FZAK80 PAFC 302245 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 2:45 PM AKDT Friday 30 October 2026 FORECAST VALID…Wednesday 4 November 2026 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE…High. SYNOPSIS… A low lingering in the Chukchi Sea moves westward over Siberia by late Saturday. Multiple weak lows travserse the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas Sunday through Tuesday, then high pressure builds. Strong lows move across the Bering and into the Gulf. With the storm track shifted southward, cold polar air and light winds set back up over the ice pack. Extensive ice growth is expected. -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 16'N 154 53'W to 70 20'N 145 51'W to 70 40'N 146 19'W to 71 44'N 154 48'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 40 nm east-northeast of Prudhoe Bay to 40 nm northeast of Prudhoe Bay 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 high. Expect pack ice to drift westward 5-10 nm/day Friday and Saturday under moderate easterly winds. Ice drift will slow Sunday through Tuesday under mostly light and variable winds, then accelerate westward again at 10 nm/day midday Wednesday as moderate easterly flow returns. Freezing air temperatures and mostly light winds will support southwestward expansion of pack ice by up to 80 nm as well as growth of coastal and marginal ice. Near to complete ice coverage is likely by Wednesday. -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 43'N 154 54'W to 71 26'N 158 59'W to 73 17'N 160 11'W to 70 51'N 175 52'W to 68 35'N 176 19'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 30 nm north of Ikiak to 30 nm north of Point Franklin to 140 nm north of Point Franklin to 220 nm northwest of Cape Lisburne to 215 nm west 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. Cold polar air has returned over the ice edge. Under alternating periods of moderate northerly and light variable winds, the ice edge could advance southwestward 40-80 nm by Wednesday. Growth of new coastal ice between Cape Lisburne and Wainwright is likely toward the end of the forecast period. New ice growth is also possible in protected coastal waters of Kotzebue Sound. -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 there will be no ice development. && Jewell