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 rotting. In the northern Bay of Bothnia 40-70 cm thick rotten or rotting fast ice and very close ice, in places ridged, to south of Kemi 1 and to Oulu 1. There are areas of open water in the ice field. Farther out open water approximately to the line Malören - Falkens grund - Kallan. Some thick drifting floes in the area. Farther west 30-60 cm thick, in places ridged, drift ice with varying concentration. In the southern Bay of Bothnia open water approximately to the center line. Farther west 10-50 cm thick drift ice with varying concentration. In the Quark, from Stora Fjäderägg to northeast, there is an area of 10-40 cm thick open ice. Strips in the vicinity of Helsingkallan. Farther south ice-free.
Barents Sea
West of Novaya Zemlya, the ice edge has receded up to 100 NM as air and sea surface temperature warm. Ice has also receded north of Svalbard, driven by warmer currents from the south.
Bering Sea
As the seasonal increase of temperatures occurs, the ice extent is continuing to decrease.
Canada East
Foxe Basin contains mostly first-year ice. The ice in Davis Strait is mostly first-year with a trace of old ice. Frobisher Bay has low concentrations of first-year ice along with areas of bergy water. Cumberland Sound is also a mix of first-year ice, bergy water but also with some young ice. 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. The ice-bridge in Nares Strait remains in place and contains fast old and first-year ice. South of the ice-bridge, in northern Baffin Bay, the ice is a mixture of young and first-year within open drift conditions. The Archipelago contains old and first-year fast ice in roughly equal proportion. Barrow Strait contains mostly first-year ice with a trace of old ice and some young ice. Lancaster Sound consists of mostly first-year ice with some old ice present. There is some new and young ice along the north shore of Baffin Island and some young ice along the south shore of Devon Island. 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. Davis Strait consists of first-year ice with some old ice. Cumberland Sound contains mostly bergy water with small amounts of first-year and young ice present. The ice along western Greenland is first-year.
Canada West
The ice around the Queen Elizabeth Islands (QEI) and Sverdrup Islands is mostly old with some first-year ice present. The ice around the southwestern Sverdrup Islands and the western Parry Islands is mostly first-year ice with some old ice present. Parry Channel consists of mostly first-year ice with some old ice present in its eastern section. Significant old ice is present in its western section, especially north of Victoria Island. M’Clintock Channel, Peel Sound, Queen Maud Gulf, and Coronation Gulf contain fast first-year ice. A small polynya of mobile first-year ice remains present in Victoria Strait. Amundsen Gulf consists of a mixture of first-year, young and new ice. The fast ice along the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Alaska coastline is first-year. Offshore of this coastal area, in the Beaufort Sea, the ice is mostly first-year with some young ice present in the Beaufort Sea’s southern section. Beaufort Sea consists of old and first-year ice in roughly equal proportion. North of 73N, the ice is predominantly old whereas the ice is mostly first-year south of that parallel. The western extent of old ice predominance in the Beaufort Sea is approximately 155W. Central Beaufort Sea contains a large area of mostly first-year ice. The Arctic Ocean consists of old ice except for some young and first-year ice along the northern coastlines of the QEI.
Chukchi Sea
In the Chukchi Sea, northward sea ice drift and seasonal warming of sea surface temperatures are helping polynyas to open in the Bering Strait, northeast of the North Slope, and northwest of Wrangel Island.
East Siberian Sea
The East Siberian Sea remains mostly covered by first year sea ice, with pockets of multiyear ice extending south from the High Arctic regions. Some polynyas are beginning to form along the fast ice edge.
Greenland Sea
This week in the Greenland Sea, more polynyas are opening up in the central region. Much of the first year ice present at the ice edge continues to move south and melt out as it reaches the warmer waters.
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, James Bay and Southern Foxe Basin contain mostly first-year ice. Hudson and James Bay have reduced ice pack concentrations, and many areas of open water forming. Hudson Strait contains mostly first-year ice and some young ice along the northern shoreline. Ungava Bay is primarily first-year ice. Lake Melville has a low concentration of first-year ice.
Kara Sea
In the Kara Sea, polynyas continue to form on the lee side of the fasted ice along the coastlines.
Laptev Sea
The southern half of the Laptev Sea remains covered by first year sea ice, with the northern half covered by multiyear sea ice. Polynyas have formed near the New Siberian Islands and Severnaya Zemlya.
Sea of Japan
The Tartar Strait still contains small amounts of ice.
White Sea
Much of the White Sea ice has been lost to seasonal melt. The remaining ice is limited to fasted ice within protected bays and inlets as well as drifting rotted ice. Small pockets of higher concentration are present, albeit only as seas and currents consolidate brash ice into pockets which will continue to meander until melted.
