin to Cape Halkett from 45 to 80 nm- PKZ860-Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island from 45 to 80 nm- Ice covered. FORECAST FOR THE BEAUFORT SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. Winds will be light and variable for much of the forecast period. Expect pack ice to drift with local tides and currents. Freezing temperatures will see continued ice growth within and around the ice pack. Moderate northeasterly winds to develop over the southern Beaufort on Tuesday. New ice behind barrier islands and within protected bays along the Alaskan coast may begin to degrade Sunday and Monday as air temperatures briefly warm. Moderate onshore winds Tuesday may further degrade and compact the ice nearshore. -CHUKCHI SEA- PKZ813-Point Franklin to Cape Halkett out to 15 nm- PKZ859-Point Franklin to Cape Halkett from 15 to 75 nm- Ice covered. 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- 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 free. FORECAST FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. Navigational waters are presently ice free, though new ice has begun to develop behind barrier islands. Winds over the Chukchi will be light and variable through Sunday. Moderate northeasterly flow will develop by Monday, shifting southeasterly by Wednesday. Pack ice in the northern Chukchi will continue to consolidate and advance southward under freezing air temperatures. In the eastern Chukchi the ice edge may advance southward 60 nm by Wednesday. Navigational waters will likely remain ice free. -BERING SEA- PKZ763-Kuskokwim Delta and Etolin Strait out to 15 nm- PKZ765-North and West of Nunivak Island 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- PKZ850-Etolin Strait to Kwemeluk Pass from 15 to 90 nm- PKZ852-Norton Sound greater than 15 nm- PKZ853-Kwemeluk Pass to Kwikpak Pass from 15 to 90 nm- PKZ760-Bristol Bay greater than 15 nm- PKZ761-Bristol Bay from Port Heiden to Cape Chichagof out to 15 nm- PKZ762-Bristol Bay from Cape Chichagof to Cape Pierce out to 15 nm- PKZ764-Kuskokwim Delta from 15 to 80 nm- PKZ767-Saint Matthew Island Waters- PKZ816-South Side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 nm- PKZ817-North Side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 nm- PKZ851-Southwest of Saint Lawrence Island from 15 to 100 nm- PKZ854-Sledge Island to Wales greater than 15 nm- Ice free. FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. -COOK INLET- PKZ730-West of Barren Islands including Kamishak Bay- PKZ740-Cook Inlet North of Kalgin Island- PZK741-Kachemak Bay- PKZ742-Cook Inlet Kalgin Island to Point Bede- Ice free. FORECAST FOR COOK INLET (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. && Jewell