363  
FZAK80 PAFC 282137  
ICEAFC  
 
SEA ICE FORECAST FOR WESTERN AND ARCTIC ALASKAN COASTAL WATERS  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - ALASKA SEA ICE PROGRAM  
137 PM AKDT FRIDAY 28 MARCH 2025  
 
FORECAST VALID...WEDNESDAY 2 APRIL 2025  
 
ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...MODERATE TO HIGH.  
 
SYNOPSIS...HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER THE BERING SEA THROUGH  
WEDNESDAY WHILE A SERIES OF LOWS WILL MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE  
CHUKCHI AND BEAUFORT SEAS.  
 
-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 15 TO 75 NM-  
PKZ860-CAPE HALKETT TO FLAXMAN ISLAND FROM 15 TO 80 NM-  
PKZ861-FLAXMAN ISLAND TO DEMARCATION POINT FROM 15 TO 75 NM-  
 
ICE COVERED.  
 
FORECAST FOR THE BEAUFORT SEA (DAYS 1 THROUGH 5)...FORECAST  
CONFIDENCE IS HIGH. EASTERLY TO SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS WILL PERSIST  
THROUGH SUNDAY, THEN WINDS WILL SHIFT TO WESTERLY AS A A SERIES OF  
LOWS MOVE THROUGH THE REGION MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. EXPECT THE  
ICE PACK TO CONTINUE TO THICKEN AND GENERALLY MOVE TO THE WEST TO  
SOUTHWEST AT ABOUT 10 TO 15 NM/DAY THROUGH SUNDAY, THEN DRIFT BACK  
TO THE EAST 10 TO 15 NM/DAY MONDAY THROUGH 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-  
 
ICE COVERED.  
 
FORECAST FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA (DAYS 1 THROUGH 5)...FORECAST  
CONFIDENCE IS HIGH. SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL GRADUALLY BECOME WESTERLY  
BY MONDAY, THEN BECOME SOUTHERLY TO EASTERLY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.  
EXPECT SEA ICE TO DRIFT NORTH THEN EAST 10 TO 20 NM THROUGH SUNDAY,  
THEN DRIFT NORTH TO WEST 20 TO 30 NM MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.  
POLYNYAS WILL CONTINUE TO FORM OFF THE NORTHWEST COAST OF ALASKA  
DURING PERIODS OF SOUTHERLY TO EASTERLY WINDS, AND LIKELY BRIEFLY  
CLOSE OFF DURING PERIODS OF WESTERLY WINDS. NEW POLYNYAS MAY FORM  
OFF THE NORTH SIDE OF THE SEWARD PENINSULA THROUGH WEDNESDAY.  
 
-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-  
PKZ816-SOUTH SIDE OF SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND OUT TO 15 NM-  
PKZ817-NORTH SIDE OF SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND OUT TO 15 NM-  
PKZ850-ETOLIN STRAIT TO KWEMELUK PASS FROM 15 TO 90 NM-  
PKZ851-SOUTHWEST OF SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND FROM 15 TO 100 NM-  
PKZ852-NORTON SOUND GREATER THAN 15 NM-  
PKZ853-KWEMELUK PASS TO KWIKPAK PASS FROM 15 TO 90 NM-  
PKZ854-SLEDGE ISLAND TO WALES GREATER THAN 15 NM-  
 
ICE COVERED.  
 
PKZ414-BERING SEA OFFSHORE EAST OF 171W-  
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 PEIRCE OUT TO 15 NM-  
PKZ764-KUSKOKWIM DELTA FROM 15 TO 80 NM-  
PKZ767-SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND WATERS-  
 
THE MAIN ICE EDGE EXTENDS FROM NEAR EGEGIK TO 58 5’N 161 39’W TO 57  
36’N 167 23’W TO 61 10’N 178 23’W AND CONTINUES WEST INTO RUSSIAN  
WATERS. THE ICE EDGE IS LOW CONCENTRATION STRIPS OF ICE.  
 
FROM LAND-BASED POINTS IN ALASKA, THE MAIN ICE EDGE EXTENDS FROM  
NEAR EGEGIK TO 40 NM SOUTHEAST OF CAPE NEWENHAM TO 140 NM SOUTH OF  
CAPE MENDENHALL TO 235 NM SOUTHWEST OF GAMBELL AND CONTINUES WEST  
INTO RUSSIAN WATERS. THE ICE EDGE IS LOW CONCENTRATION STRIPS OF  
ICE.  
 
FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 THROUGH 5)...FORECAST CONFIDENCE  
IS HIGH. HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY THROUGH MONDAY  
BEFORE MOVING OFF TO THE EAST TOWARD BRISTOL BAY. THROUGH MONDAY,  
WINDS WILL BE SOUTHERLY ACROSS THE WESTERN BERING SEA AND  
NORTHWESTERLY ACROSS THE EASTERN BERING SEA. AS THE HIGH MOVES  
EASTWARD, THE SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL SPREAD EAST TOWARD KUSKOKWIM BAY  
BY WEDNESDAY. EXPECT THE ICE EDGE FROM SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND WEST TO  
RETREAT 40 TO 50 NM THROUGH WEDNESDAY WHILE THE ICE EDGE EAST OF  
SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND ADVANCES UP TO 20 NM SOUTHWARD BEFORE SOUTHERLY  
WINDS BEGIN TO BRING SOME RETREAT OF 10 TO 20 NM MONDAY THROUGH  
WEDNESDAY.  
 

 
SCHRECK  
 
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