Figure 12. — Ice conditions on 24 May 1963. 



foundland and east Labrador coasts had spread out to about 70 miles 

 offshore. 



Two flights on the 24th relocated the remaining bergs, all aground 

 along the east coast of Newfoundland, and covered the northern area 

 as far north as 55° N. and east of Belle Isle to 50° W. Only six bergs 

 remained south of Cape Freels. There was negligible southward 

 movement of the many bergs sighted 10 days previously near Belle 

 Isle. Instead, under the influence of the predominant southwest 

 winds, these bergs had drifted easterly. There were a total of about 

 150 bergs between 51°30' N., 53° N., from the coast to 50° W. There 

 were another 140 bergs from 53° N. to 55° N. Belle Isle Strait and 

 approaches from the east were free of sea ice with southern limits along 

 52° N. and eastern limits of 52°30' W. and open pack south of 54° N. 

 See figure 12 for ice conditions on 24 May. 



Abnormal air temperatures in May caused a sharp rise in the surface 

 sea temperature from a below-normal to an above-normal condition. 

 See figures 4 and 5 for the May semimonthly isotherm charts. The 

 existing ice conditions at the end of May combined with the tendency 

 of eastward berg drift off Belle Isle Strait out of the Labrador Current 

 and the above-normal sea temperatures greatly reduced the likelihood 

 of any threat to track C or a major threat to the northern Grand 

 Banks. No known bergs drifted south of 48° N. during May. It is 

 beheved that only one other May, that of 1952, also was unique with 



15 



