off the Labrador coast. Several inshore bergs were scattered from 

 the Strait of Belle Isle north along the Labrador coast. 



Very little ice was reported during September and none south of the 

 Strait of Belle Isle. Three bergs and many growlers were found in 

 the strait and close in along the shore just to the north. A few more 

 bergs were scattered off the Labrador coast north of 54°00' N. 



Only a few bergs scattered inshore along the coasts of Newfoundland 

 and Labrador north of 49°00' N., were reported during October. 



There were no reports of ice south of 52°00' N., during November. 

 Several inshore bergs were found to the north of that latitude along 

 the Labrador coast. An interesting report was made of three bergs 

 well to the southeast of Cape Farewell, Greenland, in position 58°00' 

 N., 39°00' W. 



During the entire period, July-November, no pack ice was reported 



in the Newfoundland-Labrador area and no bergs drifted south of 



48°00' N. The pack ice and berg limits and concentrations were less 



than average. 



DECEMBER 



The month of December was marked by an unusual situation to the 

 east and southeast of Cape Farewell, Greenland. Between 12 and 23 

 December, approximately 17 bergs and a number of growlers were 

 reported scattered in that area, roughly along a line from 56°32' N., 

 40°45' W., to 61°37' N., 33°10' W., and thus at or even outside the 

 extreme limits of icebergs and growlers as shown in the Ice Atlas for 

 that area during December.^ 



In the Newfoundland-Labrador area the only ice reported was two 

 large bergs at 49°3C' N., 50°30' W., on the 24th. 



TABLE OF ICE REPORTS, 1953 



No. 



Date 



Name of vessel 



North 

 latitude 



West 

 longitude 



Description 



Jan. 26 

 -..do.—. 

 ...do 



Jan. 31 



...do 



...do 



...do 



use GC Campbell- 



do 



-.-.do. 



USCGCMcCulloch. 



do-. 



do 



do 



Feb. 16 



Feb. 20 



...do..... 



...do 



Feb. 21 



USCG aircraft. 



.do- 



58 37 



58 35 



58 39 

 60 02 



59 42 

 59 22 

 59 03 



48 39 



49 45 

 49 00 



43 20 



42 56 



42 06 



36 29 



37 21 



37 45 



38 26 

 52 10 



52 10 



51 25 



do 



do 



USCGC Matagorda. 



to 



50 30 I 51 30 



to 



51 00 I 51 35 



to 

 51 30 I 50 40 

 , thence northwest 

 51 04 I 53 00 

 51 35 52 12 

 53 15 I 51 40 

 to west and south 

 indefinitely 



10 bergs in this position. 



4 bergs and some growlers. 

 Approximately 15 bergs in the vicinity. 

 Small berg. 



Do. 



5 small bergs. 

 2 small bergs. 



Scattered patches field ice becoming 

 consolidated to westward from 52°10' 

 W. between 48°39' N. and 49°45' N. 



lEast limits of open field ice. 



Growler. 

 Medium berg. 



Limits of scattered field ice becoming 

 consolidated to west. 



' A probable cause of this uncommon ice distribution was the departure from normal of the sea level 

 barometric pressure pattern in the area which caused strong northwesterly winds to predominate there 

 during the 2 month period prior to mid-Dcc?mb2r. It is of interest to note that in October 1938 a similar 

 ice distribution existed together with abnormal strong northwesterly winds. 



15 



