Water forecast 2 to 4 feet above normal high tide in Eastern Norton Sound

Water levels across Eastern Norton Sound are forecast to rise 2 to 4 feet above the normal high tide line from late Thursday, Sept. 3, through Saturday morning, Sept. 5. Localized beach erosion may occur. Heavy rain and gusty winds could make travel difficult at times.

The National Weather Service office in Fairbanks issued the special weather statement Wednesday morning for the Southern Seward Peninsula Coast east of Nome, Eastern Norton Sound and the Yukon Delta Coast. Water there is expected to run 1 to 2 feet above normal high tide during the same window.

A warm front tied to a strong Bering Sea low is moving into Western Alaska Wednesday into Thursday. Winds will shift from east and southeast to south and southwest Thursday into Friday, increasing onshore flow. Peak gusts will reach 30 to 50 mph Thursday, with 0.50 to 1.25 inches of rain expected through Thursday night. Winds ease Friday and Saturday but remain onshore. Forecasters said exact water level heights remain uncertain.

NWS Anchorage forecasts water 1 to 2 feet above normal high tide along the Kuskokwim Delta Coast and Nunivak Island late Wednesday night into early Thursday, with up to 0.5 inches of rain and southerly gusts to 40 mph, strongest Thursday morning. Kwigillingok faces higher risk because of how its shoreline sits to the wind. St. Lawrence Island is forecast to see 1 to 1.5 inches of rain and gusts to 55 mph through Thursday.

In late August, NWS Fairbanks issued a high surf advisory for Eastern Norton Sound, with water 4 to 6 feet above the normal high tide line near Koyuk and Elim. The Association of Village Council Presidents, the regional tribal consortium for the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, wrote on Facebook on Aug. 26 that "Western Alaska has been hit by hurricane-force winds, ravaging storm surges and floodwaters that swept homes away and displaced communities." The USDA Northwest Climate Hub has said accelerating erosion and storm-surge risk in Kuskokwim River communities reflects a broader pattern tied to declining sea ice and climate change.

NWS Fairbanks advises that precautions should be taken to protect property.