FZAK80 PAFC 250011 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 311 PM AKDT Monday 24 November 2025 FORECAST VALID...Saturday 29 November 2025 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...High to moderate. SYNOPSIS...A dual-center low stretches from Adak through Cold Bay which will spin in place and weaken through Thursday. A new low will approach Kodiak Island late Thursday followed by a new system/warm front on Saturday. High pressure move from the Chukchi Sea to the Beaufort Sea through Saturday. -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. Light northerly winds will keep the pack ice pushing up against the coast/shorefast ice through Tuesday before shifting to easterly through the remainder of the period. The prolonged easterly winds will develop a shear zone between the pack ice and the shorefast ice along the Beaufort Sea coast. The pack will move to the west 10 to 15 nm/day. -CHUKCHI SEA- PKZ505-Central US Arctic Offshore- 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- 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- Ice covered. PKZ500-Western US Arctic Offshore- PKZ807-Wales to Cape Espenberg out to 15 nm- PKZ811-Cape Thompson to Cape Beaufort out to 15 nm- PKZ812-Cape Beaufort to Point Franklin out to 15 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- The Bering Strait has frozen with new ice, however two areas of ice free condition/open water exist outside of Kotzebue Sound as well as west of Point Hope. FORECAST FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate. Prolonged easterly winds will open a polynya along the northwest coastline of Alaska. The air mass is cold enough that this polynya should freeze quickly away from the coast. Otherwise expect continued freeze-up, the Chukchi as a whole should be mostly pack ice save for an area of marginal ice that develops through the Bering Strait to west of Point Hope. -BERING SEA- PKZ802-Dall Point to Kwikpak Pass out to 15 nm- PKZ803-Kwikpak Pass to Cape Stephens out to 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- PKZ765-North and West of Nunivak Island PKZ801-Etolin Strait to Dall Point 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- 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- PKZ854-Sledge Island to Wales greater than 15 nm- The main ice edge in the Bering Sea extends from near Cape Newenham to 61 42’N 167 11’W to 64N 165W to 65 23’N 168 23’W to 63 46’N 173W and continues west 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 40 nm west of Hooper Bay to 45 nm south of Nome to 13 nm south of Wales to 30 nm west of Gambell and continues west in Russian waters. The ice edge is open water. FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate. Generally northeasterly winds will persist through the period. Expect Norton Sound to continue to freeze, possibly through the outer Sound on Saturday. However, the easterly winds will form a polynya along the eastern Sound. A warmer air mass will move over Bristol Bay, near the Kuskokwim Delta which will pause ice growth in this area. -COOK INLET- PKZ740-Cook Inlet North of Kalgin Island- There is ice growing in Turnagain Arm and Knik Arm, primarily on the mudflats. This ice is getting moved off the mudflats with the tides. FORECAST FOR COOK INLET (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate. A very cold air mass with temperatures currently in the single digits is encouraging sea surface temperatures to cool and growing ice in protected areas. Growing condition will continue through mid-week. Late week, a warm front will stop growth and likely melt much of the existing ice through Turnagain Arm and upper Cook Inlet. && Lawson