FZAK80 PAFC 120027

ICEAFC



Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters

National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 300 PM AKST

Wednesday 11 February 2026





FORECAST VALID…Monday 16 February 2026





ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE…Moderate to high.





SYNOPSIS…A series of lows lift across the Bering Sea today, Friday,

and Sunday. High pressure persists over the Beaufort Sea, stretching

into the high Arctic.





-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 persist, weakening by

Saturday and shifting to southerly to southwesterly on Sunday as a

low lifts across the northwest coast. Southerly winds are expected

to remain weak, and revert to easterly by Monday.  Established

shorefast ice should remain intact.





-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. Northerly winds will shift to northwesterly on

Thursday as a low in the Bering moves inland across  Bristol Bay. A

weak low lifts across the Seward Peninsula on Saturday, before a

stronger front shifts winds to southeasterly, which will threaten

vulnerable shorefast ice on the western facing shores. The low lifts

into the western Chukchi Sea south of Wrangel Island on Monday.





-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-





Ice covered.





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-

PKZ767-Saint Matthew Island Waters-

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-













The main ice edge in the Bering Sea extends from near 55 57'N 161

28'W to 56 28'N 160 31'W to 56 36'N 159 35'W to 57 34'N 159 03'W to

58 11'N 162 09'W to 57 27'N 163 13'W to 57 12’N 168 23’W to 60 42’ N

177 46’ W



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

Sea extends from 30 nm southwest of Port Moller to 30 nm northwest

of Port Moller. From 35 nm southwest of Port Heiden to 50 nm south

of Cape Constantine to 28 nm south of Cape Newenham to 80 nm

southwest of Cape Newenham to 50 nm east of Saint Paul to 235 nm

southwest of Gambell and continues northwest into Russian waters.

The ice edge is marginal strips of ice.









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

is moderate. Along the ice edge, moderate to strong southeasterly

winds will shift to moderate westerly on Thursday as a low moves

through Bristol Bay then onshore. Winds become southeasterly on

Friday as a front sweeps across the region. The low passes over

Saint Matthew Island and into Norton Sound on Saturday.

Southeasterly winds resume on Sunday as a low lifts into the Gulf of

Anadyr for Monday morning.

















-COOK INLET-





PKZ740-Cook Inlet North of Kalgin Island-

PZK741-Kachemak Bay-

PKZ742-Cook Inlet Kalgin Island to Point Bede-





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

Chinitna Bay.





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

high. Light northerly winds switch to westerly on Thursday for areas

south of Ninilchik  and persist through Friday. While northerly

winds persist, the ice edge could move southward around 5 nm/day,

however warmer sea surface temperatures in southern Cook Inlet will

melt any ice south of Ninilchik. A second round of westerly wind

begins Sunday and persists through Monday.





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

tides.





&& Riedel