SEA ICE ADVISORY FOR WESTERN AND ARCTIC ALASKAN COASTAL WATERS

National Weather Service, Anchorage Forecast Office Marine Weather

FORECAST THROUGH SATURDAY...MUCH COLDER AIR WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE BEAUFORT SEA AFTER WEDNESDAY. NEW ICE WILL DEVELOP IN MUCH OF THE ICE FREE WATERS BETWEEN 140W AND 155W WHERE SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES ARE 1C OR LESS. ICE WILL DEVELOP ALONG THE ALASKA BARRIER ISLANDS ALONG THE NORTHWEST AND NORTH COASTS NORTH OF 70N. A NOTE ON THE ICE FORECAST...SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES ALONG THE ALASKA CHUKCHI AND BEAUFORT SEA COASTS ARE 2 TO 8 DEGREES CELSIUS COLDER THIS YEAR THAN AT THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR. SEA ICE IN THESE AREAS IS AT OR VERY NEAR THE SEASONAL MINIMUM. SIGNIFICANT ICE WILL BEGIN DEVELOPING ALONG THE ALASKA COAST NORTH OF 70N WITHIN THE NEXT 10 TO 14 DAYS.