FZAK80 PAFC 282356

ICEAFC



Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters

National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program

256 PM AKDT Friday 28 November 2025



FORECAST VALID...Wednesday 3 December 2025



ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...High to moderate.



SYNOPSIS...A low over the North Pacific lingers south of the

Aleutian Islands and Alaska Peninsula through Wednesday, and it

swings its front across the Gulf of Alaska. Weak low pressure over

the Chukchi Sea slowly drifts east across the Beaufort Sea through

the forecast period. Otherwise, high pressure persists across the

rest of the Chukchi, High Arctic, and Beaufort Sea.



-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. On Saturday and Sunday, light southwesterly

winds will develop near the coast and will test the shorefast ice,

however the winds should be weak enough that no shorefast break-off

is expected. From Monday through Wednesday, a weak low will create

generally westerly winds which will develop a shear zone between the

pack ice and the shorefast ice along the Beaufort Sea coast.



-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-

PKZ859-Point Franklin to Cape Halkett from 15 to 75 nm-



Ice covered.



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 open

water exist from outside of Kotzebue Sound to west of Cape Lisburne,

and also west of Icy Cape.



FORECAST FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast

confidence is high. A weak low will track east into the Beaufort Sea

and winds will shift northerly to northwesterly on Saturday and

persist through the forecast period. A colder air mass will also

filter in behind the low. Expect the remaining areas of open water

to be mostly frozen up by Monday and even more by Wednesday.



-BERING SEA-



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-

PKZ852-Norton Sound greater than 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

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-

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 5’N 166 1’W to 65 28’N

169 8’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 25 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 to northeasterly 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.



&&

Fenrich