SIWO Forecast – Friday, June 19, 2026

Assessment of Current Ice Conditions Relevant to Distribution and Access of Walrus

Synopsis: The weather pattern for the next week looks to be mostly quiet. We’ll have some breezy south-southwest winds through Saturday morning/afternoon (6/20), then a cold front moves through ushering in more northerly winds on Sunday (6/21). These winds will be fairly weak, mostly less than 15kt with no very strong winds in the forecast. Temperatures across the area will be fairly consistent, even with the cold front, we’ll have high temperatures over the land around 50-60 degrees and over the water/ice around 40-50 degrees with no significant changes expected. 

Near St. Lawrence Island

Ice is now only along the east coast of the island and is moving offshore.

Nome

The area is ice free.

Brevig Mission/Port Clarence Area

The area is ice free.

Wales to Shishmaref

The southern edge of the close ice pack along the coast is 20 miles south along the coast of Shishmaref. All shorefast and sea ice that was in the inner waterways and lagoons has melted out. Ice is becoming more mobile each day.

Diomede

The area is ice free.

Forecast Discussion

Ice Forecast

St. Lawrence Island:

Pack ice only remains along the far eastern side of the Island now and will likely move away from shore while melting over the forecast period.

Wales to Shishmaref:

Close pack remains near Shishmaref and is moving north each day. Expect more leads to open up near Shishmaref as the close ice pack moves north and melts. Ice will continue to move with local tides and currents.

Wind Synopsis

St. Lawrence Island:

Southwest winds at 10-15kt (12-18mph) expected from Friday (6/19) through Saturday afternoon (6/20). Winds shift north/northeast Saturday night through Sunday (6/21) around 10-15kt (12-18 mph) and they will then weaken and become westerly around 5-10kt (6-12mph) on Monday (6/22) as a high pressure settles to the south of the Island. These westerly winds appear to remain throughout the rest of the forecast period but there are signs they can increase on the north side of the island by Thursday (6/25) to 15-20kt (18-25mph).

Wales to Shishmaref:

Southwest winds, strongest near Wales around 15-25kt (18-30 mph) Friday (6/20) afternoon through Saturday morning (6/21). These winds weaken Saturday afternoon and shift northwest by Saturday night with north/northwest winds expected on Sunday (6/22) around 10-15kt (12-18mph). Northerly winds weaken to nearly calm on Monday (6/23) then shift southerly again by Monday evening. These winds will increase slightly once again by Tuesday afternoon (6/24), around 10-15kt (12-18mph). Southwest winds around 10-15kt (12-18mph) will persist through much of the remainder of the period.

Temperature Trend

St. Lawrence Island:

Not a lot of change expected to the temperatures. Near and along the shore, expect temperatures in the upper 40s to low 50s, then in the mid to upper 40s over the ice/water for the entire period.

Wales to Shishmaref:

Not a lot of change expected to the temperatures. Near and along the coast, expect temperatures in the mid to upper 40s with a couple of 50 to 55 degree readings by next week, especially after Tuesday (6/23). On the ice and the water, temperatures will largely be in the low 40s through the forecast period.

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 Local Conditions

Observations from Sivuqaq / Gambell

Our Gambell observer is participating in a walrus research cruise for the rest of the month. Observations from others in Gambell will be added here if available.

Observations from Sivungaq / Savoonga

Friday, 19 June 2026 – Aqef Waghiyi

Final report for 2026: Good year for walrus hunting. I’m pretty sure everyone got enough food.

Observations from Sitaisaq / Brevig Mission / Port Clarence

Friday, 19 June 2026 – Marc Barr

Final report for 2026: That’s a wrap for our season. We’ve been ice for couple weeks or so. Hunter caught oogruk and walrus beginning of the month, and are just about all put away in the freezers and buried underground.

Observations from Kingigin / Wales

Observations from Inaliq / Diomede

Observations from Kigiktaq / Shishmaref

Observations from Sitnasuaq / Nome

Shared by the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) for 11–19 June 2026

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)