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 20-75 cm thick partly rotten fast ice and 30-50 cm thick consolidated drift ice to Kemi 2 and Kattilankalla. 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 north of the line Nygrån - Falkens grund - Kalajoki. The southern Bay of Bothnia and Quark are virtually ice-free. The Sea of Bothnia, Archipelago Sea and western Gulf of Finland are ice-free. In the eastern Gulf of Finland mostly open water. Outside the archipelago, from Orrengrund eastward, 5-20 cm thick drift ice with varying concentration. There are single large pack-ice floes in the drift ice. In the Lake Saimaa predominantly open water, in places rotten fast ice.
Barents Sea
Air temperatures over the northern Barents Sea range from 0°C to -16°C, ice growth is normal here. In the southern Barents Sea air temperatures range 0°C to -06°C, sea ice growth is inhibited. In the northern Barents Sea, sea ice drift is generally southward, except near Svalbard where it was northward. Sea ice drift in the southern Barents Sea is southward, and due to the warm air temperatures significant melting has occurred.
Bering Sea
Pack ice in the central and eastern Bering Sea retreated northeastward up to 40 NM over the last week. Ice in the Karaginsky Gulf moved away from the coastline and some melting occurred due to temperatures above freezing and mixing.
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. 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 with some young ice present in the western section along the coast.
Canada North
The Arctic Ocean contains old ice. The northeast portion of the Arctic Ocean and into the Lincoln Sea has become immobile over the last week. 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 is 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 around the Queen Elizabeth Islands are 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. Victoria Strait is fast first-year ice. There is an area of mobile first-year ice in the southern section. 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 predominantly old ice with some first-year ice with compacted old ice along the western Queen Elizabeth Islands coast. The Beaufort Sea is predominantly first-year ice with some old ice.
Chukchi Sea
In the southeastern Chukchi Sea, temperatures above freezing have halted sea ice growth and expansion. Along the Siberian coast, temperatures range from 0°C to -16°C. Over the past week, a Siberian low-pressure system has driven sea ice 30–35 nautical miles northwest, leading to lower ice concentrations north of the Bering Strait.
Cook Inlet
Ice concentration decreased significantly in Akumwarvik Bay. In the Cook Inlet, ice concentration continues to gradually decrease.
East Siberian Sea
A low-pressure system is driving sea ice westward in the East Siberian Sea. With temperatures between -12°C and -18°C, new and young ice are forming along the fast ice edge, while thicker ice drifts further offshore.
Greenland Sea
The East Greenland Current pushed ice southerly, but the biggest movement of ice was around Greenland South, where it moved by 90 NM.
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 mostly first-year ice with young ice along the northeastern coast. 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 where the pack pulls away from the coast.
Kara Sea
In the northern Kara Sea, southward drift has created small polynyas on the lee sides of islands and slow-moving floes. Fast ice extends 50–70 nm in the Nordenskiöld Archipelago, and while the Gulf of Ob is ice-fast, breakers have maintained active shipping channels.
Laptev Sea
In the Laptev Sea, sea ice is generally drifting in a counter clockwise direction, with southward drifting ice in the northern Laptev Sea, and eastward drift in the eastern Laptev Sea. Thinner ice concentrations border the fast ice edge as new and young sea ice form and thicker sea ice drifts away from the fast ice.
Sea of Japan
The fast ice edge in Tatar Strait retreated up to 5 NM over the last week. South of the fast ice edge, melting occurred with only small concentrations of mobile ice remaining.
Sea of Okhotsk
Along Sakhalin Island and in Sakhalin Gulf, ice compressed towards the coast by up to 40 NM. In the northern portion of the Sea, northerly winds pulled ice away from the coastlines, with those areas remaining mainly open, besides in Penzinha Bay where temperatures around -12°C resulted in the formation of new ice.
White Sea
In the White Sea air temperatures are at or above the freezing level for sea ice formation with a range of +02°C to -04°C. Sea ice is generally drifting eastward and rapidly melting.
