Ice Forecast
574 FZAK80 PAFC 130022 ICEAFC SEA ICE ADVISORY FOR WESTERN AND ARCTIC ALASKAN COASTAL WATERS NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ANCHORAGE ALASKA 422 PM AKDT MONDAY 12 AUGUST 2013 FORECAST VALID...SATURDAY 17 AUGUST 2013 ANALYSIS CONFIDENCE...MODERATE TO HIGH. SYNOPSIS...A BROAD AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN OVER MUCH OF THE CHUKCHI AND BEAUFORT SEAS THROUGH SATURDAY. A LARGE BERING SEA LOW WILL MOVE OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA LATE THIS WEEK... SPREADING OVER MUCH OF MAINLAND ALASKA... AND WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. -ARCTIC OCEAN- -BEAUFORT SEA- -CHUKCHI SEA- PKZ245-FLAXMAN ISLAND TO DEMARCATION POINT- PKZ240-CAPE HALKETT TO FLAXMAN ISLAND- PKZ235-POINT FRANKLIN TO CAPE HALKETT- PKZ230-CAPE BEAUFORT TO POINT FRANKLIN- THE CHUKCHI SEA ICE EDGE LIES FROM NEAR POINT FRANKLIN TO 70.7N 161.1W TO 71.0N 165.3W TO 71.9N 168.6W TO 71.3N 172.8W TO 70.6N 176.3W TO 69.9N 176.4W TO 69.3N 177.9W TO THE RUSSIAN COAST NEAR 68.4N 177.9W. THE ICE EDGE IS OPEN WATER WITH HIGHER CONCENTRATIONS OF ICE 5 TO 25 NM FROM THE EDGE. THE BEAUFORT SEA ICE EDGE LIES FROM NEAR KAKTOVIK TO 70.1N 140.0W TO 69.3N 137.7W TO 69.6N 133.1W TO THE CANADIAN COAST NEAR 70.5N 128.1W. THE ICE EDGE IS OPEN WATER. OPEN WATER ALSO EXTENDS 10 TO 30 NM FROM THE ALASKAN COASTLINE BETWEEN POINT BARROW AND KAKTOVIK. FORECAST THROUGH SATURDAY...IN THE CHUKCHI SEA RELATIVELY LIGHT NORTHEASTERLY WINDS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE ICE EDGE THROUGH SATURDAY. THE ICE PACK IS EXPECTED TO SLOWLY DRIFT 5 TO 15 NM TO THE WEST SOUTHWEST WHILE IT MELTS IN WARMER OCEAN SURFACE WATERS THROUGH SATURDAY. IN THE BEAUFORT SEA EXPECT THE OPEN WATER EDGE TO RETREAT TO THE NORTH ROUGHLY 5 NM THROUGH SATURDAY. BLEGATT 2013 $$