soiitli into the bay during March and April and liad been lield by tlie 

 heavy pack ice were set free. On S May only eight bergs were east of 

 53° W. between 48° N. and 51° X. By 15 May, 34 bergs were east 

 of 53° W. and by 31 May, 187 bergs were in the area. As the bergs 

 were- moving east-southeast at about 12 miles per da}', it appeared 

 that the eastern brancli of the Labrador Current might be building. 



In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, the southerly winds brought slightly 

 different conditions. Although tiie central and northern sections, 

 and the northeast arm of the Gulf cleared rapidly, the heavy rafted 

 pack ice soon spewed into C^abot Strait and shipping was again slowed 

 by tlie ice. This ice movement into the Strait continued during the 

 remainder of the montJi, liowever, the ice seldom reached as far east 

 as 59° W. 



Figures 6 and 7 are the isotherm charts for May. Figure 13 sum- 

 marizes the icebergs and growlers reported during the month south of 

 49° N. and also sliows the limits of sea ice on the days indicated. 



JUNE 



The retreat of the sea ice continued so tluit by the end of the first 

 week there was no sea ice below 53° N. oft' the east coast of Labrador 

 and Newfoundland. By 10 June, the ice in Cabot Strait no longer 

 posed a threat to shipping. By 15 June, the last renuiants had melted. 

 Belle Isle Strait was declared open to navigation on 1 June bv Cana- 

 dian authorities and the routes thereto were not endangered by sea 

 ice after this date. 



The pattern of berg movement established during the month of 

 May continued during June. Only one bei-g came south of 48° N. 

 during the month and by the end of the montli, no bergs were reported 

 south of that latitude. To the north, the bergs continued to spread 

 eastward and by 15 June, an eastern boundary along 48°30' W. 

 between 50° N. and 54° N. was established. Between 50° N. and 

 48° N. the berg drift generally followed the 1,000-fathom curve with 

 the bergs melting rapidly as they progressed to the east. The eastern- 

 most berg was reported on 16 June in position 48°50' N., 45°22' W. 



During the month, surface temperatures warmed rapidly as shown 

 in figures 8 and 9. With the rapid warming, berg disintegration was 

 very high, accounting for a 40% reduction in the number of bergs 

 between 48° N. and 50° N. during the week 17 and 24 June. 



Figure 14 summarizes the iceberg and growlers reported during the 

 montli of June south of 49° N. 



JULY 



Over 100 hci-gs were sigjited in (lie area from Fogo Islajid north 

 along the coast of Xcnvfoundlaiid and Labrador to 54° N. and east (o 

 about 170 miles oft'shoi-e on 30 June. Very few of these bergs drifted 

 east or south of these limits. On 28 July, only 7 bergs and 2 growlers 



