FZAK80 PAFC 142316 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 315 PM AKDT Wednesday 14 October 2026 FORECAST VALID…Monday 19 October 2026 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE…Moderate. SYNOPSIS…High pressure continues to build over the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas into Friday. A low from the Russian Arctic approaches the western Chukchi Sea north of Wrangel Island on Saturday, traveling eastward across the northern Beaufort Sea and High Arctic through Monday. -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 17'N 154 55'W to 71 4'N 153 4'W to 71 40'N 153 41'W to 71 38'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 10 nm north of Ikiak to 35 nm east of Ikiak to 40 nm north-northeast of Ikiak to 30 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 moderate. Winds are mostly light and variable Wednesday into early Thursday. Moderate easterly winds develop late Thursday and Friday, then shift westerly for the remainder of the forecast period. Expect pack ice to continue developing under freezing air temperatures and to drift westward 5-10 nm on Friday before reversing to drift 5-10 nm/day eastward Sunday and Monday. Moderate southwest winds near the coast may fracture and degrade the developing coastal ice Saturday through Monday. -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 71 25'N 156 25'W to 71 16'N 154 54'W to 71 38'N 154 54'W to 70 56'N 160 6'W to 71 15'N 163 56'W to 72 43'N 163 54'W to 71 11'N 177 26'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 2 nm north of Nuvuk to 10 nm north of Ikiak to 30 nm north of Ikiak to 15 nm north of Wainwright to 65 nm northwest of Icy Cape to 140 nm north of Icy Cape to 300 nm west of Icy Cape. 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 moderate. Winds over the ice edge are mostly light and variable Wednesday through Friday. Moderate westerly winds develop late Saturday and may persist into late Sunday or Monday. A tongue of new ice sparsely embedded with multiyear floes currently extends off the main pack over Hannah Shoal and is beginning to encroach on navigational waters. The moderate westerly winds late in the forecast period will likely degrade this ice but continue to push it into navigational waters by 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- 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