FZAK80 PAFC 052135 ICEAFC Sea Ice Forecast for Western and Arctic Alaskan Coastal Waters National Weather Service - Alaska Sea Ice Program 130 PM AKDT Wednesday 5 August 2026 FORECAST VALID…Monday 10 August 2026 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE…High. SYNOPSIS…. A weakened area of low pressure over the Bering Strait on Wednesday drifts inland of the Seward Peninsula through Thursday. An upper trough brings a dying front into the northern Bering by Saturday while a smaller disturbance tracks northeastward into the Beaufort Sea. High pressure then resumes Sunday into Monday. -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. High pressure ridges into the Beaufort Sea from the east with generally quieter conditions early on. A weak area of low pressure over the Bering Strait eventually moves from interior Alaska, northward and offshore of the coast Friday into Saturday. Little to no change in the ice pack is forecast. -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- The main ice edge in the Chukchi Sea extends from near 66 17'N 170 5'W to 67 52'N 168 45'W to 67 47'N 171 48'W to 69 46'N 176 5'W to 71 56'N 174 37'W to 70 11'N 172 10'W to 70 3'N 168 32'W to 71 20'N 166 10'W to 72 8'N 168 7'W to 72 33'N 163 49'W to 71 22'N 164 54'W to 70 51'N 160 3'W. From land-based points in Alaska, the main ice edge in the Chukchi Sea extends from 40 nm northwest of Diomede to 110 nm northwest of Shishmaref to 130 nm northwest of Diomede to 210 nm west-northwest of Wevok to 240 nm northwest of Wevok to 180 nm west of Point Lay to 110 nm west of Point Lay to 120 nm west of Wainwright to 170 nm northwest of Point Lay to 130 nm northwest of Wainwright to 100 nm west-northwest of Wainwright to 15 nm north of Wainwright to 30 nm southwest of Utqiagvik. FORECAST FOR THE CHUKCHI SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. Initial southeast winds (20 to 30 knots) out of the Kotzebue Sound on Wednesday will diminish as low pressure over the Bering Strait weakens further and moves inland. Light to moderate winds then become variable through the weekend in the absence of any stronger systems moving through the Chukchi Sea. -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-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- Ice free. FORECAST FOR THE BERING SEA (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. -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- Ice free. FORECAST FOR COOK INLET (DAYS 1 through 5)...Forecast confidence is high. && BL