The Bering Sea Ice is a bit of an oddity. Probably very storm related. Some interesting comments here from the
NWS Anchorage, Sea Ice outlook at the end of November:
LOOKING AT THE BIG PICTURE...THE CHUKCHI SEA REMAINS MOSTLY OPEN
SOUTH OF ROUGHLY 74N WITH SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES REMAINING ABOVE
FREEZING THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE SEA ICE FREE WATER. IN THE BERING
SEA...SEA ICE HAS STRUGGLED TO BECOME ESTABLISHED BEYOND THE SHALLOW
AND PROTECTED WATERS ALONG THE WEST COAST OF ALASKA AS STORMS HAVE
BROUGHT PERIODS OF WARMER AIR TO THE REGION IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER.
AS WE LOOK FORWARD THROUGH FEBRUARY...THE CHUKCHI SEA IS EXPECTED TO
EXPERIENCE SEA ICE CONDITIONS SIMILAR TO LAST WINTER WITH THE ICE
PACK SLOW TO FORM AND REMAINING RELATIVELY MOBILE THROUGH MUCH OF
THE WINTER. THE BERING SEA ICE PACK MAY ALSO BE SLOW TO ESTABLISH IF
STORMS AGAIN HAVE A PATH THROUGH THE BERING SEA INTO EARLY 2018 AS
EXPECTED. HOW FAR NORTH THESE STORMS TRACK WILL HAVE A LARGE IMPACT
ON THE QUALITY OF THE ICE PACK WITHIN THE BERING SEA LATER THIS
WINTER.
AT THIS TIME...THERE IS A 50 PERCENT CHANCE THAT SEA ICE WILL REACH
SAINT PAUL ISLAND SOMETIME THIS SEASON. IF IT DOES...IT LIKELY WOULD
NOT OCCUR BEFORE THE END OF FEBRUARY. THERE IS A 30 PERCENT CHANCE
THAT SEA ICE WILL REACH SAINT GEORGE ISLAND THIS SEASON. IF IT
DOES...IT LIKELY WOULD NOT OCCUR BEFORE THE END OF FEBRUARY.