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 on the Tornio fairway to Etukari. Off the coast a large open water area. Farther out from 5 nautical miles south of Kemi 2 to Merikallat is a 2-8 nautical miles wide zone of 10-50 cm thick close ice. South of the line Raahe - Merikallat - Luleå is 10-50 cm thick ice with varying concentration to 10 nautical miles southwest of Falkens grund and to 15 nautical miles southwest of Nahkiainen. There are large ridged floes among the drift ice. The ice field is in places rotten and there are large areas of open water in it. In the southern Bay of Bothnia off Kalajoki in the vicinity of Kaarlo and further south to north of Kokkola lighthouse there are areas of 10-50 cm thick, in places rotten, close and very close drift ice. There are some ridged floes among the drift ice. Elsewhere ice-free.
Barents Sea
Although the ice edge in the Barents Sea remains largely unchanged, the presence of warmer waters along the edge has contributed to increased deterioration. Polynyas surrounding the fast ice in Franz Josef Land continue to expand, though some new ice has filled in parts of the openings due to diurnal refreeze. Air temperatures ranging from -06°C to -12°C over Svalbard have supported the development of new and young ice, allowing openings here to grow with new and young sea ice.
Bering Sea
Over the Kamchatka Peninsula air temperatures range from 0°C to -08°C, with the increasing sun angles the net effect is small amounts of melting. Fast ice in sheltered and well protected bays remain. A well developed low over the Bering Sea is producing a southwestward drift in the western Bering Sea with the ice edge advancing as much as 30 nautical miles. Meanwhile in the eastern Bering Sea the sea ice is drifting northwestward with the ice edge retreating as much as 120 nautical miles. Air temperatures over the Bering Sea are mainly above the freezing point for sea ice and polynyas are forming on the lee side of islands and mainland and are not refreezing.
Canada East
The Labrador Sea is bergy water while the ice along the Labrador coast is a mixture of first-year ice with a trace of old ice and young ice. Frobisher Bay and Cumberland Sound contain a mixture of first-year, young and new ice. Cumberland Sound is a mix of new, young and first-year ice. Coastal Greenland contains first-year ice. Davis Strait contains mostly first-year ice with some old ice.
Canada North
The Arctic Ocean contains old ice. Eureka Sound and Jones Sound contain fastened first-year ice and some old ice. Nares Strait contains fastened old ice and first-year ice. South of the fast ice, in Smith Sound, there is predominantly new and young ice with some first-year ice. There is a trace of old ice present in small areas. Lancaster Sound contains a mixture of young and new ice with some first-year ice in the eastern section. The western section of Lancaster Sound is fastened first-year ice with a trace of old ice. Baffin Bay contains mostly first-year ice with some old ice. The Gulf of Boothia contains first-year ice. Prince Regent Inlet is mostly fastened first-year ice with a trace of old ice. There is a trace of old ice present in the northern most section of the Gulf of Boothia and southern Prince Regent Inlet where the ice remains mobile.
Canada West
The waters surrounding the Queen Elizabeth Islands comprise fast old ice and first-year ice. M’Clure Strait contains 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. Amundsen Gulf, Coronation Gulf and Queen Maud Gulf are fast first-year ice. Canada Basin is primarily old ice with some first-year ice. There is consolidated old ice north of Prince Patrick Island. The Beaufort Sea is primarily first-year ice with some old ice.
Chukchi Sea
Temperatures in the Chukchi Sea ranging from -12°C to -2°C are allowing for any new openings that form to refreeze. Fast ice along the Siberian coastline have held steady due to persistent frigid temperatures and minimal sea ice drift over the area.
Cook Inlet
Only a very small of area or ice remains in Akumwarvik Bay. The cook inlet is slowing a lower ice concentration; however, the erosion has slowed down slightly.
East Siberian Sea
A Siberian high dominating the region, combined with temperatures ranging from -12°C to -10°C, is helping to maintain the stability of the fast ice. The northward drift of the pack ice has led to the formation of some openings along the fast ice edge.
Greenland Sea
In the Greenland Sea, ice is drifting generally southward - up to 35 NM in the north, 85 NM in the central, and 100 NM in the south. Along the fast ice edge, weaknesses continue to form and are remaining open in the south where temperatures range from 0° to 4°C, and filling with new ice further north where temperatures range from -12°C to -4°C.
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 some young and new ice present along its northwestern shore. Some areas of open water have recently developed along Hudson Bay’s eastern coastline and on the western (lee) side of several of its islands. Hudson Strait contains mostly first-year ice with substantial young and new ice present in its northern section. Ungava Bay contains a mixture of first-year and young ice. A zone of bergy water is now present in Ungava Bay’s eastern section. Foxe Basin contains mostly first-year ice.
Kara Sea
Air temperatures over the Kara Sea range from 0°C over the Kara Gates to -10°C over Novaya Severnaya. Sea ice drift is generally westward, this is allowing for polynyas to open along the fast ice edge in vicinity of the Proliv Yugorskiy Shar, and along the western side of Novaya Zemlya. New and young sea ice is slow to grow in these polynyas due to mild spring temperatures.
Laptev Sea
New openings formed near Severnaya Zemlya, but have since refrozen as temperatures over the Laptev Sea remain around -8°C to -12°C. Some weaknesses formed along fast ice edge in the eastern region due to persistent northward drift of the pack ice.
Sea of Japan
Fasted ice is still intact along the Tartar Strait. Small ice shards on the southern edge have detached and drifted into open water.
Sea of Okhotsk
In the Sea of Okhotsk, the ice edge along the eastern coast of Sakhalin Island remains unchanged. The lead in the western Sea of Okhotsk has developed into a polynya, while melting has caused the ice edge to recede near the Russian coastline. Meanwhile, in the Shelikov Gulf, sea ice has drifted southwestward up to 60 nautical miles along the Kamchatka Peninsula under the influence of a low pressure system in the Bering Sea.
White Sea
Very little ice remains within the White Sea, with trace amounts remaining along the Kanin Peninsula.
