307
FZAK80 PAFC 230023 CCA
ICEAFC
SEA ICE FORECAST FOR WESTERN AND ARCTIC ALASKAN COASTAL WATERS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - ALASKA SEA ICE PROGRAM 400 PM AKDT
WEDNESDAY 22 APRIL 2026
FORECAST VALID…MONDAY 27 APRIL 2026
ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE…MODERATE TO HIGH.
SYNOPSIS…A STRONG AREA OF LOW PRESSURE HAS MOVED INTO THE WESTERN
BERING, BRINGING SOUTHERLY FLOW ACROSS THE ALEUTIANS AND ALASKA
PENINSULA. WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO AID IN THE ICE EDGE
RETREATING NORTHWARD ACROSS THE EASTERN BERING THROUGH THURSDAY AND
THEN AGAIN OVER THE WEEKEND AS YET ANOTHER LOW MOVES INTO THE
BERING. THE EXCEPTION WILL BE FURTHER NORTH WHERE ENHANCED EAST TO
NORTHEASTERLY WINDS WILL PROMOTE A WESTWARD ADVANCE OF THE ICE EDGE
FROM NEAR SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND NORTHWARD TO SAINT LAWRENCE 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.
FORECAST FOR THE BEAUFORT SEA (DAYS 1 THROUGH 5)...FORECAST
CONFIDENCE IS HIGH. WINDS REMAIN PREDOMINANTLY NORTHEASTERLY.
DESPITE THE PASSAGE OF MULTIPLE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS TO THROUGH THE
BERING, WINDS AND ICE WILL REAMIN LARGELY UNCHANGED OVER THE REGION.
-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. MILD NORTHEASTERLY WINDS SHOULD TRANSITION TO AN
EASTERLY DIRECTION THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS
REMAINING SOUTH OF SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND. LITTLE CHANGE IN THE FAST
ICE IS FORECAST THOUGH PRE-EXISTING POLYNYAS COULD EXPAND IN
COVERAGE.
-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-
ICE COVERED.
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-
THE MAIN ICE EDGE IN THE BERING SEA EXTENDS FROM NEAR 55 59'N 161
23'W TO 57 21'N 162 48'W TO 57 14'N 164 43'W TO 58 46'N 173 51'W TO
61 43'N 176 55'E.
FROM LAND-BASED POINTS IN ALASKA, THE MAIN ICE EDGE IN THE BERING
SEA EXTENDS FROM 70 NM NORTHEAST OF COLD BAY TO 110 NM NORTH-
NORTHWEST OF PORT MOLLER TO 160 NM WEST-NORTHWEST OF PORT MOLLER TO
100 NM SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND TO 75 NM SOUTHWEST OF
SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND TO 330 NM WEST-SOUTHWEST OF GAMBELL AND
CONTINUES NORTH IN RUSSIAN WATERS. THE ICE EDGE IS MARGINAL STRIPS
OF ICE.
FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 THROUGH 5)...FORECAST CONFIDENCE
IS HIGH. TWO LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS WILL MOVE INTO THE BERING THROUGH
THE FORECAST PERIOD. THE FIRST IS ALREADY PUSHING INTO THE WESTERN
BERING. THIS LOW WILL TRACK NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING
BEFORE WEAKENING AND DEPARTING THE REGION. A SECOND LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM FOLLOWS A NEARLY IDENTICAL PATH SUNDAY INTO MONDAY.
ULTIMATELY THIS WILL PRESENT A SOUTHERLY FLOW REGIME WITH THE ICE
EDGE EXPECTED TO RETREAT NORTHWARD, PERHAPS AT 10-20 NM A DAY,
MAINLY EAST OF 173W. TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND
TWO ROUNDS OF STRONG EAST TO NORTHEASTERLY FLOW ARE EXPECTED TO
DEVELOP ON THE NORTH SIDE OF BOTH LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS. THIS WILL
SEE ICE ADVANCE WESTWARD AT 15-25 NM ON THURSDAY AND THEN AGAIN
SUNDAY AND MONDAY.
-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-
THE MAIN ICE EDGE IN COOK INLET EXTENDS FROM CLAM GULCH TO KALGIN
ISLAND TO TUXEDNI BAY.
FORECAST FOR COOK INLET (DAYS 1 THROUGH 5)...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS
HIGH DESPITE A LACK OF RECENT SATELLITE IMAGERY. GENERALLY WARMER
TEMPERATURES WILL SEE ICE RETREAT NORTHWARD THROUGH THE WEEKEND,
LEAVING ONLY MOSTLY ICE FREE WATERS FROM KENAI SOUTH.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ICE MOTION IN COOK INLET IS HIGHLY INFLUENCED BY
TIDES.
BL
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