large berg had drifted to near 46° N., 48° W., by 21 April where it 

 grounded for a couple of days. By now the berg, though still large, 

 was badly eroded, with three distinct pinnacles and one column all 

 separated at the water surface. Three days later, the one large berg 

 had disintegrated into four small bergs, which were sighted 50 miles 

 to the southeast. These small bergs, now out of the Labrador Current, 

 drifted aimlessly in the area and deteriorated within 10 days without 

 achieving any drift south of 45° N. The six medium-sized bergs were 

 driven by predominantly north-to-northeasterly winds onto the north- 

 east Banks where they grounded and slowly disintegrated in average 

 water temperatures of about 34° F. By 15 May there were no re- 

 maining offshore bergs on the Grand Banks, and except for a couple 

 of bergs close along Avalon Peninsula, the Grand Banks were ice free 

 at this time and expected to so remain until June. 



The onshore winds in the area north of the Grand Banks continued 

 through the first week of May, but then shifted to the west-southwest 

 and so remained until tlie end of May. Consequently by 10 May, 

 many bergs were reported arriving near Belle Isle. As a flight on 

 24 May revealed, these bergs, under the influence of west-southwest 

 winds, made negligible progress to the south. At this time there 

 were about 325 bergs well spread out from just south of Belle Isle to 

 55°40' N. between the coast and 50° W. In spite of average northerly 

 winds during the first half of June, only a handful were able to drift 

 into the vicinity of the northern Grand Banks with a minor threat 

 to track F in late June and early July. By mid-July there were no 

 known bergs remaining south of 50° N. 



The limits of sea ice on the northern Grand Banks in March were 

 fairly static, with the young ice, mostly brash and small floes due to 

 heavy sea conditions, quickly disintegrating as it drifted out to sea 

 into waters warmer than 32° F. This deterioration was almost 

 matched by the supply provided by the west-northwest winds and 

 east-flowing Labrador Current. By mid-April the sea ice limits had 

 retreated to just north of the northwest Grand Banks near Cape 

 Bonavista. By the end of April the Grand Banks was free of all 

 sea ice, with limits to the north of Cape Freels close along the coasts 

 of Newfoundland and Labrador. By 19 May, Belle Isle Strait was 

 considered navigable and by 24 May the strait and approaches 

 from east were open water. This is a month ahead of the average 

 opening date. 



The Gulf of St. Lawrence, including Cabot Strait and the North- 

 east Arm, experienced a relatively light ice year, with the steamer 

 track from Cape Ray into the St. Lawrence River declared navigable 

 on 29 March. Detailed monthly ice conditions appear in a later 

 section. 



