FZAK80 PAFC 310000

ICEAFC



Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters

National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program

300 PM AKST Friday 30 January 2026



FORECAST VALID…Wednesday 4 February 2026





ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE…High.





SYNOPSIS…A strong high pressure remains anchored over the high

Arctic. Several low pressure systems will rotate into the Gulf of

Alaska from the north Pacific Ocean.





-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-







Ice covered.





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

confidence is high. Northeasterly winds will persist through

Wednesday. Expect pack ice to continue to compact against the

coast/shorefast ice which will encourage the shorefast ice edge to

grow. A shear zone will form between the pack ice and the shorefast

ice. Expect the pack ice to move to the west 10-15 nm/day.





-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 high. Moderate to strong northeasterly winds will

continue through the period. Expect shorefast ice to break off

between Icy Cape and Point Hope where northeast winds are strongest.

It is possible to lose some shorefast ice between Utqiagvik and

Point Franklin with the offshore winds, but they are a bit weaker.

There will be a large polynya that forms off the northwest coast of

Alaska, but should refreeze with new ice fairly quickly off of the

coast.





-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-

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-

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 Pierce out to 15 nm-

PKZ764-Kuskokwim Delta from 15 to 80 nm-

PKZ816-South Side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 nm-

PKZ817-North Side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 15 nm-

PKZ851-Southwest of Saint Lawrence Island from 15 to 100 nm-

PKZ854-Sledge Island to Wales greater than 15 nm-



Ice covered.



PKZ756-Port Heiden to Nelson Lagoon out to 15 nm-

PKZ757-Port Heiden to Nelson Lagoon 15 to 60 nm-

PKZ767-Saint Matthew Island Waters-







The main ice edge in the Bering Sea extends from near 55 58’N 161

25’W to 57 13’N 159 8’W to 57 39’N 161 32’W 56 41’N 163 1’W to 57

2’N 167 7’W to 57 52’N 170 6’W to 61 33’N 177 44’W





From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge in the Bering

Sea extends from 30 nm southwest of Port Moller to 25 nm west of

Port Heiden to 60 nm southeast of Cape Newenham to 125 nm south of

Cape Newenham to 160 nm south of Cape Mendenhall to 40 nm north of

Saint Paul Island to 210 nm southwest of Gambell and continues

northwest in Russian waters. The ice edge is marginal strips of ice.





FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 THROUGH 5)...Forecast confidence

is high. Expect a long duration northerly wind event through

Wednesday. Expect the ice edge to advance southward 30-50 nm through

the period, generally on the order of 5-10 nm/day. Expect strips of

ice to be torn away from the main pack and form a large area of

marginal ice. It is possible that the ice edge reaches Saint Paul

Island by Wednesday.





-COOK INLET-



PKZ740-Cook Inlet North of Kalgin Island-

PKZ741-Kachemak Bay-

PKZ742-Cook Inlet Kalgin Island to Point Bede-





The main ice edge in Cook Inlet extends from near Anchor Point to

Augustine Volcano.





FORECAST FOR COOK INLET (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is

moderate. Several low pressure systems will bring a warmer air mass

overhead. Pack ice will continue to open in response and melt newer

ice. Expect a stream of first year thin pack ice to remain flowing

from the upper Inlet to the southern Inlet. Expect more areas of

open water in the upper Inlet to form through the week.





Please note that ice motion in Cook Inlet is highly influenced by tides.





&&

Lawson