098
FZAK80 PAFC 032353
ICEAFC

Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters
National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program
252 PM AKDT Wednesday 3 December 2025

FORECAST VALID...Monday 8 December 2025

ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...Moderate to high.

SYNOPSIS...Low pressure over the eastern Aleutians continues to
weaken through Friday. High pressure remains over Interior AK
through the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. A new strong low pressure
develops in the Gulf of Alaska on Friday and lingers through Monday.

-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-
PKZ861-Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point from 45 to 80 nm-

Ice covered.

FORECAST FOR THE BEAUFORT SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast
confidence is high. Winds will be generally light (10 kts or less)
and variable through Monday. A very cold arctic air mass will set up
over the area, so ice will continue to thicken, possibly into first
year thin stage, Beaufort wide by Monday. Existing shorefast ice
will remain, but further expansion is unlikely as we have not had a
long-duration compaction event to really encourage ice to be bottom-
fasted.


-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-
PKZ859-Point Franklin to Cape Halkett from 15 to 75 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 be light and variable through Friday,
before turning northerly through Monday. No major changes to the ice
pack expected, possibly polynya formation between Icy Cape and
Utqiagvik. A very cold air mass will encourage ice to continue to
thicken well into the young stage for most areas.

-BERING SEA-

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-
PKZ852-Norton Sound greater than 15 nm-

Ice covered.

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-
PKZ763-Kuskokwim Delta and Etolin Strait out to 15 nm-
PKZ764-Kuskokwim Delta from 15 to 80 nm-
PKZ765-North and West of Nunivak Island
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-

The main ice edge in the Bering Sea extends from near Cape Newenham
to 60 34N 168 11W to 63 40N 167 36W to 64 10N 171 11W and
continues southwest in Russian waters. The ice edge is open water.


From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge in the Bering
Sea extends from near Cape Newenham to 35 northwest of Cape Mohican
to 70 nm east-northeast of Savoonga to 25 north of Gambell and
continues southwest in Russian waters. The ice edge is open water.

FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence
is high. Northerly to northeasterly winds will persist through the
forecast period. Light to moderate on Thursday, and then moderate to
strong again on Saturday, mainly for the Kuskokwim Delta. Expect
the ice edge to advance southwest around 10-20 nm/day. A very cold
interior arctic air mass will pour off the land setting the stage
for a period of ice growth. Expect the ice edge to advance beyond
Saint Lawrence Island by Monday. However, past Saint Lawrence Island
to the south, sea surface temperatures will be too warm to sustain
new ice but will continue to cool under this air mass.

-COOK INLET-

PKZ740-Cook Inlet North of Kalgin Island-

The main ice edge in Cook Inlet extends from near Tyonek to 61 8N
150 36W to near Point Possession.  The ice edge is open water.

From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge in Cook Inlet
extends from near Tyonek to 16 nm northeast of Tyonek to near Point
Possession. The ice edge is open water.

FORECAST FOR COOK INLET (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is
moderate. Thursday through Monday, a much colder air mass will
advect over Cook Inlet and sea ice growth is expected to resume.
Expect much of the Upper Inlet to be frozen by Monday with new ice
along the coast from the east Foreland through Kenai.

&&
Lawson