ICE CONDITIONS IN 1942 



The Table of Ice Reports gives a summary of the findings for the 

 period February through November. Reference is made to this table 

 for details. November was selected as the terminating month for 

 the ice season as by that time the 1942 ice crop had reached its 

 minimum in almost every area, and navigation for certain of the 

 areas was being closed by the first of the next season's ice. Figures 

 1 to 4, respectively, show the ice sightings in certain critical areas 

 by months, during the months of February to May inclusive. These 

 figures aid in giving a periodic summary of the ice conditions 

 through the height of the ice season, one that is not readily obtained 

 from the tables. A discussion of the ice conditions in the difl^erent 

 areas is given below. 



ST. LAWRENCE AREA 



Reports from the St. Lawrence area are given in the Table of 

 Ice Reports under the heading of area 1: This area includes the 

 Gulf of St. Lawrence proper from the river to the Strait of Belle 

 Isle, and south through Cabot Strait and the Gut of Canso to include 

 the continental shelf south of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island. 

 Ice in this area was somewhat lighter than during an average year. 

 Normally, navigation may be expected to open up across the Gulf 

 of St. Lawrence to the mouth of the St. Lawrence River about mid- 

 April, the route becoming ice free prior to 10 May. In 1942 the 

 ice in the central gulf broke up rapidly between 29 March and 4 

 April. On the latter date the shipping track from Cape Ray to 

 Fame Point was navigable and the ice broken to Quebec. The next 

 day the Cape Ray to Fame Point track was clear. Ice persisted 

 south of Anticosti Island, and in the southern part of the gulf in 

 the vicinity of Prince Edward Island until early May. From time 

 to time during April occasional patches of this ice drifted across 

 the shipping track between Fame Point and Cape Ray but did not 

 close it. On 22 April the St. Lawrence River was open to Montreal. 

 On 6 May all gulf routes from the south were sufficiently clear of 

 ice to permit discontinuing the ice surveys in that area. Excluding 

 the northeastern section of the gulf near the Strait of Belle Isle, two 

 bergs were reported, one at latitude 49° 06' N., longitude 64° 18' W. 

 on 7 May, and the other at latitude 48°33' N., longitude 62°47' W. 

 on 10 May. 



On the banks south of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island the 

 southern extremity of the pack ice during March and April could 

 usually be found between latitude 44°30' N. and latitude 45°30' N. 

 The ice never extended as far as Sable Island, and on only two occa- 

 sions was there any threat of the ice forcing inshore traffic to the 

 south of that island. The westerly extension of ice stopped short of 

 Halifax. Traflfic east from that port was little inconvenienced by 



