and river routes were clear of ice except for the route through the 

 Strait of Belle Isle. Scattered field ice persisted in the area within 

 60 miles of the east coast of Cape Breton Island until the 19th, after 

 which date the area was clear. 



Distribution of ice reported in April is shown graphically in figure 12. 



MAY 



The month of May was marked by a pronounced shift in the path 

 followed by the majority of bergs entering the Grand Banks region 

 and the drift of three bergs well to the south-southeast of the Tail of 

 the Banks. Prior to May most of the bergs which came south of the 

 48th parallel skirted the northeast slope of the Grand Banks and 

 were subsequently to be found on or east of the east slope of the 

 Grand Banks. Of the estirnated 65 bergs which drifted south of the 

 48th parallel during May, the large majority went aground in posi- 

 tions distributed over the entire northern half of the Grand Banks and 

 along the east and south coasts of the Avalon Peninsula where they 

 eventually melted.'^ Three bergs traveled southward along the entire 

 length of the east slope of the Grand Banks and beyond. The last 

 reports received in May on the positions of these three bergs were as 

 follows: one berg reported on the 27th in 41°45' N., 49°10° W.; one 

 reported on the 28th in 42°07' N., 48°51' W. ; and one reported on 

 the 31st in 40°02' N., 48°30' W., the most southerly position reached 

 by any ice thus far in the season. During the first 3 weeks in May 

 approximately" 12 bergs were located in the area boimcled by the east 

 slope of the Grand Banks, the 45th meridian, and the 44tli and 47th 

 parallels. The most easterly ice reported in the month was a berg on 

 the 20th in 44°43' N., 44°07' W. 



No field ice was reported south of the 49tli parallel in May. The 

 field ice limits continued to retreat to the north and west for the rest 

 of the ice season. 



The Strait of Belle Isle route remained closed to shipping through- 

 out the month. 



Distribution of ice reported in May is shown graphically in figure 13. 



JUNE 



The number of bergs in the Grand Banks region diminished greatly 

 in June. jVIost of the bergs which had stranded in the first half of 

 May on the northern half of the Grand Banks and along the coasts of 

 the Avalon Peninsula melted before the end of the first week in June. 

 Of the three bergs located south-southeast of the Tail of the Banks in 

 the last week in May, only one lasted until June and was sighted 



s The probable cause for the westward shift of berp path just described was the strong easterly wind 

 component which prevailed along the east coast of Newfoundland during the first 9 days of May in contrast 

 to the westerly component which prevailed from the start of the ice season to the last of April. 



10 



