FZAK80 PAFC 270003 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 303 PM AKDT Wednesday 26 November 2025 FORECAST VALID...Monday 1 December 2025 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...High. SYNOPSIS...A weakening low pressure over the Alaska Peninsula weakens and moves inland through Friday. Another mature system approaches the Alaska Peninsula, swinging a front and new low pressure into the Gulf of Alaska late Saturday 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. Easterly winds will continue through Friday. 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. Saturday and Sunday, light southwesterly winds will test the shorefast ice, but will likely be weak enough that no shorefast break-off is expected. -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. Easterly winds will transition to southwesterly as a weak decaying low pressure center traverses the area. Northerly winds and a colder air mass filter in behind that system. Expect the remaining areas of open water to be mostly frozen up by Monday. -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 23’N 167 54’W to 62 22’N 167 49’W to 63 12’N 165 58’W to 65 33’N 168 48’W 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 50 nm west-southwest of Hooper Bay to 70 nm northwest of Hooper Bay to 45 nm west of Kwikpak to 17 nm southwest of Wales and continues southwest in Russian waters. The ice edge is open water. FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate. Weakening winds will cause sea ice to move generally with tides and currents through mid-Saturday. Saturday through Monday, strengthening northerly winds will advance the ice edge to the southwest around 10-20 nm/day -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 warmer air mass and winds through Turnagain Arm will pause ice growth for the time being. Existing ice will be advected into the upper Inlet where it will quickly melt in warmer sea surface temperatures. && Lawson