FZAK80 PAFC 212106 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 105 PM AKDT Friday 21 August 2026 FORECAST VALID…Wednesday 26 August 2026 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE…High. SYNOPSIS…High pressure overspreads the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort seas through late Saturday. On Sunday the next Bering low pressure system lifts northward through the Bering Strait through Monday followed by an arctic trough skirting eastward across the Beaufort Sea Tuesday into Wednesday of next week. -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. A brief period of northwesterly winds could bring ice closer to the coast on Saturday around 5-10 nm. Sunday and Monday, southerly winds will push ice away from the coast around 5 nm. Late in the forecast period an arctic trough pushes across the Beaufort Sea with colder northwesterly flow returning. The net effect will see ice the east or southeast at at 5-10 nm Tuesday into Wednesday. -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 71 50'N 154 24'W to 70 57'N 160 11'W to 71 52'N 163 27'W to 72 42'N 161 10'W to 72 42'N 163 15'W to 72 3'N 164 8'W to 71 57'N 166 32'W to 70 10'N 169 17'W to 71 25'N 168 52'W to 72 18'N 166 49'W to 72 1'N 170 46'W to 72 43'N 174 16'W to 71 13'N 177 5'W to 67 23'N 170 23'W to 66 12'N 169 30'W. From land-based points in Alaska, the main edge in the Chukchi Sea extends from 55 nm northeast of Utqiagvik to 18 nm northwest of Wainwright to 90 nm northwest of Icy Cape to 170 nm north of Point Lay to 225 nm north of Cape Lisburne to 110 nm northwest of Icy Cape to 180 nm west of Nulavi to 100 nm northwest of Cape Lisburne to 170 nm west of Wainwright to 190 nm west of Nulavik to 215 nm west of Wainwright to 290 nm west of Lard Bay to 285 nm west of Point Lay to 150 nm west of Espenberg to 30 nm northwest of Diomede FORECAST FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. Sea ice around Herald Shoal will continue to melt out, but some pack ice will likely remain by Monday. Otherwise, navigational waters along the Alaska coastline will remain in open water with a stream of marginal ice flowing from Hanna Shoal with the currents to north of Utqiagvik. A slight eastward movement of ice is possible over the Central Chukchi Sea Tuesday into Wednesday at 5-10 nm with northwest winds arriving behind the arctic trough. -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. FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. -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. && B-Law