FZAK80 PAFC 212222 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 122 PM AKST Friday 21 February 2025 FORECAST VALID...Wednesday 26 February 2025 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...High to moderate. SYNOPSIS...High pressure will persist over the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas through Wednesday. Low pressure will generally remain over the southern Bering Sea through Wednesday. -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 15 to 75 nm- PKZ860-Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island from 15 to 80 nm- PKZ861-Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point from 15 to 75 nm- Ice covered. FORECAST FOR THE BEAUFORT SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate to high. Northeast winds will prevail through Wednesday. Expect the ice pack to continue to thicken and generally move southwest through the forecast period. -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- PKZ859-Point Franklin to Cape Halkett from 15 to 75 nm- Ice covered. FORECAST FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate to high. North to northeast winds will persist across most of the Chukchi Sea through Wednesday. Expect the ice pack to continue to thicken while drifting to the south- southwest. Polynyas may form off south and southwest-facing coastlines through Wednesday but will quickly fill in with new sea ice. -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- 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. 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 Peirce out to 15 nm- PKZ764-Kuskokwim Delta from 15 to 80 nm- PKZ767-Saint Matthew Island Waters- In the Bering Sea, the main ice edge extends from near Egegik to 58 38’N 163 23’W to 59 72’N 167 88’W to 60 78’N 172 25’W to 61 84’N 178 92’W continuing west into Russian waters. The ice edge is open water. From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge extends from near Egegik to 40 nm southwest of Cape Newenham to 35 nm south of Cape Mohican to 30 nm north of Saint Matthew Island to 230 nm southwest of Gambell, then continuing west into Russian waters. The ice edge is open water. FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate to high. Northe to northeast winds will continue across much of the ice pack on the Bering Sea through Wednesday, as an area of low pressure moves across the western and central Bering Sea before dissipating. Ice will generally continue to thicken and drift southwest 15 to 25 nm through Wednesday. To the south and east of Nunivak Island, expect much of the remaining sea ice in northern Bristol Bay to melt as warmer air remains over the area. -COOK INLET- PKZ740-Cook Inlet North of Kalgin Island- SYNOPSIS...Weak low pressure will remain south of Cook Inlet through Sunday. In Cook Inlet, the main ice edge extends from 60 24’N 152 13’W to 60 7’N 152 1'W near Nikiski. The ice edge is open water. From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge extends from 14 nm north of Tuxedni Bay to 10 nm west of Ninilchik to near Nikiski. The ice edge is open water. FORECAST FOR COOK INLET (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate to high. Northeast winds will persist across the Cook Inlet with temperatures remaining in the upper 20s to low 40s through Wednesday. Sea ice should continue to gradually melt as it drifts to the south. && Baker