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
Frigid air temperatures, -22°C to -18°C, continue to develop the ice edge within the N. Barents Sea. Pack ice north of Franz Josef Land has drifted southwestward due to influences from the Beaufort Gyre. New ice formation has occurred in Chosha Bay due to air temperatures around -3°C.
Bering Sea
Ice formation and development continued in the Bering Sea, mainly in the Norton Sound,, Gulf of Anadyr, and Karaginsky Gulf. New ice is beginning to form in Bristol Bay.
Canada East
Eureka Sound consists mostly of first-year fast ice with some old and second-year ice present. The Queen Elizabeth Islands comprise multi-year, second year, and first year ice. The ice is beginning to fast among the islands, although there is still a significant amount of mobile ice in the area. New and young ice continue to form along the western coast of Greenland. Davis Strait consists of bergy water. The Gulf of Boothia, Prince-Regent Inlet and southern Committee Bay consist of young and new ice with some bergy water present in eastern and western Committee Bay. Frobisher Bay contains bergy water, with limited new ice development near Iqaluit. Labrador Sea is bergy water.
Canada North
The Arctic Ocean contains mainly old ice with some second year and first-year ice present. Nares Strait contains a roughly even mixture of old and first-year ice with some second-year and young ice present. Jones Sound contains mostly young ice with some old and second-year ice present. Lancaster Sound contains mostly young and new ice with a trace of old ice present. Some first-year ice and second-year ice are present in its eastern section. Western Baffin Bay consists mostly of new ice with a trace of old ice. A mixture of old, second-year, first-year and young ice is present in the Bay’s extreme northwestern section having originated from Nares Strait. Eastern and southern Baffin Bay contain bergy water. Cumberland Sound contains bergy water except for very small amounts of new ice present in isolated coastal areas.
Canada West
M’Clure Strait and western Viscount Melville Sound contain predominantly multi-year ice with some second-year and first-year ice. Eastern Viscount Melville Sound, Barrow Strait and M’Clintock Channel contain a mix of younger and first-year ice with trace amounts of multi-year and second-year ice. The ice in Larsen Sound, Queen Maud Gulf and Rae Strait is predominantly new and grey ice with some grey-white ice beginning to develop. There has been significant new ice growth in Dolphin and Union Strait and Coronation Gulf. Grey-white ice with some grey ice has pushed into the Alaskan coast east of Point Barrow. The Yukon and Northwest Territories coasts continue to develop young ice. Canada Basin is filled with mostly multi-year ice with some first-year ice filling in the gaps. First-year and younger ice gradually mixes into the pack ice into the Beaufort Sea.
Chukchi Sea
New and young ice has formed and extended approximately 25 NM offshore of Point Hope since last week. Concurrent with this, the ice boundary in Kotzebue Sound has advanced 42 NM, while multi-year ice previously located off the Russian coast has been pushed alongshore.
Cook Inlet
New ice developed this week in the Cook Inlet, with higher concentrations in the Turnagain Arm.
East Siberian Sea
The pack ice in the East Siberian Sea continues to thicken and drift westward as frigid temperatures as low as -30°C dominate the region.
Greenland Sea
Sea ice movement in the Greenland Sea remains highly dynamic; the pack ice experienced a northward drift before shifting into the expected southeastern pattern along the East Greenland Current. Air temperatures remain well below freezing, allowing for continued growth and development of sea ice across the region.
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
Northern Hudson Bay is predominantly ice-free, except for the western coastline and the shores of Southampton Island, where new ice is forming along their full extent. Southern Hudson Bay is largely ice-free, with areas of new ice developing along the coastline. James Bay is mostly open water, with new ice forming along the shoreline. Hudson Strait is characterized by bergy water, with limited new ice developing along the northern coastline. Ungava Bay is primarily bergy water, with a localized area of new ice formation along the southern coast. Lake Melville is ice-free. Foxe Basin consists mainly of open with some young and new ice present it its northern section and along most of its coastline.
Kara Sea
Sea ice continues to fast within the Gulf of Ob. Fast ice development continues in other protected inlets, like Khalmyer Bay and Yeniseyskiy Zaliv. New and young sea ice growth continues throughout the Kara Sea, as freezing conditions persist.
Laptev Sea
The Laptev sea continues to thicken as temperatures remain near -28°C. Fast ice continues to grow along the Russian coastline.
Sea of Japan
Ice formation and development continued in the northern Strait of Tartar with ice coverage expanding further south over the last week.
Sea of Okhotsk
Ice formation and development continued over the last week throughout the Sea of Okhotsk, primarily in the Shelikhov, Sakhalin Gulfs and in sheltered inlets along eastern Sakhalin Island.
White Sea
Small amounts for new and young sea ice have developed in the White Sea.
