FZAK80 PAFC 152316

ICEAFC



ea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters

National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program

316 PM AKDT Friday 15 May 2026





FORECAST VALID…Wednesday 20 May 2026





ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE…Moderate.





SYNOPSIS…A large low over the southern Bering Sea slowly weakens

through Wednesday.





-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. High pressure remains over the Arctic Sea to the

north. Light northeasterly winds continue through Wednesday. Fast

ice will remain in place.









-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. Light northeasterly winds continue through

Wednesday. Open water may begin to expand northward through the

Bering Strait. No changes to shorefast ice are expected along the

Alaska coastline.





-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 57 38'N 158 04'W to

57 09'N 159 41'W to 58 31’N 160 39'W, then from 61 48’N 166 56’W to

60 19’N 168 56’W to 59 30’N 170 31’W to 60 01’N 172 45W to 61 11’N

179 31’E and northwest to the Russian coast. The ice edge consists

of belts and strips.



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

Sea extends from 16 nm west of Pilot Point to 38 nm northwest of

Port Heiden to 15 nm southeast of Hagemeister Island. The main ice

edge resumes 38 nm west of Scammon Bay to 45 nm west of Cape Mohican

to 105 nm southwest of Cape Mohican, to 20 nm south of Saint Matthew

Island to 285 nm southwest of Gambell, and continues northwest to

the coast of Russia. The ice edge consists of belts and strips.









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

is moderate. Moderate easterly winds will move pack ice westward 10-

15 nm/day through Monday, then tides and currents will be the

predominant driver of ice motion through mid-week.









-COOK INLET-





PKZ730-West of Barren Islands including Kamishak Bay-

PKZ740-Cook Inlet North of Kalgin Island-

PZK741-Kachemak Bay-

PKZ742-Cook Inlet Kalgin Island to Point Bede-





Ice free.



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

high.









&&

Lawson