FZAK80 PAFC 242137 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 230 PM AKDT Wednesday 24 June 2026 FORECAST VALID…Monday 29 June 2026 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE…High. SYNOPSIS… Low pressure will dig across the Chukchi Sea through the weekend. A second low moves into the central Bering Sea, pushing an area of high pressure northeast across the Bering Strait then inland. Northerly winds are expected to continue through the Bering Strait until Sunday. -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. Weak northwesterly flow continues through Thursday. Winds briefly transition to northwesterly Thursday night before the passage of a front, then weakly northeasterly by Friday afternoon. Southwesterly winds resume on Monday as a low descends from the high Arctic. -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- The main ice edge in the Chukchi Sea extends from near 66 17'N 166 43'W to 67 11'N 165 08'W to 67 54'N 166 54'W to 67 57'N 166 59'W to 67 40'N 169 21'W. The ice edge is open water. From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge in the Bering Sea extends from 15 nm west of Shishmaref to 30 nm south of Kivalina to 20 nm south of Point Hope to 90 nm northwest of Diomede to 30 west-northwest of Diomede. The ice edge is open water. FORECAST FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. Light southerlies will push the main ice pack north 15 to 30 nm. Expect the navigational waters around Point Hope to stay in marginal ice, providing a link to the large polynya between Cape Lisburne and Wainwright. Northerly winds developing late in the week will slow ice movement down but probably won't reverse its movement. -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- 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- Ice free. A patch of brashy ice lingers 85 to 100 nautical miles east of St. Matthew Island and on the eastern end of St Lawrence Island to 40 nautical miles northeast of St. Lawrence Island. FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. High pressure over the western Bering expands southeast with several waves of westerly wind expected. Northeasterly wind returns on Monday as another area of high pressure moves into the western Bering, switching to southwesterly on Wednesday as the high pressure moves southeast. The small area of Ice between St Matthew and St Lawrence will continue to degrade slowly and generally move with tides and currents. -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. && Riedel