Thursday, July 2, 2009

Ice Forecast from the Canadian Ice Service

Well folks read this and make your own informed decision as we proceed in the Northwest Passage next week by crossing the Arctic Circle. You can get ice reports from the "links" button on my website and go to the Canadian Ice Service. Same ice info we have. Good luck with your own anaysis....

The only region where mean temperatures were above normal was in the Resolute
Bay area. The breakup pattern is quite normal for the Central Arctic region
except for the eastern Barrow Strait region which is already depleted of ice; this
typically occurs in the third week of July. In the Western Arctic region, the
breakup pattern is 1-3 weeks early in many coastal areas and by as much as one
month in isolated areas. During the last 2 weeks of June, open drift or less ice
conditions into Wainwright developed as well as an open water route between
Cape Lisburne and Point Barrow albeit small areas of coastal fast ice are still
present north of Wainwright. Kugmallit Bay cleared of ice during the last week of
June and some fast ice still lingers in the northeastern entrance to Mackenzie
Bay; the clearing of Mackenzie Bay is already 2 weeks late. The fast ice in
Amundsen Gulf and along the Tuktoyaktuk Peninsula fractured; this occurred 7
to 10 days earlier than expected. A 60 to 100-mile wide area containing very little
ice developed along the southern Beaufort Sea west of Banks Island all the way
to just east of Point Barrow. This wide area quickly shrinks to only a few miles
wide north and northeast of Point Barrow.

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