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
The ice in the Bay of Bothnia drifts further northeast and along the Swedish coast runs a wide area of open water. In the northern Bay of Bothnia 50-70 cm thick fast ice to Kemi 3 and Oulu 3. Farther out 30-60 cm thick ridged very close ice and in places areas of thinner ice to southwest of the line Bothnia buoy - Merikallat. Farther south 20-40 cm thick, in places ridged, very close ice and thinner level ice. The ice field is in places difficult to force. In the southern Bay of Bothnia 15-35 cm thick fast ice in the archipelago. Off the fast ice areas of open water. Farther out 10-30 cm thick mostly close ice and 5-20 cm thick broken level ice. In the Quark mostly open water, strips in places. In the Vaasa archipelago 20-45 cm thick fast ice to Ensten. Farther out open water. In the Sea of Bothnia 5-20 cm thick fast ice and thin ice in the inner archipelago. Farther out open water. In the Archipelago Sea and the eastern Gulf of Finland thin ice in the inner archipelago. In the eastern Gulf of Finland 5-20 cm thick fast ice and thin ice in the inner archipelago. Farther out open water.
Barents Sea
Chesa Bay has nearly melted out, despite being entirely ice-covered just last week. Along the Barents Sea coast, the ice edge has retreated approximately 60 nautical miles. Ice breakup has commenced in Pechora Bay, while areas of blowout persist on the northern side of Franz Josef Land. Additionally, ice along the southern coast of Spitzbergen has drifted northward by approximately 30 nautical miles
Bering Sea
Northerly winds have pushed the ice edge southward by up to 40NM in the Bering Sea and have created many lee polynyas on the southern side of coasts which have filled in with new ice. Ice continues to drift further south along the coast of Kamchatka and significant fast ice has formed in western Karaginskiy Gulf.
Canada East
Foxe Basin is predominantly first-year ice with areas of young ice along the northern and western coasts and around Prince Charles Island. Labrador Sea contains predominantly first-year ice and a trace of old ice in the northern section extending to 59 N. Labrador Coast is a mix of young and first-year ice.
Canada North
Canada Basin is predominantly old ice with some first-year ice. Along the northwest coastline of Ellesmere Island, there is a pack of predominantly first-year ice with a trace of old ice. The ice bridge remains in Nares Strait (from Archer Fiord to Kane Basin) and contains predominantly old ice with some first-year ice. South of the ice bridge, there is a large area of new and young ice, followed by the main pack ice which is mostly first-year ice with smaller amounts of old ice. The ice throughout Greely Fiord and Eureka Sound is consolidated first-year ice. Nansen Sound contains consolidated first-year ice with a trace of old ice. Jones Sound has consolidated first-year ice, including some old ice east of Grise Fiord. Baffin Bay is predominantly first-year ice with some old ice in the western section and a mix of first-year ice and young ice closer to the Greenland coast. Davis Strait is predominantly first-year ice with a trace of old ice. Cumberland Sound is predominantly young ice with smaller amounts of first-year ice in the extreme eastern section. Lancaster Sound is predominantly first-year ice with some young ice along the fast ice edge south of Resolute. The Gulf of Boothia contains first-year ice with some young ice along the fast ice on western coast.
Canada West
The ice in the Queen Elizabeth Islands is fast with mostly old ice and some first-year ice, with some mobile ice remaining along the northern sections and near Cornwallis Island. M’Clure Strait contains fast old ice which transitions to first-year ice in Viscount Melville Sound. Barrow Strait contains fast first-year ice with a trace of old ice. M’Clintock Channel, Peel Sound, Queen Maud Gulf, and Coronation Gulf contain fast first-year ice. Victoria Strait contains mostly fast ice with a region of mobile first-year ice. Amundsen Gulf is predominantly first-year ice with young ice development along the coasts of Banks Island and Victoria Island. Beaufort Sea contains first-year ice transitioning northwards to a mix of old ice. There is mostly old ice in the eastern portion of the Canada Basin.
Chukchi Sea
In the Chukchi Sea the sea ice is generally drifting westward, this is allowing for the ice conveyor belt to form new and young ice along the Alaskan coast from Kotzebue Bay to Utqiagvik (Barrow). Air temperatures range from -14°C over the Bering Strait to -30°C over the northern Chukchi Sea. Multiyear ice has drifted westward into the region from the Beaufort Sea.
Cook Inlet
A mix of new and young ice remains in the northern Cook Inlet as slow melt continues.
East Siberian Sea
In the East Siberian Sea, air temperatures range from -28°C to -32°C allowing for rapid ice thickness growth in newly forming polynya along the fast ice edge. Sea ice drift is generally westward, except where the drift shifts to northward near the New Siberian Islands.
Greenland Sea
In the Greenland North and Central the ice edge has drifted eastward towards the coastline. Buoy data in the heart of the Greenland Current has recorded movements of 45 to 80 nautical miles. In the Greenland South region new and young sea ice formed within the pack ice. In the Greenland West southerly winds have brought warm air temperatures to the southern portion of Greenland and the sea ice has either melted or drifted northward into the coast.
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 first-year ice. Young ice and new ice is developing where the ice pack moved away from the coast in the western section. James Bay contains first-year ice with young ice developing along the west coast where the ice pack moved away from the coast. Hudson Strait is predominantly first-year ice with some new and young ice. Ungava Bay is predominantly first-year ice with some young ice Frobisher Bay is predominantly new and young ice with some first-year ice at its entrance. Lake Melville is first-year fast ice.
Kara Sea
Frigid temperatures continue to thicken pack ice within the Kara Sea. Pack ice has drifted away from the Matochkin Strait as a result of atmospheric and oceanic conditions. A large lead has formed on the eastern side of Novaya Zemyla.
Laptev Sea
In the Laptev Sea, air temperatures range from -22°C to -32°C allowing for rapid ice thickness growth in newly forming polynyas along the fast ice edge. Sea ice drift is weak but generally northward.
Sea of Japan
In the Sea of Japan, northerly winds have caused the ice edge to extend further south in the Tatar Strait. Ice remains present along the Russian coast.
Sea of Okhotsk
Ice remains of the west coast of Kamchatka as cold temperatures remain; though the ice edge has expanded to the north. The ice edge has slightly compressed westward along the coast of Sakhalin; ice along the coast of Hokkaido now flows eastward and has become entrained in the Kuril Islands.
White Sea
Temperatures have notably dropped, resulting in substantial melting and causing some ice to compact along the coastline. Fasted ice persists in sheltered areas along the Kola Peninsula
Yellow Sea
Ice has largely melted out in the Yellow Sea, with remnant young ice present in northern Liaodong and Korea Bay.
