937
FZAK80 PAFC 112216
ICEAFC

Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters
National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program
216 PM AKDT Friday 11 April 2025

FORECAST VALID...Wednesday 16 April 2025.

ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...Moderate to high.

SYNOPSIS...High pressure will generally persist across the Beaufort
Sea through Wednesday while a series of lows move east across the
Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. High pressure across the Chukchi Sea
will give way to low pressure beginning on Sunday.

-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. Winds will be easterly to northeasterly through
the forecast period. Expect the ice pack to drift westward 5 to 10
nm/day through Wednesday. Sea ice near the Alaska coastline will
likely move very little overall through the forecast period.

-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. North of Point Hope, northeasterly winds will
persist through the forecast period, becoming slightly more easterly
by Wednesday. Thus, expect polynyas to form off of the western-
facing coast/shorefast ice. South of Point Hope, winds will be more
variable but generally northerly; winds may become
westerly/northwesterly at times earlier in the week. Winds within
the Kotzebue Sound will be light and variable, so ice pack movement
should be minimal.

-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 Cape Newenham to 57 15N 168
38W to 59 2N 172 53W to 61 3N 176 1W and continues into Russian
waters. The ice edge is open water.

From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge extends from
near Cape Newenham to 50 nm northeast of Saint Paul to 60 nm south
of Saint Matthew Island to 200 nm southwest of Gambell and continues
into Russian waters. The ice edge is open water.

FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence
is high. Winds will generally be northerly through the forecast
period with slight variations in direction as various lows traverse
eastward across the Bering Sea. During periods of stronger northerly
winds, expect the ice edge to advance around 10 to 15 nm/day.
Polynyas are expected to form from southern-facing
coastlines/shorefast ice. The northerly flow will enhance ice edge
growth to the south. There is a chance that some strips of ice reach
Saint Paul Island when northerly winds strengthen during the week.

&&
Fenrich