225 FZAK80 PAFC 172352 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 300 PM AKDT Friday 17 April 2026 FORECAST VALID…Wednesday 22 April 2026 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE…Moderate to high. SYNOPSIS…Southerly flow returns across the eastern Bering and northerly flow across the western Bering as multiple troughs lift from the North Pacific through the forecast period. The ice edge will retreat as warm southerly flow lifts east of the Pribilof Islands, and the ice edge will be disbursed into strips and pushed into warmer water as strong northerly flow dominates west of west of Saint Matthew 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 light but transition from variable to predominantly northeasterly on Saturday and persist through Wednesday. Break-off of shorefast ice is not expected, however leads may form in between large pieces of mobile pack ice. -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. Light, northerly winds increase in strength Friday night into Saturday as a low lifts into the Bering Sea. After a brief break a second, slightly less intense low in the central Bering re-intensifies northeasterly winds by Wednesday. Fast ice in Kotzebue Sound is expected to remain in place, but existing polynyas may become larger. Fast Ice in the vicinity of Point Lay will be tested Wednesday afternoon. -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 27'N 162 47'W to 50 01'N 162 14'W to 56 19'N 164 00'W to57 16'N 168 13'W to 59 22'N 173 34'W. From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge in the Bering Sea extends from 15 nm north of Cold Bay to 58 nm West of Port Moller to 80 nm northwest of Cold Bay to 60 nm east of Saint Paul Island to 65 nm southwest of Saint Matthew Island to 285 nm southwest of Gambell and continues northwest in Russian waters. The ice edge is open water. FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. A system in the western Bering increases southerly wind in the eastern Bering, pushing the ice edge northward in Bristol Bay. Northerly winds west of Saint Matthew Island will push strips off the pack ice and south into warmer water. A second system lifts in the central Bering on Monday, recreating the previous wind pattern for Tuesday and Wednesday. -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 Anchor Point to Augustine Volcano. There is also ice in Kamishak Bay flowing into Shelikof Strait. FORECAST FOR COOK INLET (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is moderate as satellite imagery was limited. Southward advancement of ice may occur during the overnight hours, but the overall trend should see ice continue to thin and retreat northward due to slightly warming water temperatures and light southerly wind. Please note that ice motion in Cook Inlet is highly influenced by tides. && Riedel