Ice Forecast
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
Issued by NWS Anchorage, AK
449 FZAK80 PAFC 202136 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 136 PM AKDT Friday 20 September 2024 FORECAST VALID...Wednesday 25 September 2024 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...High to moderate. SYNOPSISLow pressure over the high Arctic will gradually move north as high pressure builds north from the southern Chukchi Sea through Monday. Broad low pressure will move north from the mainland over the Beaufort Sea Tuesday and Wednesday. The main ice edge extends from Russian waters to 75 25N 166 57W to 76 34N 166 22W to 77 3N 142 10W to 76 2N 141 21W and continues in Canadian waters. The ice edge is open water. Sea ice also lingers off the north coast of the Chukchi Peninsula and at times moves into Alaska waters between the Bering Strait and Point Hope. From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge extends from 290 nm northwest of Point Barrow to 335 nm north-northwest of Point Barrow to 400 nm north of Kaktovik to 340 nm north of Kaktovik and continues in Canadian waters. The ice edge is open water. Sea ice also lingers off the northern coast of the Chukchi Peninsula and at times moves into Alaska waters between the Bering Strait and Point Hope. -BEAUFORT SEA- PKZ505-Central US Arctic Offshore- PKZ510-Eastern US Arctic Offshore- FORECAST FOR THE BEAUFORT SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate. Winds will generally be southerly to easterly around the low, with lighter winds farther from the low center through Sunday. Winds then shift to northerly Monday, then broad easterly winds Tuesday and Wednesday. General drift of the ice pack through Sunday will be approximately 10 to 20 nm to the north, then back south Monday up to 10 nm, then to the west up to 20 nm Tuesday and Wednesday. New ice will continue to form along the edge of the main ice pack, especially after Sunday. -CHUKCHI SEA- PKZ500-Western US Arctic Offshore- PKZ505-Central US Arctic Offshore- FORECAST FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate. Northerly to northwesterly winds will become northeasterly Monday through Wednesday. Sea ice will generally drift south 20 to 30 nm through the forecast period and new sea ice may form within the existing ice pack. && Schreck