Heavy Freezing Spray Warning Issued for Bristol Bay Through Thursday Morning

Alert Details

A Heavy Freezing Spray Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service (NWS) Anchorage AK. The alert is currently in effect and remains active through early Thursday morning.

Affected Areas

The warning specifically covers the Bristol Bay region greater than 15 nautical miles (NM) from the coast. This includes the coastal waters forecast area for Southwest Alaska, Bristol Bay, the Alaska Peninsula waters, and the Aleutian Islands up to 100 nm out.

What You Should Do

Mariners and vessel operators are advised to avoid the warning area. Extreme freezing spray can rapidly accumulate on vessels, particularly near the ice edge, creating hazardous conditions and affecting vessel stability. The NWS response recommendation is to avoid the area.

Expected Conditions

For tonight, Northwest winds are expected at 30 knots with seas in ice-free waters reaching 7 feet. Extreme freezing spray is forecast at a rate of 4 cm per hour or greater, which may lead to rapid accumulation on vessels near the ice edge. Conditions are expected to improve on Thursday with North winds diminishing to 20 knots and then 10 knots in the afternoon.

Timeline

The Heavy Freezing Spray Warning is effective as of February 25 at 3:33 PM AKST. The alert is scheduled to expire at 5:00 AM AKST on Thursday, February 26.