Arctic Regional Synopsis
Regional charts and associated synopsis write-up capture ice and environmental conditions throughout the Arctic which are based on the U.S. National Ice Center’s weekly analysis. Charts and synopses are updated weekly on Fridays. Note: Baltic Sea analysis is provided by the Finnish Meteorological Institute. The Canadian Archipelago (Canada East, Canada North, Canada West, and Hudson Bay) analysis is provided by the Canadian Ice Service.
Regional Quick Access
Baltic Sea
In the northern Bay of Bothnia 50-80 cm thick rotting fast ice and consolidated ice to Kemi 1, Oulun portti and Raahe lighthouse. Farther out open water approximately to the longitude of Farstugrunden. Some thick floes in the area. Farther west 40-70 cm thick ridged very close ice. Areas of open water, leads and cracks in the ice field. In the southern Bay of Bothnia rotten and rotting fast ice in the archipelago. Off the coast zones of 10-50 cm thick drift ice. Farther out open water approximately to the center line. Farther west 15-50 cm thick, in places ridged, close and very close ice approximately to the latitude of Helsingkallan. In the Quark, east of the longitude of Gunvorsgrund, 10-40 cm thick ice of varying concentration. In the Vaasa archipelago rotten ice. On the Vaasa fairway mainly open water. In the Bothnian Sea rotten ice in places in the archipelago. Farther out ice-free.
Barents Sea
In the Northern Barents Sea the ice edge has retreated north 30NM to 60NM mainly due to southwesterly winds. Various polynyas have developed along the northeast coast of Svalbard (lee side). Along Novaya Zemlya sea ice has drifted southward. In the Southern Barents Sea, the ice has drifted westward 20NM to 50NM beyond last week’s ice edge.
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea continues to experience seasonal melt, with little ice concentrations remaining in the most eastern portion of the sea. Warm temperatures persisted throughout the region resulting in the overall decrease of sea ice concentrations. Along the Kamchatka Peninsula, the warm conditions continues to break down any remaining pack ice.
Canada East
The Gulf of Boothia and Committee Bay contain first-year ice. The Archipelago contains a mixture of old and first-year fast ice. The ice in Barrow Strait is first-year with a trace of old ice. Foxe Basin contains mostly first-year ice with some young ice present along its western shoreline. Davis Strait consists of first-year ice with some old ice. Along coastal Greenland the ice is mostly first-year with some young ice.
Canada North
The Arctic Ocean consists mostly of old ice with some first-year ice. Nares Strait contains fast old and first-year ice, with some young ice developing south of the ice bridge. Lancaster Sound consists of mostly first-year ice with some old ice present. Prince Regent Inlet contains mostly first-year ice with some old ice extending southward to ~71°N. Baffin Bay contains mostly first-year ice, with some old ice in its western section. Some young ice is present along the eastern and southern coastlines of Devon Island.
Canada West
The ice around the Queen Elizabeth Islands (QEI), Sverdrup Islands and the western Parry Islands is mostly old with some first-year ice present. The ice is the area of the southwestern Sverdrup Islands and the western Parry Islands is mostly first-year ice with some old ice present. Parry Channel consists of mostly first-year ice with some old ice present in its eastern section. Significant old ice is present in its western section, especially north of Victoria Island. M’Clintock Channel, Peel Sound, Queen Maud Gulf, and Coronation Gulf contain fast first-year ice. A small polynya of mobile first-year ice remains present in Victoria Strait. Amundsen Gulf consists of a mixture of first-year, young and new ice. The fast ice along the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Alaska coastline is first-year. Offshore of this coastal area, in the Beaufort Sea, the ice is mostly first-year with some young ice present in the Beaufort Sea’s southern section. Beaufort Sea consists of old and first-year ice in roughly equal proportion. North of 73N, the ice is predominantly old whereas the ice is mostly first-year south of that parallel. The western extent of old ice predominance in the Beaufort Sea is approximately 155W. Central Beaufort Sea contains a large area of mostly first-year ice. The ice in the Arctic Ocean is old with the exception of some young and first-year ice along the northern coastlines of the QEI.
Chukchi Sea
The Chukchi Sea remains frozen over with predominantly first year ice. The small concentrations of multiyear ice is still located north of 72N.
Cook Inlet
Sea ice in the Cook Inlet continues to decrease as seasonal melt continues. Some fasted ice still sits in small inlets along the western side of the Cook Inlet.
East Siberian Sea
The East Siberian Sea is completely ice covered with predominantly first year ice with pockets of multiyear ice extending south from the High Arctic in the northwest and northeast portions of the East Siberian Sea.
Greenland Sea
Pack ice is continuing to move southward along the Greenland coast. In central Greenland, the multiyear pack ice has started to mix with the first year ice.
High Arctic
No synopsis write-up for the High Arctic as it remains consistent throughout this part of the year. A synopsis write-up will begin during summer months as ice retreats and becomes more dynamic in the region.
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay, James Bay and Southern Foxe Basin contain mostly first-year ice with areas of low concentration and new ice forming along the eastern coast of Hudson Bay and James Bay. Hudson Strait contains mostly first-year ice with some new ice along the northern shoreline. Ungava Bay has mostly first-year ice with an area of low concentration along the eastern shoreline. The ice in Davis Strait is mostly first-year with a trace of old ice. Frobisher Bay is mostly young ice with some old ice and new ice. The ice along the Labrador Coast is first-year ice with a trace of old ice. There is bergy water in and around Groswater Bay and Hamilton Inlet. Lake Melville contains fast first-year ice.
Kara Sea
In the Kara Sea, low sea surface temperatures encourage thickening of the first year ice in the region. Westerly sea ice drift compressed the pack ice into the Russian coast.
Laptev Sea
The Laptev Sea remains completely frozen over. Multi year ice can be found along the entire northern border with the High Arctic and has drifted eastward. The remaining sea ice is dominated by first year ice and had drifted westward.
Sea of Japan
Seasonal warming of surface temperatures has continued to cause melting in the Sea of Japan. The Strait of Tatar still contain fasted first year ice.
Sea of Okhotsk
Warming temperatures have caused majority of the pack ice in the area to decrease in concentration and the ice edge continues to recede.
White Sea
In the White Sea, seasonal warming of sea surface temperatures and dynamic wind and drift conditions have continued to influence the degradation of the first year sea ice.
