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
In the Barents Sea, the ice edge consists of low concentrations of rotten multiyear ice.
Canada East
Davis Strait is bergy water. Frobisher Bay and Cumberland Sound are bergy water. Labrador Coast is bergy water.
Canada North
The Archipelago contains a mixture of old and first-year ice with some areas of bergy water. The eastern Arctic Ocean consists mostly of old ice with some first-year ice present along the Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands. The ice in Nares Strait is mostly old ice with some first-year ice. Baffin Bay is bergy water with some old ice streaming down from Nares Strait as far south as Coburg Island. Jones Sound is bergy water. Lancaster Sound consists mostly of bergy water with some old ice at its mouth near Baffin Bay. Prince Regent Inlet and northern Gulf of Boothia consist of bergy water. Committee Bay leading into Fury and Hecla Strait contains first-year ice.
Canada West
The Queen Elizabeth Islands contain mobile ice composed predominantly of old ice with some first-year ice. Areas of bergy water are still present west of Ellef and Amund Ringnes Islands, and Lougheed Island. M’Clure Strait contains predominantly old ice with some first-year ice. New ice is starting to form in M’Clure Strait near Prince Patrick Island. Viscount Melville Sound contains a large area of bergy water, however a narrow band of old ice and first-year ice wraps around the northern coasts of Victoria Island (in Hadley Bay) and Stefansson Island. Barrow Strait contains mostly bergy water with some areas of open to very open drift old ice with some first-year ice. M’Clintock Channel contains first-year ice with up to two tenths old in the northern section while the southern section has mostly bergy water. Larsen Sound and Victoria Strait are bergy water. In Peel Sound, bergy water conditions prevail. The waterways from Amundsen Gulf to Queen Maud Gulf and Rae Strait are ice-free. The coasts of the Northwest Territories and Yukon are ice-free. The northern coast of Alaska is ice-free, with bergy water surrounding Point Barrow. The southeastern 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 Beaufort Sea contains predominantly old ice with some first-year ice. The Arctic Ocean consists of old ice with some first-year ice along the coastlines. A small amount of new ice has started to form within the ice.
Chukchi Sea
Remaining pack ice is decreasing as sea ice in the Chukchi sea and continues to melt out. The ice has drifted slightly westward compared to last week.
East Siberian Sea
Multiyear ice still remains in the northern Eastern Siberian Sea and rotten first year ice remains west of Wrangle Island, while the remainder of the sea is ice free.
Greenland Sea
The sea ice within the Greenland Sea continues to deteriorate, with low concentrations of rotten multiyear ice pushing away from the coastline.
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 and James Bay are ice-free. Foxe Basin has open water conditions near Sanirajak and is ice free in remaining portions Southern Foxe Basin is ice-free Hudson Strait and Ungava Bay are bergy water. Lake Melville is ice-free.
Kara Sea
In the Kara Sea surface winds and currents have drifted the rotten sea ice edge slightly southward.
Laptev Sea
The multiyear pack ice remains in the northern Laptev Sea. Ice has shifted east at least 15 nautical miles and has drifted southward compared to last week.
