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 35-80 cm thick fast ice and 20-45 cm thick consolidated drift ice to Kemi 2, Oulu 1 and Johan. Farther out 20-45 cm thick, in places ridged, very close ice. Ice pressure occurs in the ice field. In the Southern Bay of Bothnia 20-40 cm thick fast ice in the archipelago. Farther out 10-40 cm thick, in places ridged, very close ice. Cracks have been opened in the ice field. In the Quark 15-40 cm thick, in places ridged, close and very close ice and new ice. In the Vaasa archipelago 20-50 cm thick fast ice and consolidated drift ice to Utgrynnan. In the Sea of Bothnia 20-45 cm thick fast ice in the archipelago. At the fast ice edge consolidated brash ice. Farther out 5-20 cm thick close ice. In the Åland Sea new ice locally, mostly open water. In the Archipelago Sea 15-40 cm thick fast ice in the inner archipelago. In the outer archipelago 10-20 cm thick level ice to Utö. South of Utö a narrow brash ice barrier at the ice edge. In the western Gulf of Finland 15-40 cm thick fast ice and level ice in the archipelago. Farther out 10-25 cm thick in places ridged very close ice to the Tallinna Madal lighthouse. In the eastern Gulf of Finland 20-40 cm thick fast ice in the archipelago to Orrengrund. Off the fast ice 10-30 cm thick, in places ridged and rafted, very close ice to the Estonian coast. Ice pressure occurs in the ice field. In the Lake Saimaa 20-40 cm thick ice.
Barents Sea
In the northern Barents Sea, the sea ice drift is generally in a counter clockwise direction, northwestward near Franz Josef Land and southwestward near Svalbard. Due to strong katabatic winds off the Russian coast in the southern Barents Sea, the first year sea ice has drifted northward as much as 70 nautical miles allowing new and young ice to form in the space previously occupied by the first year ice.
Bering Sea
Ice conditions near Kamchatka remained similar to last week, while in the Bering Sea the ice edge has retreated 98 nautical miles following a passing storm.
Canada East
Eureka Sound and Jones Sound contain first-year ice and some old ice. Lancaster Sound contain mostly first-year ice with some old ice. Baffin Bay and Davis Strait contain mostly first-year ice with some old ice. There is young ice present along the ice edge. Frobisher Bay and Cumberland Sound contain a mixture of first-year, young and new ice. A trace of old ice is present around Resolution Island. The Labrador Sea is bergy water.
Canada North
The Arctic Ocean comprises old ice. Nares Strait contains a mixture of old ice and first-year ice. The Gulf of Boothia contains first-year ice. Cumberland Sound contains first-year ice, young ice, and new ice.
Canada West
The waters around 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 western section; in the eastern 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. New and young ice formed during the movement of the ice.
Chukchi Sea
Katabatic winds off of the Alaskan coast have encouraged the degradation of the fast ice edge southward into the Bering Strait. The resulting openings have rapidly developed new and young sea ice as freezing conditions persist.
Cook Inlet
The main ice edge in Cook Inlet extends from near Ninilchik to Chinitna Bay.
East Siberian Sea
Minimal southwestward sea ice drift occurred over the past week; some fields of multiyear have drifted 15 NM southwest. Fast ice within the East Siberian Sea continues to develop.
Greenland Sea
The East Greenland Current has drifted sea ice southward as much as 50 NM in northern Greenland and 120 NM within the Denmark Strait over the last week. This speed divergence has allowed first year ice to form between the old year ice floes, effectively lowering the concentration of the old ice. Air temperatures range from -32°C in northern Greenland to -2°C near Cape Farewell, allowing for normal ice growth.
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, Hudson Strait, James Bay, Ungava Bay and the Labrador coast contain mostly first-year ice with some young ice. Foxe Basin contains mostly first-year ice with some young ice and new present in the eastern section.
Kara Sea
Evidence of last week’s storm is still visible in the Kara Sea, where numerous leads that briefly opened have since refrozen with young ice along the fast-ice edge. Meanwhile, air temperatures near -26 °C continue to promote further thickening of the pack ice.
Laptev Sea
In the Laptev Sea fast ice along Severnaya Zemlya expanded by as much as 30 NM over the last week. Sea ice drift in the northern Laptev sea is generally west-northwestward, while in the southern Laptev Sea the drift is northeastward.
Sea of Okhotsk
Ice conditions remain similar to those observed last week, with minimal development noted. Sea ice northeast of Hokkaido remains dynamic.
Yellow Sea
The only ice left in the Yellow Sea is confined to Liaodong Bay.
