1998, which is about two to three weeks 

 earlier than normal. However, this early 

 start to the season was not indicative of a 

 widespread iceberg threat south of 48° N in 

 mid-February. Rather, a single very large 

 iceberg (Fig. 25) had passed through 

 Flemish Pass in early February and moved 

 rapidly southward in the offshore branch of 

 the Labrador Current. As it broke apart 

 near 45° N it created several smaller 

 icebergs and many growlers (Fig. 26), 

 creating a hazardous environment for 

 mariners, some of whom expressed alarm 

 at the situation. During the month of 

 February eight icebergs passed south of 

 48° N latitude. 



March 



During March, the SST on the 

 Grand Banks and in the offshore branch of 

 Labrador Current was within a degree of 

 normal. A series of strong storms and 

 above-normal air temperatures resulted in 

 southern and eastern sea-ice limits that 

 were less extensive than normal at mid- 

 month. The southern limit was about 120 

 nm north of its normal position. By month's 

 end the sea-ice distribution returned to 

 normal. After the few isolated southern 

 icebergs melted, the limits of all known ice 

 (LAKI) retreated substantially (Fig. 27). 

 The mid-March LAKI was at the 75 th 

 percentile. By the end of March (Fig. 28) 

 the iceberg distribution was about normal. 

 Ice Patrol estimated 26 icebergs passed 

 south of 48° N in March. 



April 



In April, the SST on the Grand 

 Banks and offshore branch of the Labrador 

 Current was again near normal. The 

 southern part of the Ice Patrol operations 

 area, south of 44° N, was more than a 

 degree warmer than normal. The sea-ice 

 distribution at mid-month was slightly 



greater than normal, but some ice 

 destruction began to occur along the edge 

 during the second half of the month. The 

 LAKI during April (Fig. 29) were again at 

 the 75 th percentile. However, by mid- 

 month, IIP started to receive reports of 

 extraordinary numbers of icebergs 

 between 48° N and the Strait of Belle Isle. 

 In fact, on 21 APR, CIS detected over 

 1000 icebergs during a single 

 reconnaissance flight. By the end of April 

 (Fig. 30) there were over 1600 icebergs 

 between 48° N and the Strait of Belle Isle. 

 By the end of April large numbers of 

 icebergs that had been seen within the sea 

 ice were emerging into open water; thus 

 they became exposed to the accelerated 

 deterioration processes, wave attack and 

 warmer ocean temperatures. Ice Patrol 

 estimated that during April 70, icebergs 

 passed south of 48° N. 



May 



The sea-ice edge began a rapid 

 retreat, most notably the eastern limit. By 

 mid-month most of the continental shelf 

 northeast of Newfoundland was sea-ice 

 free, with only the area within 90 nm of the 

 northern peninsula having significant sea 

 ice. At the end of May the sea ice 

 retreated north of the Strait of Belle Isle, 

 although the dense population of icebergs 

 in and east of the Strait continued to 

 discourage mariners from using this 

 passage. From mid-April to mid-May there 

 had also been a dramatic reduction in the 

 offshore extent of the sea ice along the 

 southern Labrador coast, thus exposing 

 the upstream icebergs to deterioration. In 

 the second half of May there was a 

 moderate-to-strong easterly wind pattern 

 and coincident 2-3° C higher-than-normal 

 air temperatures along the southern 

 Labrador coast, which accelerated ice 

 destruction In fact, by the end of May, 

 there was very little sea ice south of 



