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.
The ice along the north coasts of Ellesmere Island and Axel Heiberg Island contains predominantly multi-year ice with some second-year ice as well as young and new ice filling in between the ice floes. The old ice has been pushed away from the coast and young ice is now taking its place. New and young ice is forming in Nansen sound. In Nares Strait and Kane Basin, multi-year, second-year, young and new ice are present. Baffin Bay contains bergy water, with some new ice developing along the Greenland coast. Jones Sound is predominantly bergy water with a small amount of multi-year and second-year ice drifting in at the entrance. Lancaster Sound is bergy water. In Prince Regent Inlet and Gulf of Boothia there are small areas of second-year ice remaining along the coast. Committee Bay contains bergy water.
The Queen Elizabeth Islands contain mobile ice composed predominantly of multi-year ice with some second-year ice. Some of this ice has continued to fast along the coasts of the northern and western islands. New and grey ice is continuing to form around the floes of multi-year and second-year ice in the QEI. Most of the western part of the Parry Channel is bergy water with some weaker concentrations of multi-year ice with some new ice in northeastern Viscount Melville Sound, and near the southern coast of Melville and Prince Patrick Islands. M’Clintock Channel, Peel Sound and Larsen Sound are bergy water. The waterways from Amundsen Gulf to Queen Maud Gulf and Rae Strait are ice-free except open water near the coast. The coasts of the Northwest Territories and Yukon are mostly ice-free. The northern coast of Alaska is ice-free except open water near the coast. Bergy water is surrounding Point Barrow. The southern section of the Beaufort Sea including the area west of Banks Island and north of the Northwest Territories is bergy water. The pack ice in the northern Beaufort Sea contains predominantly multi-year ice with some second-year ice, grey and new ice. The Arctic Ocean consists of multi-year ice with some second-year ice.
Air temperatures along Greenland Sea range from -14°C in the north to -02°C in the south. Sea ice growth is normal in these freezing temperatures. In the Greenland south region new and young ice is developing in the fjords and inlets due to adjacent cold air temperatures over land. Buoy data indicates a southward drift at 33 to 90NM over the past 7 days. Old ice has been transported south nearly to Scoresby Sound.