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 10-25 cm thick fast ice and thin level ice approximately to Etukari, Ajos and Aappo. Farther out thin ice and new ice to Kemi 2 and Holma. Off Raahe ice-formation to Jaakko. In the Southern Bay of Bothnia and in the Quark thin ice and new ice in the inner archipelago.
Barents Sea
In the northern portion of the Barents Sea, the ice edge has grown and expanded due to strong northerly winds driving frigid, polar air southward. A low pressure system over Svalbard has encouraged new ice growth throughout the archipelago. The previous openings throughout Franz Josef Land have filled with new and young sea ice. In the southern Barents Sea the ice edge is nearly unchanged.
Bering Sea
Sea ice continues to be observed in the bay around Petropavlovsk with air temperatures near -10°C. Fast ice has consolidated in shallow bays and inlets along the Kamchatka Peninsula and the northern shore, in air temperatures ranging from 00°C to -04°C. In the Bering Strait a warm front cuts the Bering Sea in half. The warm air over Russia melting sea ice, and cold air over Alaska is thickening sea ice as it drifts southwestward advancing 80 nautical miles.
Canada East
The Arctic Ocean contains comprises multi-year ice with some second-year ice and first-year ice present. Nares Strait contains mostly multi-year ice with some second-year ice, first-year ice and young ice present. The ice in Eureka Sound is fast and consists mainly of first-year ice with some multi-year and second-year ice present. The ice around the eastern Queen Elizabeth Islands is fast and contains a mixture of multi-year ice, second-year ice and first-year fast ice. The western, central and northern sections of Jones Sound contain fast ice consisting mostly of first-year ice with some multi-year and second-year ice present. A zone of mobile ice is present in eastern Jones Sound and is a mixture of first-year ice and young ice with a trace of multi-year ice. Lancaster Sound contains mostly first-year ice with some multi-year and young ice present. The Gulf of Boothia consists mainly of first-year ice with some young ice present. Foxe Basin contains first-year ice and young ice in roughly equal proportion. Western Baffin Bay consists mainly of first-year ice with some old/second-year ice present. Eastern Baffin Bay contains mostly young and new ice with some first-year ice also present. Western Davis Strait consists of young and new ice. Eastern Davis Strait is bergy water. Cumberland Sound contains young and new ice.
Canada North
The Arctic Ocean contains comprises multi-year ice with some second-year ice and first-year ice present. Nares Strait contains mostly multi-year ice with some second-year ice, first-year ice and young ice present. The ice in Eureka Sound is fast and consists mainly of first-year ice with some multi-year and second-year ice present. The western, central and northern sections of Jones Sound contain fast ice consisting mostly of first-year ice with some multi-year and second-year ice present. A zone of mobile ice is present in eastern Jones Sound and is a mixture of first-year ice and young ice with a trace of multi-year ice. Lancaster Sound contains mostly first-year ice with some multi-year and young ice present. The Gulf of Boothia consists mainly of first-year ice with some young ice present. Cumberland Sound contains young and new ice.
Canada West
The Queen Elizabeth Islands are fast multi-year, second-year, and first-year ice. M’Clure Strait and Viscount Melville Sound contain predominantly multi-year ice, with some second-year and first-year ice. The ice in southern Viscount Melville Sound has refasted. Barrow Strait consists of first-year ice with a trace of multi-year ice, with isolated pockets of younger ice. M’Clintock Channel is predominantly first-year ice with a trace of multi-year ice. Peel Sound is covered by fast first-year ice with a trace of multi-year ice. Larsen Sound contains first-year ice, with a trace of multi-year ice in the northern section. Queen Maud Gulf, Coronation Gulf, and St. Roch Basin are covered by fast first-year ice. Amundsen Gulf is predominantly first-year ice with some young ice. There is a trace of multi- year ice mixed into the pack ice in the northern section. Canada Basin is predominantly multi-year ice with some second-year and first-year ice. The Beaufort Sea is predominantly first-year ice with some multi-year and second-year ice further offshore.
Chukchi Sea
Sea ice in the Chukchi Sea generally drifted counterclockwise this week, with the greatest movement occurring in the northern and southern areas. Winds reaching 25 knots off the Russian coast enhanced southward drift.
Cook Inlet
In the Cook Inlet air temperatures range from -10°C to -18°C. The sea ice is primarily composed of new (<10 cm) and young (10-30 cm) sea ice. Sea ice concentrations are higher north of Kalgin Island. Sea ice concentrations are lower south of Kalgin Island and mainly along the western shore.
East Siberian Sea
The most notable change this week in the East Siberian Sea occurred along the coast, where strong 18-knot winds pushed sea ice offshore. This occurrence allowed new and young ice to form in some areas, with temperatures reaching -30°C, the thinner ice was able to develop quickly.
Greenland Sea
In the northern Greenland Sea, air temperatures as cold as -16°C promoted significant growth at the ice edge. Strong winds along the northeastern coast of Greenland caused for some areas of fast ice to break apart. In the central and southern regions, sea ice movement was insignificant.
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
Northern Hudson Bay consists of a large band of predominantly thin first-year ice with some young ice in the central section, stretching from the western coast to the southern coast of Southampton Island. Along the northern coast, new and young ice continue to form and thicken rapidly. Southern Hudson Bay consists of predominantly young and new ice. James Bay consists of predominantly young ice and new ice. Hudson Strait consists of predominantly young ice and new ice, with some thin first year ice moving into the western section of the strait. Ungava Bay consists of young and new ice. Frobisher Bay consists of young and new ice. Labrador Sea remains bergy water, with some new and young ice forming along the coasts. Lake Melville is predominantly young ice with some thin first-year ice and new ice continuing to develop.
Kara Sea
The low pressure system over the southern Kara Sea has expanded the ice free area east of Novaya Zemlya over the past week. Frigid temperatures in the region continue to develop the fast ice.
Laptev Sea
There were no major changes this week in the Laptev Sea. Temperatures between –20°C and –34°C supported the continued growth of the young ice already present.
Sea of Japan
In the vicinity of Peter the Great Bay the ice extent grew to nearly double in size from last week. Low concentrations of sea ice surround the port city of Vladivostok. In the vicinity of the Tartar Strait air temperatures range from -04°C near southern Sakhalin to -20°C in the northern Tartar Strait. The frigid air has allowed sea ice to thicken at a normal rate.
Sea of Okhotsk
In the Sea of Okhotsk, air temperatures range from -20°C along the northern Russian shore, to -04°C along the southern third of Sakhalin. These frigid air temperatures are allowing for generation of new and young ice along the Russian coast, as the ice drifts southward it thickens under continual exposure to cold air. In the eastern Sea of Okhotsk, sea ice remains close to shallow coastal regions.
White Sea
Sea ice freezing conditions persist along the coastline of the White Sea. Ice concentrations remain consistent, with noticeable growth having occurred in Kandalaksha Gulf.
Yellow Sea
In the Yellow Sea, sea ice is restricted to extreme eastern Liaodong Bay, and along the coast of the Korean Bay between the cities of Dalian and Dandong.
