FZAK80 PAFC 122239 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 238 PM AKDT Monday 12 October 2026 FORECAST VALID…Saturday 17 October 2026 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE…High. SYNOPSIS…A low from the High Arctic travels southeastward over the Beaufort Sea until Wednesday when high pressure begins to build back in for the remainder of the period. On Saturday a low from the Russian Arctic begins to approach the western Chukchi Sea near Wrangel Island. -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. The main ice edge in the Beaufort Sea extends from near 71 11'N 154 53'W to 70 24'N 143 44'W to 71 20'N 148 2'W to 71 17'N 151 16'W to 72 4'N 154 54'W. The ice edge is a mix of new and multiyear pack ice. New ice is present behind barrier islands and within protected bays. From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge in the Beaufort Sea extends from 9 nm north of Ikiak to 15 nm north of Kaktovik to 60 nm north of Prudhoe Bay to 30 nm northeast of Cape Halkett to 55 nm north of Ikiak. The ice edge is a mix of new and multiyear pack ice. New ice is present behind barrier islands and within protected bays. FORECAST FOR THE BEAUFORT SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. Winds are mostly light and variable through Thursday, except for a brief period of moderate northerly flow on Tuesday as a cold front passes over. Moderate easterly winds develop Friday and Saturday. Both the offshore pack ice and the new ice along the Alaskan coast will continue to develop under sustained freezing air temperatures and mostly light winds. Expect pack ice to drift with prevailing currents through Thursday then advance westward at 5-10 nm/day Friday and Saturday. -CHUKCHI SEA- PKZ500-Western US Arctic Offshore- PKZ505-Central US Arctic Offshore- PKZ813-Point Franklin to Cape Halkett out to 15 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. 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- 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- Ice free. The main ice edge in the Chukchi Sea extends from near 72 4'N 154 54'W to 71 46'N 163 11'W to 72 52'N 167 15'W to 71 38'N 177 6'W. The ice edge is a mix of new and multiyear pack ice. New ice is present behind barrier islands. From land-based points in Alaska, the main edge in the Chukchi Sea extends from 55 nm north of Ikiak to 85 nm north of Icy Cape to 175 nm north-northwest of Icy Cape to 265 nm northwest of Cape Lisburne. The ice edge is a mix of new and multiyear pack ice. New ice is present behind barrier islands. FORECAST FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. New ice is present behind barrier islands while navigational waters remain ice free. Moderate northerly winds on Monday weaken by Tuesday. Winds then remain light and variable for the remainder of the forecast period. Expect the pack ice edge to expand southward up to 10-20 nm by Saturday under sustained freezing air temperatures. Navigational waters will likely remain ice free. -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. && Jewell