Assessment of Current Ice Conditions Relevant to Distribution and Access of Walrus
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Synopsis: Broad high pressure continues over St. Lawrence Island through Sunday night. Winds are expected to be light and mainly out of the north before a low pressure system passes northeast of the island Monday morning. This low pressure system will bring with it mostly cloudy skies and variable winds. High temperatures for the week will be in the upper teens to low 20s with low temperatures in the single digits. Little to no precipitation is expected, keeping conditions mostly dry and quiet.
Near St. Lawrence Island
Shorefast ice extends up to 6 miles (10 km) off the north shore and up to 3 miles (5 km) off the east shore. There are small polynyas both between Gambell and Savoonga up to 7 miles (11 km) beyond the shorefast ice and near Pugughileq (Powooiliak) Camp up to 7 miles (11 km) from shore. There is a larger polynya east of Savoonga up to 15 miles (24 km) beyond the shorefast ice. These polynyas are very open pack ice. Otherwise, much of the mobile sea ice surrounding the island consists of close to consolidated pack ice of big to giant floes.
Nome
This area has not begun yet for the 2025 season.
Brevig Mission/Port Clarence Area
This area has not begun yet for the 2025 season.
Wales to Shishmaref
This area has not begun yet for the 2025 season.
Diomede
This area has not begun yet for the 2025 season.
Forecast Discussion
Ice Forecast
Sea ice will generally drift east to southeast through the weekend, then drifting south Monday (7 Apr) through Thursday (10 Apr). The polynyas off the north shore of the island will close off again beginning Monday and new polynyas will form off the south side of the island during that timeframe.
Wind Synopsis
Friday sees northerly winds across St. Lawrence Island 10 to 20 mph with 20 to 30 mph along the eastern coast of the island. These winds decrease Saturday becoming 10 to 15 mph and remain steady through Sunday night when a weak low moves over the island making winds light and variable through Monday afternoon before northerly winds 15 to 25 mph return overnight Monday and decrease to 10 to 15 by Wednesday. Another weaker system moves near the island Wednesday night allowing for lighter, variable winds through Thursday afternoon with weak northerly winds recovering later Thursday into Friday once again with speeds 5 to 10 mph.
Temperature Trend
Temperatures remain relatively consistent throughout the week with highs and lows staying in the 15 to 25°F range through Sunday and then falling slightly to 10 to 20°F Monday through Friday. Temperatures peak 20 to 25°F Sunday and then slowly fall throughout the week with the lowest temperatures expected at 10°F overnight Tuesday through Thursday.
Daily Weather, Wind, and Temperature Updates
The National Weather Service provides twice-daily, text only updates on the weather, wind, and temperature conditions in specific geographical zones. An interactive weather map for access to other Alaskan zones can be found here: http://weather.gov/anchorage/ice
Higher resolution satellite images and wind maps (wind updated daily) can be viewed here: http://www.weather.gov/afg/SIWO_overview
The Alaska Ocean Observing System shares a variety of weather and sea ice related resources in their Bering Sea Portal at https://bering-sea.portal.aoos.org/.
NWS Sea Ice Forecast Maps
Marine forecast for the West Coast and Arctic Coast
Remote Sensing Images
Observations & Comments
Observations of Sea Ice Development
Observations from Gambell
Friday, 4 April 2025 – Clarence Irrigoo, Jr.
14°, mostly cloudy, wind north 10 mph. This morning it was foggy.
Sea ice and weather conditions in Gambell. Photo courtesy of Clarence Irrigoo, Jr.
Observations from Savoonga
Thursday, 3 April 2025 – Aqef Waghiyi
Wind 10 knots north, pressure is 1004, dew point 32.3, humidity 100%, temperature 46.6.
Friday, 4 April 2025 – Aqef Waghiyi
Opened up a little bit. Seen some seals and walrus out there.
Observations from Wales
Saturday, 5 April 2025 – Robert Tokeinna, Jr.
Calm winds out of the north, open water from in front of Wales to Nome today, open leads and open water with pancakes if flow ice as far as the eye can see. Denser ice in front of the village of Wales. There was an open lead in front of Nome and very prominent all the way to Wales. 15 degrees and 10 mph out of the North with fog on the horizon.
Sea ice and weather conditions in Wales. Photos courtesy of Robert Tokeinna, Jr.
Shared by the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) for 1–9 April 2025
The images below show animations of the movement of ice predicted by the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). Snapshots from the forecast show ice coverage from 0% (black) to 100% (white) and arrows show the relative speed and direction of the ice. A light boundary is drawn at 15% predicted ice cover to highlight the ice edge, but ice may be predicted to extend beyond it. Some bays, lagoons, and areas very close to shore are not covered by the model. (Image produced by the Alaska Ocean Observing System / Axiom Data Science).
These animations show the predicted movement of ice predicted by the HYbrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM). Snapshots from the forecast show ice coverage from 0% (black) to 100% (white) and arrows show the relative speed and direction of the ice. A light boundary is drawn at 15% predicted ice cover to highlight the ice edge, but ice may be predicted to extend beyond it. Some bays, lagoons, and areas very close to shore are not covered by the model. (Image produced by the Alaska Ocean Observing System / Axiom Data Science)