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 is drifting southwest. In the northern Bay of Bothnia 50-80 cm thick fast ice and consolidated ice to Kemi 3, Oulu 3 and Raahe lighthouse. Farther out, 40-70 cm thick ridged, very close ice. The ice field is in places difficult to force. There are areas of open water, leads and cracks in the ice field. In the southern Bay of Bothnia 30-50 cm thick rotting fast ice in the archipelago. Farther out, 15-50 cm thick, in places ridged, close and very close ice. In the Quark mainly open water. West of the longitude of Bonden in places 10-30 cm thick drift ice of varying concentration. In the Vaasa archipelago 20-50 cm thick rotting fast ice to Strohästen. In the Bothnian Sea rotten ice in the archipelago. Farther out open water. In the Archipelago Sea rotten ice in places in sheltered parts of the archipelago. Along the fairways open water. In the western Gulf of Finland rotten ice in places in the inner archipelago. Along the fairways and farther out, open water. In the eastern Gulf of Finland rotten ice in the inner archipelago. Farther out open water.
Barents Sea
Winds coming off the Kanin Peninsula pushed the ice edge out by about 40NM and caused an ice free polynya along the coast. This also caused the ice north of Spitsbergen to retreat by about 50-60NM.
Bering Sea
The Bering Sea continues to experience seasonal melt, with little ice concentrations remaining in the most eastern portion of the sea. The ice edge continues to recede northward due to southerly winds. Sea ice in the western portion of the Bering Sea has also melted over the last week under the influence influenced of a passing cyclone. Further south, along the Kamchatka Peninsula, fasted ice in small bays and inlets has begun to erode.
Canada East
Ungava Bay has mostly first-year ice with some bergy water along the eastern shoreline. The ice in Davis Strait is mostly first-year with a trace of old ice. Frobisher Bay has reduced ice concentration. The ice along the Labrador Coast is first-year ice with a trace of old ice.
Canada North
The Arctic Ocean consists mostly of old ice with some first-year ice. Nares Strait contains fast old and first-year ice. The Archipelago contains a mixture of old and first-year fast ice. The ice in Barrow Strait is first-year with a trace of old ice. Lancaster Sound consists of mostly first-year ice with some old ice present. Prince Regent Inlet contains mostly first-year ice with some old ice extending southward to 71°N. The Gulf of Boothia and Committee Bay contain first-year ice. Baffin Bay contains mostly first-year ice, with some old ice in its western section. Some young ice is present in northern Baffin Bay. Davis Strait consists of first-year ice with some old ice. Along coastal Greenland the ice is mostly first-year with some young ice.
Canada West
The Queen Elizabeth Islands contain fasted old ice and first-year ice. To the northwest of the Queen Elizabeth Islands and Banks Island, the ice pack in the Arctic Ocean contains old ice and first-year ice with some young ice adjacent to the fast ice. M’Clure Strait contains first-year ice with a trace of old ice that is fasted throughout, except at the western entrance where the ice is mobile and contains some young ice in a lead. Viscount Melville Sound contains a mixture of fasted first-year ice and old ice. Barrow Strait contains first-year fast ice. A trace of old ice is present in the strait at the entrance to Peel Sound. M’Clintock Channel, Larsen Sound, Queen Maud Gulf, Coronation Gulf, and Dolphin and Union Strait contain fasted first-year ice. A zone of mobile first-year ice remains in Victoria Strait. Amundsen Gulf contains first-year ice. There is some young ice south of Ulukhaktok where the ice pack shifted westward. The mobile ice pack along coastal Northwest Territories, Yukon and Alaska contains first-year ice. The Beaufort Sea contains a large band of predominantly old ice stretching in an arc-like fashion along the west coast of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, across the Beaufort Sea to the western boundary of the chart. The southernmost edge of this band reaches ~73°N at 136°W. Elsewhere, the ice contains predominantly first-year ice with lesser amounts of old ice.
Chukchi Sea
The Chukchi Sea remains frozen over with predominantly first year ice. Short lived polynyas are present along the Seward Peninsula, filling quickly with new and young ice. As small concentrations of multiyear drift along the Beaufort Gyre, the thickest ice is located north of 72N.
Cook Inlet
Very little sea ice remains in the Cook Inlet. Some fasted ice sits in small inlets along the western side of the Cook Inlet, whereas most of the pack ice has melted out, with small concentrations remaining in the northernmost portion of the region.
East Siberian Sea
The East Siberian Sea remains frozen over with predominantly first year ice. Small areas of fasted ice along the Russian coast, notably toward the eastern portion of the Chukchi Peninsula.
Greenland Sea
Warming temperatures in Greenland persist, causing no further development of ice to occur. The southern region of Greenland continues to be impacted the most by these higher temperatures causing the multiyear ice to experience a great deal of breakup.
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
Foxe Basin contains mostly first-year ice with some young ice present along its western shoreline. Hudson Bay, James Bay and Southern Foxe Basin contain mostly first-year ice with areas of open water and low ice concentrations are forming along the eastern coast of Hudson Bay and James Bay. Hudson Strait contains mostly first-year ice with some young ice and bergy water along the northern shoreline. Lake Melville contains fast first-year ice.
Kara Sea
First year ice continues to thicken throughout the entire region.
Laptev Sea
The Laptev Sea remains frozen over with predominantly first year ice. Small areas of fasted ice along the Russian coast and Severnaya Zemlya have broken away, allowing for polynya formation due to winds.
Sea of Japan
Degradation of the remaining sea ice in the Sea of Japan has continued, with the edge of the marginal ice zone retreating northward an additional 67 nautical miles over the last week. Some small coastal inlets and the Strait of Tatar still contain fasted first year ice.
Sea of Okhotsk
Seasonal melt continues in the Sea of Okhotsk. In more southern waters, dynamic conditions have caused the edge of the marginal ice zone to push to the northeast. Temperatures away from the coastal waters continue to encourage degradation of the first year sea ice in the region. Higher concentrations of first year ice remain coastal. The fasted ice in the bays and inlets of the region have experienced little change due to the seasonal warming of the waters.
White Sea
With temperatures warming, the areas of blowout have continued to decrease in concentration.
