Atlantic lanes. With this threat removed and final searches be- 

 tween 47°30' N. and 50°30' W. eastward to 48°30' W., removing 

 all doubts of possible bergs in that area, the ice patrol season was 

 terminated. Commander, International Ice Patrol, and staff de- 

 parted Argentia on May 24. Commanding Officer, Coast Guard 

 Air Detachment, was directed to conduct periodic flights between 

 latitudes 49^00' N. and 52°00' N. to detect any bergs drifting south 

 in that area. 



Five ice observation flights were made during the month. ^ No 

 bergs were known to have drifted south of latitude 48° 00' N. 

 Distribution of icebergs is shown graphically in figure 6. ^ 



I 



-^ JUNE-OCTOBER 



No known icebergs came south of 48° N. during this period. i 



NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 



On 25 November the S.S. Mina L. Kambanis sighted a berg 200 

 feet high and 800 feet long at 48°30' N., 50°15' W. It is estimated 

 that this berg drifted south of 48° N. during the month of De- 

 cember. 



WEATHER 



Due to the lack of ice and the remoteness of the southernmost 

 ice from the steamer lanes, weather did not play its usual major 

 role in the operations of the ice patrol. At no time did there exist 

 any urgency to effect a flight when the predicted weather was 

 maro-inal. Nearly all flights were scheduled either after the wmds 

 of a'passing disturbance had shifted to the northwest (thereby 

 introducing a fresh flow of dry polar air into the search area) or 

 when a dry high-pressure area was dominant. And yet, even with 

 these ideal meteorological conditions, it was rare to find the area 

 north of latitude 50°00' N. completely void of low stratus and fog. 

 Weather did, however, exert considerable influence on the ice 

 conditions during March, especially the field ice which might have 

 developed into a threat to the northern tracks. A deep, stagnant 

 cyclone south of Sable Island between March 9 and 13 produced 

 east to southeast gales that all but destroyed the crop of field ice 

 This, followed bv a Great Lakes low pressure system that moved 

 south of Newfoundland and stalled between the 15th and 18th 

 (southeast winds) and a central Labrador storm on the 21st 

 (southerly gales), left the area south of latitude 50°00' N. com- 

 pletely void of pack ice except for scattered remnants and loose 



strings. ■ , • j 



The weather during the first half of April was characterized 



by a series of numerous, slow moving low-pressure areas passing 



8 



