FZAK80 PAFC 302303 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 303 PM AKDT Friday 30 May 2025 FORECAST VALID...Wednesday 4 June 2025 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...High SYNOPSIS...A low will move east across the Bering Sea through Tuesday, then inland Wednesday. High pressure will build over the Chukchi Sea as a low moves east into the Canadian Maritimes Saturday, then persist over the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas Sunday through Wednesday. -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. Southwest winds will gradually become northerly Saturday. Northerly winds will generally persist through Wednesday. Shorefast ice will continue to be at risk of break-off and small polynyas may form off the shorefast ice through Saturday, though any open water created by the southerly winds will close off again as winds become northerly. Overall, the main ice pack will move to the northeast around 5-10 nm on Saturday, and then to the south for the rest of 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 to northeast winds will persist through Sunday, then shift to easterly to northeasterly from Point Barrow south Monday through Wednesday. The ice pack will drift southward through Sunday. As winds shift to easterly, the main ice pack will drift west and the polynya off the northwest coast of Alaska will expand. Any shorefast ice along the Chukchi Sea coast is at risk of breaking off Monday through Wednesday, especially north of Kivalina. South of Point Hope, winds will generally remain northerly through the forecast period. Near the Bering Strait, sea ice will break off the existing ice bridge and will drift south into the northern Bering Sea through Wednesday. -BERING SEA- PKZ803-Kwikpak Pass to Cape Stephens out to 15 nm- PKZ817-North side of Saint Lawrence Island out to 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- PKZ763-Kuskokwim Delta and Etolin Strait out to 15 nm- PKZ764-Kuskokwim Delta from 15 to 80 nm- PKZ765-North and West of Nunivak Island- PKZ767-Saint Matthew Island Waters- PKZ801-Etolin Strait to Dall Point out to 15 nm- PKZ802-Dall Point to Kwikpak Pass 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- 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- The main ice edge extends from near Port Clarence to 64 13’N 172 56’W. There is also sea ice near and south of Saint Lawrence Island inside of an area from near Gambell to 62 15’N 166 41’W to 59 49’N 167 46’W to 60 8’N 176 16’W to 61 28’N 176 26’W to 61 26’N 173 6’W to near the southeast corner of Saint Lawrence Island. The ice edge is open water. From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge extends from near Port Clarence to 45 nm northwest of Gambell. There is also sea ice near and south of Saint Lawrence Island inside of an area from near Gambell to 40 nm northwest of Scammon Bay to 30 nm south of Cape Mohican to 265 nm west-southwest of Cape Mohican to 260 nm west- northwest of Cape Mohican to 170 nm northwest of Cape Mohican to near the southeast corner of Saint Lawrence Island. The ice edge is open water. FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate. Over the remaining ice pack, winds will shift from southeasterly to northeasterly Sunday and Monday and northerly to northwesterly Tuesday and Wednesday. Expect the sea ice to drift northwest through Saturday, then southwest Sunday and Monday and south to southeast Tuesday and Wednesday as it continues to melt during the forecast period. && Schreck/Lawson