FZAK80 PAFC 132301 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 300 PM AKDT Monday 13 April 2026 FORECAST VALID…Saturday 18 April 2026 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE…High. SYNOPSIS…Low pressure over the eastern Gulf of Alaska dissipates through mid-week. Low pressure near Kamchatka weakens and moves into the central Bering Sea by Wednesday. A very strong low pressure enters the western Bering Sea on Saturday, moving to the eastern Bering Sea 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 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. Northeasterly winds persist through Friday. Winds then turn light westerly for the weekend. Break-off of shorefast ice is not expected. -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. Northeasterly winds persist through Monday. Break-off of shorefast ice could happen from Cape Lisburne through Point Franklin. -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 3'N 163 48'W to 55 36'N 163 19'W to 57 3'N 170 25'W to 59 5'N 172 54'W to 62 6'N 179 22'W. From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge in the Bering Sea extends from 18 nm northeast of False Pass to 45 nm north of False Pass to 7 nm south of Saint Paul Island to 80 nm south of Saint Matthew Island to 228 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 ismoderate to high. From 175W and eastward...Expect light southerly winds and retreat of the ice edge around 5-10 nm/day through Friday. On Saturday a strong low pressure and front enter the western Bering Sea, expect ice to retreat to the northwest during this time period around 15-25 nm/day. West of 175W, expect the ice edge to remain steady or slowly advance through Friday 5 nm/day or less. As stronger northeasterly winds take hold through the weekend, advance will hasten to the west- southwest around 10-20 nm/day through 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 moderate as satellite imagery was limited. Ice retreating ahead of schedule as clear skies have led to plenty of diurnal warming. Expect ice to continue to melt in the upper Inlet, the lower Inlet could be close to becoming ice free by the end of the week. Please note that ice motion in Cook Inlet is highly influenced by tides. && Lawson