northeast of Cape Race to 49° N., 50° W. No bergs are believed to 

 have moved south of 48° N. during February. 



The Gulf of St. Lawrence experienced colder than normal tempera- 

 tures during February. The effect on the ice situation was apparent 

 with a rapid worsening of ice conditions. In early February, prac- 

 tically the entire Gulf had six-tenths to nine-tenths young winter and 

 slush ice. By the end of the month the ice had increased in concen- 

 tration, thickness, and size. Also, the pack ice began to move out of 

 Cabot Strait by the middle of the month and extended south of Cape 

 Breton to 44°30' N. and west of Canso to 62° W. by the end of the 



month. 



MARCH 



The normal pattern of the gradual movement of the pack ice and 

 bergs to the southeast toward the Grand Banks which had been 

 characteristic of February was abruptly changed in early March. 

 During the first 5 days of March the air circulation over the ice 

 infested area off the east coast of Newfoundland was predominantly 

 northeasterly. The pack ice and bergs contained therein which had 

 drifted as far south as 48°20' N. and east to 51° W. were driven to the 

 southwest into Conception, Trinity and Bonavista Bays and to the 

 west of Cape Freels into Notre Dame Bay. Two bergs managed to 

 drift south of Cape Race. One berg was sighted on 7 March at 

 46°49' N., 52°30' W. and was last sighted in the form of two growlers 

 near 46°55' N., 51°45' W. 3 days later. This berg was probably the 

 fu-st to cross 48° N. for 1962 and was the southernmost berg for the 

 month. During this time, a few scattered patches and narrow belts 

 of ice moved south of Cape Race to 46° N. and southwest of Cape 

 Race to 54°40' W., the west limits south of Cape Race and the south 

 limits of field ice for 1962. 



An aerial observation flight on 6 March revealed that the pack ice 

 was west of 53° W. except for heavy pack ice in Conception Bay. 

 The strong northeasterly flow of surface winds at the end of February 

 and early March had caused an early if temporary recession of the 

 pack ice and bergs. Of considerable interest now was the extent of 

 pack ice and bergs and their distribution to the north. A report from 

 Belle Isle Radio on 6 March that there was no ice in sight at Belle 

 Isle and Cape Bauld was a good clue as to what had happened, and 

 was a strong indication of a light pack ice year for Newfoundland and 

 Labrador and likely a light iceberg year. Flights made in the middle 

 of March revealed that offshore bergs and field ice as far north as 

 51°30' N. were nonexistent. 



A flight on 8 March verified that the pack ice was confined to the 

 bays and close alongshore to the north and west of Cape Freels. 

 For ice conditions this date see figure 8. Reports received indicated 

 that the pack ice to the north was light and mostly close alongshore. 



