below normal, with considerable young and slush ice and no thick 

 winter ice observed south of Cape Chidley. Three small bergs 

 were observed near Belle Isle, and very surprisingly only 23 bergs 

 were counted south of Hudson Strait. By the end of the month the 

 sea ice limits had advanced 60 miles to the southeast and east of 

 Belle Isle. The average wind during the month along the Labrador 

 coast was light SE and unfavorable for transport of ice to the south. 



FEBRUARY 



With average west-northwesterly surface winds and colder air 

 temperatures, the limits of sea ice approached the Grand Banks from 

 Belle Isle at an average of 6 miles per clay. By the end of February 

 the sea ice had reached the northern Grand Banks near Cape Bona- 

 vista, extending northeast from there to the 1,000-fathom cm've 

 then north-northwestward along the 1,000-fathom curve. Though 

 the sea ice limits were rather extensive, the average thickness of the 

 ice was estimated below normal as the average offshore winds pre- 

 vented growth of the already-formed ice. There were no bergs reported 

 during the month and none believed below 50° N. The first ship 

 report of ice during the year was received from the U.S. Coast Guard 

 cutter Yakutat, who reported the eastern limits of slush ice near 52° 

 N., 49°30' W., on 17 February. 



With average cold northwest winds over the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 

 most of the gulf was covered with young ice by midmonth with the 

 exception of the steamer track from Cape Ray north of Anticosti 

 Island to the St.. Lawrence River. By the end of the month, the ice 

 limits had advanced to 50 miles southeast of Scatari Island with the 

 limits north to Burgeo Bank and then westward just south of Cape 

 Ray. With assistance of icebreakers, all the major gulf and New- 

 foundland ports were kept open throughout by the Canadian 

 Department of Transport. 



MARCH 



During the first week in March, the entire area from the Grand 

 Banks northward along the Newfoundland and Labrador coasts was 

 dominated by a cold polar air mass with strong northwest winds and 

 attendant very cold air temperatures averaging about 15°-20° F. 

 Accordingly, the sea ice limits rapidly advanced onto the northern 

 Grand Banks south to 47° and east to 48° W. accompanied by growth 

 in the thickness of the sea ice. St. Johns Harbor and approaches 

 from the southeast remained open water throughout the month. 

 Trinity and Conception Bays were open water for the most part. 

 The above limits of sea ice remained remarkably constant until the 

 end of the month, as the deterioration of the ice by warmer waters 

 at the southern and eastern limits matched the supply fed by the 

 Labrador Current and average west-northwest winds. 



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