FZAK80 PAFC 060026 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 325 PM AKDT Wednesday 5 November 2025 FORECAST VALID...Monday 10 November 2025 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...Moderate. SYNOPSIS…An area of low pressure forms over the Arctic mainland Thursday and drifts northward into the High Arctic through Friday. Saturday afternoon an area of high pressure forms over the Arctic mainland and drifts northward. A strong low moves from the western Bering to the Central Bering. Weak lows from the Bering and North Pacific converge and dissipate in the Gulf of Alaska by Monday. -BEAUFORT SEA- PKZ505-Central US Arctic Offshore- PKZ510-Eastern US Arctic Offshore- Ice covered. 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 140 nm- PKZ860-Cape Halkett to Flaxman Island from 45 to 60 nm- PKZ861-Flaxman Island to Demarcation Point from 20 to 45 nm- The main ice edge in the Beaufort Sea extends from 72 12’N 154 52’W to 71 29’N 151 29’W to 70 52’N 146 34’W to 70 27’N 143 49’W. The ice edge is open water. From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge in the Beaufort Sea extends from 63 nm north of Ikiak to 41 nm north of Flaxman Island to 8nm north of Flaxman Island to 15 nm north of Oliktok Point to 12 nm north of Ikiak. The ice edge is open water. FORECAST FOR THE BEAUFORT SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate. Moderate northeasterly winds persist through Friday, after which weak low pressure lifts from the Arctic mainland into the Beaufort Sea and winds become southwesterly, then weak and northeasterly Saturday night. Weak northeasterly winds persist through Monday. Expect sea ice to continue drifting west about 10-15 nm per day. Once winds diminish starting approximately on Friday, sea ice growth should become favorable. -CHUKCHI SEA- PKZ505-Central US Arctic Offshore- Ice covered. PKZ500-Western 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- PKZ858-Cape Beaufort to Point Franklin from 15 to 85 nm- PKZ859-Point Franklin to Cape Halkett from 15 to 75 nm- The main ice edge in the Chukchi Sea extends from 72 13’N 154 05’W to 71 55’N 165 17’W to 71 37’N 171 45’W and continues southwest into Russian waters. The ice edge is open water. There is also ice along the coast from Cape Lisburne through the North Slope, as well as within Kotzebue Sound. From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge in the Chukchi Sea extends from 65 nm north of Ikiak to 75 nm north of Point Franklin to 230 nm north of Cape Lisburne to 200 nm northwest of Cape Lisburne and continues southwest into Russian waters. The ice edge is open water. There is also ice along the coast from Cape Lisburne through the North Slope, as well as within Kotzebue Sound. FORECAST FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate. A low centered over the Chukchi Sea is producing southerly/southeasterly winds across the northern portion of the sea and westerly/northwesterly winds across the southern portion. As the low lifts northward, winds will shift generally northerly/northwesterly on Wednesday and then primarily northerly from Thursday through Friday. On Saturday, winds become light and northerly. Due to winds, expect sea ice along the Siberian coast to continue drifting southeasterly about 10-15 nm per day through Tuesday. Expect the main ice pack in the northern Chukchi Sea to the west/northwest about 10-15 nm per day through Tuesday. From Wednesday through Saturday, expect sea ice to generally drift to the south about 5-10 nm per day. The recent and ongoing moderate winds have made it difficult for new sea ice to grow (especially along the ice edge and along the coast). However, once winds diminish and shift northerly during the second half of the forecast period, sea ice growth will become more likely overall. -BERING SEA- PKZ763-Kuskokwim Delta and Etolin Strait out to 15 nm- 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- FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate. Northerly winds across the northern and eastern Bering Sea will become southerly before southeasterly winds develop Saturday through Monday. On Saturday, a strong low centered over the western Bering Sea shifts to the central Bering. Sea ice lingers along the Y-K Delta coast as well as along portions of the Norton Sound coast. Expect present sea ice to linger (especially within protected areas) but for new sea ice growth to be minimal during the forecast period. && Riedel