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
In the northern Bay of Bothnia rotten fast ice in the archipelago. There are areas of open water in the fast ice field. Farther out 20-50 cm thick, ridged, very close ice. There are leads and areas of open water in the ice field. The southern edge of the ice field runs approximately along the line Nygrån - Falkens grund - Ulkokalla. In the southern Bay of Bothnia large thick ridged ice floes north of Ulkokalla. Elsewhere ice-free. The Quark and the eastern Gulf of Finland are ice-free. The Lake Saimaa is almost ice-free.
Barents Sea
The ice edge has retreated south of Svalbard and within the southern Barents Sea. Polynyas continue to form along the fast ice edges of Franz Josef Land, while ice concentrations around Kolguyev Island continue to decrease.
Canada East
The Labrador Sea is bergy water with a mixture of first-year ice, trace of old ice, young ice, and new ice along the Labrador coast. Frobisher Bay and Cumberland Sound contain mainly a mixture young ice and new ice with some first-year ice. Cumberland Sound is a mix of new, young and first-year ice. Coastal Greenland contains mostly first-year ice with some young ice present. Davis Strait contains mostly first-year ice with some old ice. Foxe Basin contains mostly first-year ice.
Canada North
The Arctic Ocean contains old ice. Eureka Sound and Jones Sound contain fastened first-year ice and some old ice. Lancaster Sound contains mostly first-year ice with a trace of old ice. The western extent of Lancaster Sound has fastened in the last few weeks, leading to young ice being present at the fast ice edge. Nares Strait contains fastened old ice and first-year ice. South of the fast ice, in Smith Sound, there is a mixture of old ice, first-year ice, young ice, and new ice. The trace of old ice continues to push further south as the source of old ice from Nares Strait has been cut off. Baffin Bay contains mostly first-year ice with some old ice. The Gulf of Boothia and southern Prince Regent Inlet contain first-year ice with a trace of old ice. Northern Prince Regent Inlet contains fastened first-year ice with a trace of old ice. Cumberland Sound is a mix of new, young and first-year ice.
Canada West
The waters surrounding the Queen Elizabeth Islands comprise fast old ice and first-year ice. M’Clure Strait and Viscount Melville Sound contain predominantly fast old ice with some first-year ice. Barrow Strait, M’Clintock Channel and Peel Sound are fast first-year ice with a trace of old ice.Queen Maud Gulf and Coronation Gulf are fast first-year ice. Amundsen Gulf is mostly fast first-year ice with some old ice in the northern section. Canada Basin is primarily old ice with some first-year ice. There is consolidated old ice north of the Queen Elizabeth Islands. The Beaufort Sea is predominantly first-year ice with some old ice.
Chukchi Sea
In the Chukchi Sea, air temperatures have been recorded between -12°C and -16°C. Recent colder conditions over the past week have facilitated the growth of sea ice in the southern region, resulting in increased concentrations. A low pressure system in the Bering Sea is producing northeast winds across the Chukchi Sea, this is producing a southwestward drift of sea ice allowing for new and young sea ice to form along the coast.
East Siberian Sea
Air temperatures in the East Siberian Sea range from -12°C to -16°C. Young ice growth remains consistent from last week, particularly along the fast ice edge near the Russian coastline. Sea ice drift is unremarkable slightly eastward in the northern portion of the sea and slightly westward in the southern portion of the sea which is compacting against the fast ice.
Greenland Sea
In the Greenland Sea air temperatures range from +06°C to -18°C, with freezing temperatures limited to extreme northern Greenland. Large scale melting of new and young sea ice is occurring in these warmer temperatures. Sea ice is generally drifting southward along the eastern coast of Greenland 20 nautical miles in the north, 60 nautical miles in the central, and 110 nautical miles in the southern Greenland Sea. With this increasing speed in drift occurs this offers the opportunity for fractures leads, and polynya to open due to the speed divergence. As the sea ice is drifting past Cape Farewell it turns to drift westward. The ice edge is mostly unchanged from last weeks analysis except near Scoresby sound where it has further extended seaward by 45 nautical miles.
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
James Bay contains first-year ice. Hudson Bay comprises first-year ice with young and new ice forming along the northwestern coast where the pack pulls away. Hudson Strait contains mostly first-year ice with young and new ice along parts of the coasts. Ungava Bay contains first-year ice in the northern and eastern sections with young and new ice in the southwestern section.
Kara Sea
Openings continue to form and close throughout the Kara Sea as drift remains dynamic. Persistent polynyas remain on the lee side of fast ice edges.
Laptev Sea
In the Laptev Sea, first-year and young ice remains stable, correlating with the cooler temperatures in the region that range from -10°C to -16°C. Young ice is particularly prominent along the fast ice edge. There has been no significant change observed since last week. Sea ice has generally drifted northeastward within the Laptev Sea.
Sea of Japan
Sea ice coverage is unchanged from the previous week. Small ice shards on the southern edge have detached and drifted into open water.
Sea of Okhotsk
The ice edge remains stationary along the eastern coast of Sakhalin Island. The lead in the western Sea of Okhotsk has expanded slightly, while the ice edge has retreated near the Russian coast due to melting. In Penzhina Bay, sea ice coverage is unchanged or has undergone slight compression.
White Sea
Sea ice continues to degrade within the White Sea while drifting northward. Remaining concentrations are focused within Kandalaksha Gulf and along the Kanin Peninsula.
