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
Polynyas continue to grow and form around Franz Josef Land and Svalbard due to warmer temperatures. In the southern Barents Sea, ice melt continues and the remaining ice has shifted closer to the Russian coast.
Bering Sea
The ice edge in the Bering Sea receded up to 100 NM over the course of the past week.
Canada East
The Labrador Coast consists mainly of first-year ice with a trace of old ice except for a tract of first-year ice extending south along the coast from Nain which does not contain old ice.Davis Strait contains predominantly first-year ice with some old ice except for the eastern edge where it is primarily bergy water with lower concentrations of first-year ice. Baffin Bay is predominantly first-year ice with some old ice in the western section while the eastern section is predominantly first-year ice with smaller amounts of young ice. The Gulf of Boothia and Prince Regent Inlet contain first-year ice. Jones Sound contains fast first-year ice, including some old ice east of Grise Fiord.
Canada North
The ice bridge remains in Nares Strait (Kane Basin and Kennedy Channel) and contains predominantly old ice with some first-year ice. Some new and young ice exists south of the ice bridge; with a trace of old ice in the main pack ice further south is mostly first-year ice with smaller amounts of old ice. Lancaster Sound contains predominantly first-year ice with a trace of old ice at the eastern entrance. Baffin Bay is predominantly first-year ice with some old ice in the western section while the eastern section is predominantly first-year ice with smaller amounts of young ice. Cumberland Sound contains a mix of first-year ice and young ice.
Canada West
The fast ice surrounding the Queen Elizabeth Islands is comprised of old ice and first-year ice. The eastern half of M’Clure Strait contains fast ice comprised of old ice and first-year ice. The ice in the western section of M’Clure Strait is mobile and contains a mix of first-year ice, young ice and old ice. Viscount Melville Sound and Barrow Strait contain fast first-year ice, with a trace of old ice south of Bathurst Island in the western section of Barrow Strait. M’Clintock Channel, Peel Sound, Queen Maud Gulf, Coronation Gulf, and Amundsen Gulf contain fast first-year ice. Victoria Strait contains a polynya of mobile first-year ice. The northwest Beaufort Sea comprises mostly first-year ice with some old ice. The eastern Beaufort Sea is predominantly covered by old ice, with some first-year ice, extending westward along the fast ice north of the continental coastline to Alaska. The Canada Basin contains predominantly old ice with some first-year ice.
Chukchi Sea
The polynya in the east Chukchi near Barrow grew by 26nm. Conditions persisted with little drift.
East Siberian Sea
The polynya to the north of the New Siberian Islands persisted. The fast ice has persisted. The pack ice had little to no drift.
Greenland Sea
In the Greenland Sea we see that there is a good amount of melt that is occurring. The temperatures have warmed significantly over the past week which is causing rapid melt. Drift has moved about 35 miles over the last week. The drift has been variable and has moved perpendicular to the drift vectors. Further melt out is expected over the next week. West Greenland has almost melted out. A good portion of the fasted ice in southern Greenland and central Greenland have broken up; some of the ice is still being maintained in northern Greenland. *
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 contains mostly first-year ice with some young ice present in its northwestern section. Some areas of open water are now present around Belcher Islands and south/ southwest of Southampton Island. Southern Foxe Basin contains mostly first-year ice with some young ice present along northeastern Southampton Island. James Bay consists mostly of first-year ice with some areas of open water now present. Ungava Bay contains first-year ice in very close pack conditions with some bergy water and very open drift conditions in its southern and southwestern section.
Kara Sea
Temperatures are still pretty warm in the area, making the ice continuously melt and mostly rotting in a few areas. The opening from the fast ice edge is increasing it's length with the melt retreating northward. Small polynyas are opening around the tiny islands.
Laptev Sea
Multiple large polynyas opened up to the east of Severnaya Zemlya. The polynya in the eastern Laptev Sea persisted.
Sea of Japan
Much of the Sea of Japan is sea ice free, with trace amounts of sea ice remaining in the Tatar Strait.
Sea of Okhotsk
Melt continues throughout the Sea of Okhotsk, especially in Penzhina Bay. In the western region, the ice edge receded anywhere from 5 to 20 NM.
