two small bergs by the Evergreen, The small size and location 

 of these bergs now made it extremely doubtful that they could reach 

 the effective shipping tracks. 



By the end of March an estimated 88 bergs had drifted south of 

 48° N., with all but one close along Avalon Peninsula. This total 

 represents the greatest number of bergs drifting south of 48° N. in 

 March since 1945. Surface winds were very favorable for berg drift 

 south along the Newfoundland coast in March with northwesterly 

 winds dominant as the first group of one hundred bergs arrived between 

 the Grand Banks and Belle Isle and average northerly winds after the 

 bergs passed Cape Freels. No bergs were known to drift south of 

 45° N. during March. The southernmost berg was located on the 25th 

 at 45°25' N., 53°45' W., about 80 miles to the southwest of Cape Race. 



While the sea ice limits remained fairly static most of February 

 due to warmer than normal air temperatures in the area, with cold 

 northwest winds from late February through mid-March the pack 

 ice which contained numerous bergs rapidly encroached upon the 

 northern Grand Banks and the east coast of Newfoundland extending 

 to a maximum southeastern limit near 46° 10' N., 48° 10' W. on the 

 22d. Farther north the eastern limits generally were along 50° W. 

 Maximum southwest limits were reached on the 25th about 90 miles 

 southwest of Cape Race. The port of St. Jolui's, Newfomidland 

 was beset by heavy close pack ice during most of March. Gale 

 force winds during most of the month assisted in destroying much 

 of the pack ice near the limits. Also as the two isotherm charts for 

 March (figs. 1 and 2) reveal the surface temperatures on the Grand 

 Banks were about normal. 



The Gulf of St. Lawrence was experiencing a heavy sea ice season. 

 With abnormally cold temperatures in March, the entire Gulf was 

 ice covered early in March. Average north-northwesterly winds pre- 

 dominated throughout March driving ice south from the northern 

 Gulf to compact the southern Gulf with heavily ridged ice and young 

 ice quickly formed replacing the ice driven south. Toward the end 

 of March north-northeasterly winds and accompanying warmer tem- 

 peratures did open up a lead along the western Newfoundland coast to 

 Rich Point, but the remainder of the Gulf remained covered mostly 

 with thick winter ice. Most of Cabot Strait was ice covered during 

 March except that passage by Cape Ray was mostly open. 



APRIL 



The ice conditions in April were mostly determined by two distinct 

 weather patterns. At tlie start of the month there were an estimated 

 85 bergs south of 48° N., all west of 51° W. and close along the coast 

 except for one small berg at 45°08' N., 48°50' W. North of 48 N. to 

 52 N. there were an estimated 825 bergs all within 90 miles of the coast. 



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