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 30-70 cm thick fast ice and 20-40 cm thick consolidated drift ice to Kemi 2, Liberta and Johan. Farther out 20-45 cm thick, in places ridged, very close ice and in places thinner level ice. In the Southern Bay of Bothnia 15-40 cm thick fast ice in the archipelago. Farther out 15-35 cm thick, in places ridged, very close ice and in places level ice. In the Quark mainly 10-30 cm thick close and very close ice and new ice. In the Vaasa archipelago 15-45 cm thick fast ice and level ice to Norra Gloppsten. In the Sea of Bothnia 10-40 cm thick fast ice and thin ice in the archipelago. Off the coast thin open ice and new-ice formation. In the Archipelago Sea 10-30 cm thick fast ice and thin ice in the inner archipelago. In the outer archipelago new ice. To approximately 20 nautical miles south of Bengtskär drifting shuga. In the western Gulf of Finland 10-30 cm thick fast ice and thin level ice in the archipelago. Farther out thin drift ice of varying concentration and new-ice formation to Ajax and to south of Helsinki lighthouse. Farther south in places strips of thin drift ice. In the eastern Gulf of Finland 15-40 cm thick fast ice in the archipelago. Farther out first 5-20 cm thick very close ice and new ice approximately to Kalbådagrund and to Kotka lighthouse and then 5-25 cm thick close and very close ice to the Estonian coast. In the Lake Saimaa 15-40 cm thick ice.
Barents Sea
Sea ice has expanded around Bear Island, pushing the ice edge approximately 45 nautical miles farther south since last week. An ice-free area persists along the northeastern side of Svalbard. In the southern Barents Sea, the ice edge remains largely unchanged from last week; however, ice has developed along the western coast of Novaya Zemlya, and the previously ice-free area to the north is now covered by 80–100% ice concentration.
Bering Sea
A passing storm system compacted sea ice along the Kamchatka Peninsula and weakened the ice edge in the Bering Sea. In the eastern Bering Sea, the storm pushed the ice edge roughly 80 nautical miles northward. It also accelerated melt in areas previously covered by thin first-year ice.
Canada East
Eureka Sound and Jones Sound contain first-year ice and some old ice. The Labrador Sea is bergy water with young and first-year ice along the Labrador coast. Frobisher Bay contains a mixture of first-year, young and new ice. Cumberland Sound contains first-year and young ice.
Canada North
The Arctic Ocean contains old ice. Nares Strait contains a mixture of old, first-year and young ice. Lancaster Sound, Baffin Bay and Davis Strait contain mostly first-year ice with some young and old ice present. The Gulf of Boothia contains first-year ice. Foxe Basin contains mostly first-year ice with some young ice present.
Canada West
The Queen Elizabeth Islands are fast old ice and first-year ice. M’Clure Strait and Viscount Melville Sound contain predominantly fast old ice with some first-year ice. Barrow Strait is fast first-year ice with some old ice in the eastern section; in the western section there is mobile first-year ice with a trace of old ice. M’Clintock Channel is fast first-year ice with a trace of old ice. Peel Sound is fast first-year ice with a trace of old ice. Victoria Strait is fast first-year ice. There is an area of mobile first-year ice in the southern section. Queen Maud Gulf and Coronation Gulf are fast first-year ice. Amundsen Gulf is mostly fast first-year ice with a trace of old ice in the northern section. Canada Basin is predominantly old ice with some first-year ice. The Beaufort Sea is predominantly first-year ice with some old ice.
Chukchi Sea
A strong, and relatively stationary, area of high pressure centered north of Wrangel Island and its persistent easterly winds caused pack ice to drift westward as much as 90 nautical miles near Point Hope, Alaska. The resulting opening quickly refilled with new and rapidly developed young ice due to air temperatures ranging -25°C and -30°C.
Cook Inlet
The main ice edge in Cook Inlet extends from near Anchor Point to Chinitna Bay.
East Siberian Sea
Multi-year ice in the East Siberian Sea drifted westward up to 20 NM over the last week.
Greenland Sea
Temperatures across Greenland Sea remained extremely cold throughout the region. Central and northern Greenland experienced the lowest values, ranging from -30°C to -16°C. Conditions in southern Greenland were slightly milder, with temperatures between -08°C to -02°C. Winds in southern Greenland also reached up to 20 knots, generating significant ice drift that has now carried sea ice past the southern tip. Farther north, ice movement was more minimal but continued a constant south-southeast drift.
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 is predominantly first-year ice with small amounts of young ice where the pack moves away from the coast. Hudson Strait contains a mixture of first-year and young ice with some new ice between Kinngait and Kimmirut. Ungava Bay contains mostly first-year ice with small amounts of young ice along the southwestern coast and south of Akpatok Island. James Bay is predominantly first-year ice with small amounts of young ice along the western coast.
Kara Sea
Southerly winds created openings along the coastal fast ice edge and around the islands in the Kara Sea; however, with temperatures remaining between -24°C and -30°C, the newly exposed water rapidly refroze.
Laptev Sea
Pack ice has drifted northward and away from the fast ice edge; the resulting opening refilled with rapidly developed young ice.
Sea of Japan
Temperatures ranged from -8°C to -20°C across the region allowing for sea ice to continue to thicken and expand.
Sea of Okhotsk
Temperatures across the region, ranging from -12°C to -24°C, have led to a significant expansion of the ice edge in several places. This growth is particularly noticeable on the eastern side of Sakhalin Island. At the same time, the sea ice along the western coastline of the Kamchatka Peninsula continues to extend southward.
White Sea
Strong west-northwest winds and warmer air temperatures (-06°C to -12°C) allowed an area of ice-free to reopen and drifted ice away from Kandalaksha Gulf and into Dvina Bay.
Yellow Sea
Warmer temperatures are causing continuous melt in the Yellow Sea, confining the ice to the Liaodong and Korea Bays.
