256
FZAK80 PAFC 132330
ICEAFC
SEA ICE FORECAST FOR WESTERN AND ARCTIC ALASKAN COASTAL WATERS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - ALASKA SEA ICE PROGRAM 300 PM AKST FRIDAY
13 MARCH 2026
FORECAST VALID…WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH 2026
ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE…HIGH TO MODERATE.
SYNOPSIS…UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE LINGERS OVER THE INTERIOR MAINLAND
AND NORTHERN GULF THROUGH WEDNESDAY. HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE WESTERN
BERING SEA CONTRIBUTES TO NORTHERLY FLOW ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH
THE FORECAST PERIOD.
-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. LIGHT AND GENERALLY WESTERLY WINDS PERSIST
THROUGH WEDNESDAY. BREAK-OFF OF SHOREFAST ICE IS NOT EXPECTED,
HOWEVER SMALL POLYNYAS MAY FORM IN BETWEEN THE SHOREFAST ICE AND
MOBILE PACK ICE DURING PERIODS WITH A SOUTHERLY WIND COMPONENT.
OTHERWISE, PACK ICE WILL MOVE VERY LITTLE THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
-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. NORTHERLY TO NORTHWESTERLY WINDS PERSIST THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. SHOREFAST ICE IS NOT EXPECTED TO BREAK OFF ANYWHERE ALONG
THE ALASKA COASTLINE DURING THE FORECAST PERIOD. PACK ICE WILL MOVE
VERY LITTLE THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
-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 09'N
163 19'W TO 55 41'N 162 3'W TO 55 26'N 163 33'W TO 56 27'N 169 34'W
TO 55 55'N 167 49'W TO 58 11’N 173 55’'W.
FROM LAND-BASED POINTS IN ALASKA, THE MAIN ICE EDGE IN THE BERING
SEA EXTENDS FROM 21 NM NORTHEAST OF FALSE PASS TO 32 NM NORTHEAST OF
COLD BAY TO 36 NM NORTH OF COLD BAY TO 75 NM SOUTHEAST OF SAINT
GEORGE ISLAND TO 45 NM SOUTHWEST OF SAINT PAUL ISLAND TO 135 NM
SOUTH OF SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND TO 170 NM WEST OF SAINT MATTHEW ISLAND
AND CONTINUES INTO RUSSIAN WATERS. THE ICE EDGE IS OPEN STRIPS OF
ICE.
FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 THROUGH 5)...FORECAST CONFIDENCE
IS MODERATE TO HIGH. NORTHERLY WINDS WILL PERSIST THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
SEA ICE HAS BEEN PUSHED TO SAINT GEORGE ISLAND, HOWEVER, ABOVE
FREEZING SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE PREVENTING SEA ICE FROM
GROWING SOUTH OF THE ISLAND. SEA ICE IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SOUTHEAST
AROUND 5 TO 8 NM/DAY, BUT MAY BE SHORT-LIVED AS IT ENCOUNTERS WARMER
WATERS. THUS, AT THIS TIME, THE ICE EDGE IS EXPECTED TO ADVANCE AT
THE LOWER END OF THAT RANGE NEAR THE PRIBILOFS, AND NEAR THE HIGHER
END OF THAT RANGE TO THE EAST, AS WIND SPEEDS ACROSS BRISTOL BAY
BECOME HIGHER.
-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 BETWEEN NINILCHIK AND
ANCHOR POINT TO CHINITNA BAY. THERE IS ALSO ICE IN KAMISHAK BAY.
FORECAST FOR COOK INLET (DAYS 1 THROUGH 5)...FORECAST CONFIDENCE IS
HIGH. ICE WILL CONTINUE TO ADVANCE SOUTHWARD ABOUT 5-10 NM/DAY,
MELTING AS IT ENCOUNTERS WARMER WATERS IN SOUTHERN COOK INLET.
PLEASE NOTE THAT ICE MOTION IN COOK INLET IS HIGHLY INFLUENCED BY
TIDES.
RIEDEL
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