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
Barents Sea
The ice edge in the Barents Sea has remained mostly stationary. Southwestward drift combined with warm temperatures allowed for openings to form within the pack ice.
Bering Sea
The western portion of the Bering strait still has a small area of sea ice that has drifted along the Russian coast.
Canada East
Frobisher Bay is bergy water with some old and first-year ice present north of Loks Land. Gulf of Boothia is bergy water north of 71N; south of 71N contains first-year ice. Foxe Basin contains mostly open water with first-year ice present along its western shores. Western Davis Strait contains first-year ice with some old ice, while its eastern section is bergy water.
Canada North
Canada Basin contains old ice with some first-year ice. Nares Strait comprises mostly old ice with some first-year ice. Eureka Sound contains predominantly first-year ice and some old ice. Jones Sound contains mostly first-year ice and some old ice. Bergy waters areas are present in the middle and at its entrance. Lancaster Sound is mostly bergy water. Baffin Bay is bergy water. Cumberland Sound contains first-year ice with some old ice in its eastern section and bergy water in its western section.
Canada West
The ice along and to the north of the Alaskan and Yukon coasts has been quite dynamic for the past week. Closer to the coast the pack is made up of first-year ice, with old ice mixing in to the north. Western Canada Basin has seen an overall drop in concentrations as the ice begins to melt. Moving towards the north and east of Canada Basin, the ice concentrations remain high as old ice dominates the pack. Ice concentrations continue to diminish along the coast east of Mackenzie Bay. Some old and first-year ice continues to block the entrance to Amundsen Gulf, with concentrations dissipating to bergy water further to the east. The bergy water continues through Coronation, Queen Maud Gulf, Rae Strait and north into Peel Sound. M’Clure Strait and Viscount Melville Sound remain full of ice. It is predominantly old ice with a bit of first-year ice in the west, with more first-year ice mixing in further east. First-year ice with a trace of old ice dominates the pack approaching Barrow Strait and through north and western M’Clintock Channel. Those ice concentrations diminish through Barrow Strait, as well as into southeastern M’Clintock. There is only a small amount of ice poking into Victoria Strait. The ice in the western Queen Elizabeth Islands remains largely fasted, with the ice becoming mobile along the southern islands. This ice is mostly old ice with some first-year mixed in. In the eastern Queen Elizabeth Islands, the fast ice has broken loose and started drifting south. There still remains some fast ice between Axel Heiberg Island and Ellef Ringnes Island into Hassel Sound, however it is showing hints of a future break-up. The ice in the eastern Queen Elizabeth Islands is mostly first-year with some old ice mixed in.
Chukchi Sea
Melt continued throughout the Chukchi Sea, as air temperatures remain above freezing, up to +14°C. Sea ice has drifted further from the coast, extending up to 90 NM northeast of the Chukchi Peninsula.
East Siberian Sea
Pack ice drifted up to 110 NM northeastward in the East Siberian Sea. Melt continued throughout the sea, especially near the New Siberian Islands with above freezing air temperatures, +2°C to +8°C.
Greenland Sea
Ice in the Greenland Sea continues to melt in large amounts.
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
James Bay is ice free. Hudson Bay is ice free except for a small area of open water near the southwestern shoreline. Hudson Strait, Ungava Bay and the Labrador Sea comprise bergy water.
Kara Sea
The ice edge in the northern Kara Sea retreated anywhere from 10 to 60 NM over the last 2 weeks. The only remaining fast ice in Severnaya Zemlya is adjacent to Komsomolets Island. The sea ice in the southern region remains heavily degraded, consisting of highly rotten ice.
Laptev Sea
Pack ice drifted up to 40 NM northeastward in the western Laptev Sea due to ice edge recession. Above freezing air temperatures throughout the Laptev Sea continue to encourage seasonal melt.
