slope of the Grand Banks, the entrained bergs would soon be an active 

 danger to shipping. 



On 3 March, a 25-mile-wide tongue of open to close pack ice extended 

 along to 100-fathom curve to a southern extremity of 47°22' N,, at 

 48°50' W. The pack ice was definitely moving south. On 6 March 

 the tongue of the pack ice had receded to the north-northwest about 

 80 miles, and had been reduced in width to 8 miles. The pack ice 

 quicldy expanded to its maximum limits during the third week of 

 March and then literally vanished before the end of the month. By 

 20 March the pack ice covered the north sector of the Banks to about 

 the 48th parallel with a tongue extending south along the east slope 

 to 46°45' N., 47°10' W., the southernmost and easternmost extension 

 of the pack for 1953, and another tongue extending just south of Cape 

 Spear close along the Newfoundland coast. For the first time in 3 

 years the port of St. John's was closed to shipping. Within a few 

 days scattered strings of ice extended to 45°30' N., along the east slope 

 of the Banks, and the tongue close along the Avalon Peninsula ex- 

 tended to Cape Race; however, the main pack was rapidly disinte- 

 grating. By the end of March practically the whole Grand Banks 

 area was clear of all ice. The ice situation was now comparable to 

 those of 1951 and 1952, two of the lightest ice years on record. 



It is estimated that 21 bergs penetrated south of 48°00' N., during 

 the month, or more than the yearly totals of 1951 and 1952 which 

 were 6 and 14 respectively. It is also estimated that 4 bergs came 

 south of 47°00' N., and 2 south of 46°00' N. One small berg and 2 

 growlers drifted into the major transatlantic shipping lanes, tracks 

 C and D. The southernmost ice reported was the growler at 42°37' 

 N., 50°22' W., on 28 March. 



The limits of pack ice for March were about normal compared to 

 the average limits in the Ice Atlas for March. The limits and number 

 of bergs were both greater than the averages in the Ice Atlas. Distri- 

 bution of ice is shown in figure 8. 



On 3 March close pack ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence area extended 

 inshore of a line from Cape des Hosiers to 48°40' N., 62°50' W., south 

 to a position 20 miles east of North Pt., Prince Edward Island, to 

 St. Paul Island. By 10 March practically the whole area of the gulf 

 west of longitude 62°00' W., was covered with newly formed ice which 

 was to be the maximum ice limits for the year in that area. By 24 

 March there had been considerable improvement in the ice conditions 

 in the gulf. At that time the steamer track between Cape Ray and 

 Fame Point was practically clear, and the pack ice in the western and 

 southwestern Gulf was now reported as open pack. By 30 March 

 the St. Lawrence River was navigable to Montreal, and by 31 March 

 the steamer track between Fame Point and Cape Ray was clear except 

 for loosely scattered strings of drift ice to 30 miles east of Cape des 

 Rosiers. 



n 



